Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel (7.1%)

The Andechs monastery brewery is one of my favourite places in all of Germany. Not for any spiritual reasons, or even purely owing to the beer, but because Andechs deftly and impressively offers visitors pretty much everything a person could want in a Bavarian beer destination, from indoor atmosphere to outdoor views, more than impressive food and most congenial hospitality, and, of course, pretty terrific beer.

My first exposure to that beer was via Jim Brickman, whose eponymous brewery, now the Carlsberg-owned Waterloo Brewing, somehow managed to snag the right to brew Andechs Spezial Hell in Ontario, the only such licence the monastery had and perhaps ever has granted. Although it never quite caught on and was eventually discontinued, for the time it was brewed here, the Spezial Hell was without question among the finest lagers brewed or available in this country.

A subsequent visit to the monastery biergarten, easily accessible from Munich via S-Bahn and bus or a short taxi ride – or if you’re feeling athletic, S-Bahn and a 5 kilometer walk – showed me that Kloster Andechs excels at pretty much all the beer styles they brew, from the sessionable Andechser Hell to the much-acclaimed Doppelbock Dunkle. Which is why, when I was recently surprised to come across the latter beer at the LCBO, I immediately bought several.

A lovely and clear purplish brown in colour, the aroma of this beer is pure doppelbock in all its malty glory, with notes of chocolate brownie mixing with toasted grain and slightly burnt caramel, accented by just a hint of licorice. The body is rich, sweet, and silky smooth, with toffee notes up front leading to a malty mix of dark chocolate, hints of candied orange peel, a touch of baking spice and licorice, caramel, and some drying but only very lightly bitter hoppiness bringing it all to a most satisfying close.

At the LCBO price of $4.20 a half-litre, this is not only a truly great beer, but also an outstanding value. I had planned to do several more reviews this afternoon, but instead I think I’m just going to relax with the rest of my Doppelbock, and then perhaps open another.

95 ($4.20; CRITIC’ CHOICE)