Lagunitas "Our Own Bavarian-Style" Doppel Weizen

Brewed By: Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California

Purchased: YEE-HAAAW! 22oz Bomber from Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2011

Style/ABV: Weizen Bock, 9.0%

I already introduced Lagunitas when I reviewed their A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale. But just to refresh, Lagunitas are based out of Petaluma, California. They were founded in 1993, and they are best known for their eccentric and deviant beer.

Nice color under light.

Today's beer is a limited release beer. According to Lagunitas, this beer is brewed with authentic Bavarian yeast. In fact, the bottle states that "This special brew was designed by our Freistaat Bayern Brothers who also built the brewhouse upon which we brewed it." Being a Doppel (double) Weizen (wheat beer), we can expect a strong wheat beer. This big ass beer clocks in at a stompin' 9.0% ABV, and packs 34.20 IBUs.

Now, both Ratebeer and BeerAdvocate have sorted this beer as a Weizen Bock. Weizen Bocks are strong wheat beers with the addition of more malt and alcohol than standard wheat beers. The BJCP states that Weizen Bocks can feature spicy clove-like phenols, light banana and vanilla, dark fruit, and moderate wheat flavors. Additionally, there may be some sweet notes, or even a light chocolate note. Weizen Bocks are strong, fruity, malty, wheat-based ales. One vital and last comment is that the BJCP pegs Weizen Bocks as usually having an ABV of 6.5% to 8.0%. So this beer is pushing the extreme limits if it is indeed a true Weizen Bock.

The BJCP suggests rolling the bottle prior to serving to rouse up the yeast, so we shall do that. This beer absolutely pours like a wheat beer. There is a giant, fluffy, creamy, cloud-like, 3-finger head. The head is slightly off-white with hints of straw or gold. The beer is quite carbonated, and looks to be unfiltered. Typical wheat beer stuff. The body is a glorious brown/orange/gold-straw color. The body of the beer is bright, and looks great under light.

The aroma of this beer is BIG Bavarian notes. Huge funky, yeasty notes wallop your pallate. I'm getting huge notes of banana, huge clove, huge vanilla and white sugar, and huge funky barnyard. There is also a bit of wheat. I'm smelling vanilla yogurt, cream, taro fruit, some alcohol, and maybe some pulls towards other fruit that I cannot quite place. As this beer warms up you do get some malt on the nose. The malt notes are pale malt notes, which kind of have their own unique flavor profile that is kind of doughy, funky, and maybe bready or grainy.

This tastes really interesting. There's a lot of wheat, and a lot of the big, bold, Bavarian flavors. But there is a definite alcohol bite, and even a hop bite which is not typical for the Weizen Bock style. Lagunitas are big fans of going against the grain, so the surprises are welcomed and something I look forward to.

Lagunitas Doppel Weizen, 9.0% ABV

First, there is a definite creamy quality to the taste thanks to great carbonation and head retention. The mouthfeel is slightly powdery and vinous, maybe due to the alcohol? The alcohol is pretty prominent, but you would expect that for a 9.0% ABV beer. There is also a hoppy note in here? I am getting a pull towards a citrus-orange-grapefruit-apple note. There is some malt in the mix as well, as I pick up on some big pale malt notes. But the big flavors are the usual Bavarian suspects: big big clove, some spices like pepper and coriander, bananas, vanilla, white sugar, and some lemon and grass. Maybe the hop note is really the lemon-grass wheat note mixed with the big ABV. Or maybe it's the huge ass clove and spice notes mixing with the big ABV. It is hard to say. There is a lot of wheat in the body as well. I'm actually picking up on some cheese notes as well, and big Bavarian wheat beers pair quite nicely with cheese. So that's always an option...

Rating: Above-Average

Score: 88%

I love wheat beers, and this is a wheat beer all amped up. This is one of those extreme American beers. I can already see our European friends scoffing at us and shaking their heads.

This is a medium-bodied beer. Wheat beers are light, 9.0% ABV beers are not. So it balances out. This is crisp and drinkable, but still powdery and creamy, and big and bold. This beer has big depth, and okay complexity. I'm not sure how I would score the complexity of this beer. I mean...it's a wheat beer. The front end is big bananas, clove, creaminess, and powder. The middle rolls into some huge clove, thick creamy bananas, wheat, pale malt, and booze. The back end is warming, boozy, spicy, and actually kind of drying. 

There are huge bananas, pale malts, clove, and alcohol in this beer. That's how I would sum it up in one sentence. A Bavarian style wheat beer with lots of alcohol. For me, I would easily drink this again. Hell, I rated it pretty high on the spectrum of Above-Average beers. This is a beer you only want to have once in a while though, and with some cheese. 

Really good stuff, this comes recommended for fans of extreme beers, Bavarian beers, and Wheat beers. Cheers.