Beer for Lent - Double Bock (Doppelbock) - Spaten Optimator

It's a funny thing. I'm not at all religious; but when springtime starts to roll around, nothing feels more right than to drink a few German Double Bock beers. Double bock beers (Doppelbock in German) were first created in the 17th century by the Paulaner monks as something to help them get through the Lenten fasts. They named their beer "Salvator" (or "Savior"). Other beers of the style have adopted the -ator suffix on their name as a tribute to the original.
This is a style of beer that is very malty, very rich, low in bitterness, and rather high in alcohol level. While my favorite is the Aynger Celebrator, I find the Spaten Optimator a close second, and since it is about half the price of the Aynger product, Spaten is my usual choice. The Salvator, while the original, I find a little lighter and less satisfying than the Spaten or Aynger. There are also double bock beers brewed in other parts of the world, especially the US, usually identifiable by the -ator suffix; but in my opinion, few of these come close to measuring up to the Bavarian beers. The US beers especially are typically too hoppy for the style, and some of them are actually brewed as ales, not as a lager like the original and other Bavarian examples.

A typical Bavarian doppelbock is fairly dark in color, and hits the palate with a powerful malty sweetness. It's hard to describe the flavor in terms other than malt; they typically are not overly complex, but they make up for that in raw power. With a good example of the style, the sweetness is countered on the finish by just enough hops to balance it out to a semi-dryness, without enough to give any sort of bitterness; although in fact the hop level is actually substantial, it's not enough to overwhelm the malt.

As you might expect for a beer that was created to help get through a fast, doppelbocks tend to be best consumed by themselves. I've found few foods that truly work well with them, and they are so rich that you really don't need much else to fill you up anyway. 

Whether you're fasting for Lent, preparing for Passover, or just enjoying the change in weather, I suggest you try a Doppelbock from Germany. Lighter than a stout or porter, they make a nice transition toward the lighter beers you might enjoy during summer. Just be warned; while they are a little lighter in body than a stout, they are about 25% higher in calories than Guinness, and at a typical 7.5% abv, they can sneak up on you, especially since they are typically so smooth and easy to drink.