The weather is finally starting to cooperate with the schedule of beers that I had planned to write about, because there would have been no way to handle a dark, rich and slightly sweet monster like the Grande Cuvée Doppelbock on one of those sunny and hot days we had earlier this autumn.
Before the current preference for dry alcoholic drinks, doppelbocks were traditionally brewed as sweet, boozy lagers meant for celebrating the harvest and for welcoming the short, dark days of late October. Modern versions tend to be more fully fermented so that they have more of the booze and less of the sweetness.
This one pours a chestnut brown with reddish tinges, and it has a resilient, mocha-coloured, rocky head. The aroma is sweet with alcohol and notes of toasted dark bread and figgy dried fruit. The flavour has a moderate dose of caramel sweetness, along with black cherries, raisins and plums, and there is a warming heat from the booze.
Big October beers that lean heavily on malt deserve to be paired with a special occasion dinner built around roasted meat. Something rich — like duck, goose or heritage pork — that comes served with a slightly tart sauce would be perfect. Doppelbocks are also in the vanguard of beers waging a campaign to be a dessert drink. This one would go well with anything sweet that has chocolate or coffee at its core.
Typical for doppelbocks, there is very little hop bitterness in this beer, and that makes it a great one for those who want something complex without the mouth pucker.
The LCBO has recently listed another beer from Les Trois Mousquetaires: the excellent Baltic porter (also part of the Grande Cuvée series), which is worth checking out for an interesting and traditional take on that style.
Les Trois Mousquetaires Grande Cuvée Doppelbock, $9.90 for a 750 ml bottle, LCBO #359430
In addition to covering beer, new restaurants and food trucks for Post City, David Ort writes about food and drink for several Toronto publications including his own site, Food With Legs. He is also the author of the upcoming Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook. For more of his thoughts on food, beer and life in general, follow him on Twitter or get in touch at info@foodwithlegs.com.