Ayinger Brewery Celebrator

**Aroma:** “A pleasant, light aroma that doesn’t overpower in any one area. Yeast aromatics are a touch more saison-like (some nice pepper and spice notes) than classically dubbel. Light spicy hops aroma complements yeast phenolics. As it starts to warm more esters (cherry or peach) start to come out and less spice.” **Flavor:** “A rounded malt foundation of toffee and raisins gives way to an unusual, but pleasantly different suit of fruit (bananas, cherries, plums) and spice (cloves). Some crisp hops bitterness to balance. Finishes dry.” **Overall:** “Spicy with a low malt complexity and a good balance of sweetness. Very drinkable. This could easily fly under the radar in a sea of competitors, but this pleasant little dubbel-esque saison quenches one’s thirst as readily as it quenches the need for something from the abbey. Perhaps this is what the monks drink when they mow the lawn?”

**Aroma:** “Bready sweetness, brown sugar, caramel, very Belgian nose. Very floral aroma—jasmine. Doesn’t smell like a Flanders. Very perfume and grap- ey. Strong acetic-acid aroma, balanced with a slight malty sweetness.” **Flavor:** “Flavors of blackberries and cur- rants. Fruit cocktail: pear, maraschino cherry, apricot, pineapple. Light tartness gives way to a very sweet, light-bodied beer. Finish is cotton-candy sweet. Malt is almost chocolaty. Doesn’t taste like a Flanders. Moderately low acidity is out of style. Strange perfume and grape flavor. Spicy phenolics. Odd flavor combo. Slight carbonic bite. Creamy body and a sweet finish.” **Overall:** “I think it may be a love-it or hate-it beer. There are no discernible off flavors but the combination of sugar-sweet and tart is quite odd. As a Flanders, it’s weirdly fruity and not very sour at all. An approachable beer, but perhaps a little on the sweet side. Would be excellent as a dessert beer paired with ice cream.”

**Aroma:** Big malt aroma with rich melanoidins. All about the malt: no hops, no esters, no sulfur. Nice waves of malt: cocoa, toffee, caramel, plums, and raisins. **Flavor:** Clean, rich malt with just enough hop bitterness to balance. Rich malt sweetness gives way to a pleasantly dry finish. Hops are lightly applied. A touch of carbonic burn and alcohol with some light oxidation. **Overall:** A classic doppelbock. Alcohol is well hidden behind layers of complex malt, but it all comes together in the finish. Very nice, though the hop bitterness grows with time, detracting from the overall impression. Great lager profile—tastes classically European.