Thanks to my co-founder, I am one of the very few people on the planet who has a doppelbock expert at their disposal at a moments notice. Trust me when I say that he has put countless hours of hard ''work'' into finding the best of the best when it comes to this style. It was a little over a year ago when he did a review on the Doppel-Hirsch from Privatbrauerei Höss der Hirschbräu. As luck would have it I had just bought the exact same beer, but didn't want to review it so soon after he had. So what was I to do? I decided to sit it on a shelf for a later day, and honestly forgot about it. Fast forward to the present, and guess what I stumbled upon while doing some cellar stock rotation? That's right, a one year old Doppel-Hirsch that's time has finally come.

In the glass, Doppel-Hirsch has a mahogany like coloration. Think dark brown with a bit of a rose tint to it. About two fingers worth of head forms from a standard pour before receding down to about half a fingers worth that leaves little lacing. When you get your nose in close, you are greeted by a deep, rich caramel aroma that grabs hold of you and refuses to let go. Some earthy malts start to come through as you manage to dig your way through the caramel, and once you reach them, they are accompanied by some notes of flat chocolate, molasses and brown sugar. Given a bit of warming time, a bit of a bready layer starts to become noticeable. Pumpernickel comes to mind the more you study it. More than anything, the nose offers a good lesson in foreshadowing, as it perfectly predicts the sweetness that is to come.

Going in for the first taste of it, the word that instantly comes to mind is ''complex''. There are layers galore, and all are amazingly balanced within themselves, as well as with each other. The caramel is deliciously rich and sweet, just as the nose suggested, but it never gets to the point of needing to take pause. It slowly allows a more earthy molasses flavor to seep in as you allow it to linger on your tongue for a few moments, and after a little more time, some hints of raisins and plums start to work their way through as well. Light notes of vanilla highlight random sips, and all are rounded off by just a bit of a peppery hops bite on the tail end. With a mouthfeel that is just slightly past medium, a nice amount of carbonation is welcome, as it helps keep things moving and from ever becoming overly heavy or sweet. And in the end, you are left with just a bit of sticky sweetness that tastes like a brown sugar syrup.

So when it comes down to it, I think I owe my co-founder a good five across the eyes. Thanks to him beating me to the punch on the Doppel-Hirsch review, I ended up having this beauty sitting on the back of a shelf for over a year. Talk about a shame. There is absolutely nothing about this beer that is short of fantastic. The flavors are fantastic, the balance is incredible, and the overall brew experience is pretty outstanding. All levels of drinkers should give it a go if it makes its way across your path. Beginners might want to take a bit of caution and be advised to go slow with it, as its complexity takes a bit of getting used to if your palate isn't accustomed to that type of thing. But those who have a bit more experience under their belts should have no hesitation when it finds its way into their glass. The only thing here is pure beer goodness, and in the end, what more could you ask for?