Today we're going to drink the Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock, a nice, strong beer very characteristic of its particular style. I enjoyed this beer so much that, unfortunately, I didn't take a lot of notes while drinking it. But let's start with what I remember. It has a very floral, delicious nose. Nothing about the smell of this beer encourages one to delay his first sip, so I didn't. And then, blessed beer!

Earlier this week, my associate Mr Maujean mentioned that he consumed a bottle of Spaten Optimator, which is another doppelbock. A bock is a strong lager, and its name comes from the town of Einbeck, where the style supposedly originated. It also is German for "goat", so one will typically see goats used in the decor of a bottle of bock. Not so with this beer, which features a very happy monk drinking beer with a very happy nobleman of some sort. This is probably a nod to bock's history of being brewed by monks, who once liberally quaffed these thick, sweet, high-alcohol beers to keep their spirits nourished and inebriated during Lent. Do all good beers come from monks? It's very likely, I suspect.

Let's back up a little. The doppelbock is one of my favorite German beer styles. I'll admit to being more of a malt-head than a hop-head, even though I'm an Oregonian. Salvator really comes through for me on that sort of expectation, with a strong, syrupy malty body, caramel notes and some mild or medium ester notes. There is some bitterness mid-palate and almost an overpowering, cloying finish. Overall, however, this very strong beer is thick, burly, and delicious. I highly recommend giving it a try as soon as possible.