Pitt Street Brewing Co. “Dad Rock Bock”

Style: Helles Doppelbock
ABV: 8%
IBU: 27

On Monday nights, the ECBB gang likes to visit Pitt Street Brewing Company here in Greenville, NC to partake in some Team Trivia (while, of course, enjoying some brews). This past trivia night did not end up with a podium finish, but we did get to taste some of the latest beers. One of the newest options on the Pitt Street taproom menu this week was a style you may not encounter often: a Helles Doppelbock. Most Doppelbocks tend to be darker in color with a richer malt flavor; the Helles variety uses pale malts, which creates a lighter iteration of the Doppelbock, both in color and malt flavors. Pitt Street’s new release, “Dad Rock Bock,” is a great example of this rare style, so if you are in the Greenville area, you should come on down and grab a pour (and maybe try your hand at Team Trivia).

Joe’s Take

When I saw that a Helles Doppelbock was on the menu I knew we had to use it for our write up this week. You don’t usually see beers of this style in your local brewery and I didn’t waste any time ordering it. My beer was served in a 10oz tulip glass (small pour for big ABV) and looked quite appealing with its deep golden caramel color. The beer had a decent collar of fine white foam that left lace down the side of the glass as you sipped it down.

The nose of the beer featured a sweet and malt forward aroma with hints of dark fruit undertones. The brew did not have any particularly pungent smells and was relatively mild in aroma. Still, the beer provided some hints of what flavors were to come in the tasting evaluation.

On first sip, the beer’s mouthfeel featured a nice level of carbonation which is akin to the low to medium carbonation of the style. The body was present, but not overly thick and had a smooth quality to it. It was relatively gentle on the palate and quite pleasant to sip on.

The flavor profile of the Helles Dopplebock was as expected with malt forward flavors, a hint of yeast character, and a slight hit of alcohol. Under the caramel sweetness was some estery flavors imparted by the yeast that manifested as dark fruits with a slight spice. For a strong brew, it was not overly intense and featured a good balance of flavor and alcohol.

Drinkability was high despite this beer coming in at a hefty 8% ABV. This is likely attributed to the relatively subdued flavor profile, medium body, and smooth carbonation. I definitely enjoyed this beer and if it weren’t for the ABV, I may have gotten another. If you haven’t made it out to Pitt St. lately, head over and give this brew a try. You won’t be disappointed!

Nick’s Take

While Joe got his 10oz pour in a small tulip glass, I received mine in a small nonic pub glass. Light was passing through the glass with ease, creating an amber and gold glow that was appealing to the eyes. I got a good collar of foam to start, and it eventually dissipated to a foamy ring that stuck around throughout my tasting. A really promising start!

While “Dad Rock Bock” was subtle on the nose for me, as is common for Helles Doppelbocks, I picked up a pretty clean malt bill. It was bready and light, but also produced small hints of estery notes. Joe mentioned cherry after a few minutes of pondering in my own head, and I agreed. That subtle cherry aroma went well with the bready malt smells, and I picked up some astringent and/or tannic tones; perhaps best characterized as some sharpness that may have come from the alcohol.

As I moved into taking my first sip, I noticed there was not much bite from the carbonation. It created a smooth mouthfeel, with the carbonation feeling fluffy and soft. The medium body of the beer helped maintain a lighter, smooth presence as I continued drinking. I had to remind myself not to crush this 8% ABV brew.

This Helles Doppelbock was overall a very clean-tasting beer. The malt has a bready flavor – no surprise there – but there was some additional sweet, estery flavor I picked up in retronasal olfaction. The beer finished with a little bitterness and dryness, which is not uncommon for a Helles, but also seemed to be from the hops. It made for a pleasant, well-rounded beer while maintaining that stylistically clean profile.

I enjoyed the smoothness from “Dad Rock Bock” and was able to finish by the end of Round 1 of Team Trivia (the 8% ABV didn’t slow me down apparently). I then spent some time pondering how I’d choose to pair this with some food. It seemed that some rich, savory, and/or umami dishes would be excellent options to go with this beer. It would do well in cutting through fatty or fried dishes, as well. I really recommend this one! My only regret, besides not being helpful for the science-based trivia questions, is not getting a second beer.