Paulaner Salvator

“Beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy” is a common quote(or misquote) tied to Benjamin Franklin. Whether Mr. Franklin said this or not is unimportant but some beers actually do have religious ties, and this week's beer is among them. Originally brewed by the Friars at the Paulaner Monastery, Paulaner Salvator(Latin word for savior) is the world's original doppelbock. Brewed in Munich, Germany, Paulaner Salvator is commonly referred to as “liquid bread” and was typically consumed by the friars while fasting during lent.

The term doppelbock or double bock refers to a fuller bodied, more alcoholic version of a traditional bock. Paulaner Salvator lives up to that very description in flavor and its 7.9% ABV(Alcohol by volume). Bottom line, if you are looking for a beer that is light and refreshing you are in the wrong place.

After pouring Salvator, one immediately notices its' cloudy deep reddish brown color. It may have been just my imagination but I thought I could feel the density and weight of the beer just by holding the glass. The strong malty aroma was almost immediately noticeable. I also believe the aroma contained a hint of fruitiness.

Upon tasting, the hearty, almost chewy malt immediately flooded my palate with its' sweetness and then it hit me with a musty, earthy finish. What was surprising was that the high alcohol content almost goes unnoticed because of how well it was hidden by the sweet, powerful flavor of the malt. The aftertaste was mostly dominated by the strong malt flavor and this continued to build the further into the beer I got. There is little to no hop profile to this beer and I feel that is unfortunate because it could have provided a little more balance to the flavor.

With that being said, this is a good beer. There is almost no way to argue against that point when considering the well over 200 years of history and tradition that comes with each bottle. But in my opinion it's not a great beer. This could be due to the fact that this is the original blueprint for a doppelbock, and as with any original design there's always room for improvement.

Overall, I give Paulaner Salvator a 3.5/5. It's worth a try, especially for malt lovers. But unlike the Friars of the Paulanar Monastery, try to drink it on a full stomach.

Rating Scale:
1 - Repugnant and undrinkable
2 - Acceptable but forgettable
3 - Good, worth a purchase
4 - Excellent, a step above the norm
5 - Truly exceptional　

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!




Reference:
"Paulaner Salvator, the original doppelbock" http://us.paulaner.com/our-beer/salvator-double-bock