Tuesday Brews Day: Spaten Optimator

One of the oldest breweries in Germany is Spaten. Rich with history and over 600 years of brewing experience, it began in 1397 but wasn’t officially named Spaten until 1622, when it was owned by the Spatt family(for 80+ years).  Spaten has lent it’s financial support to inventions such as the first steam engine in Bavaria(1821) and the first continuously operational refrigerator(1873). Hmmm…now what would they want with transportation and a fridge?

During WWII a large part of the brewery was destroyed due to allied bombing. Just more proof there is no victor in war.

Phileas Fogg’s new ride

Yes, Spaten has been through it all and keeps on going. One of their time tested brews is the Optimator. This is a German “Doppel-Bock”(bottom fermented beer) that has a rich earth brown color and a very small tan head. From experience, Bocks can be quite heavy and tend to sit in your gut like molasses. But even with 7.2% alcohol the Optimator stays light in your mouth. The over-riding taste is an aged oak onslaught of savory malts. There’s a slight sweetness that makes the very drinkable. The finish is clean and doesn’t linger at all. It’d be easy to down a couple of these in one sitting.

Spaten = shovel(spade)

This was another from the “Beers of the World” pack that was given to me. What a pleasant surprise from the usually drab and horrid drinks found in there. I’m not usually one to go for Doppel-Bocks but this one gave me new hope. The Luke Skywalker of Doppel-Bocks.