Spaten Optimator – Munich Bier!

Spaten Brewery is located in Munich Germany and is now owned by Spaten-Löwenbräu-Gruppe who I like to reference all the time by their great beer, Löwenbräu. However, Spaten (meaning Spade in German) is a beer which stands alone as a brand.

So what’s up with the translation Spade? Looking closely at the label and you’ll see the symbol is two malt shovels (or spades); make sense now? Spaten is a beer which falls under the Reinheitsgebot, this is a German purity law which states the ingredients must be: water, barely and hops.

Optimator is a Doppel Bock, bottom fermented beer with a dark amber color. It’s a strong lager beer with a bite and 7.2% alcohol by volume (ABV). This isn’t beer for the weak of heart, we’re talking a very malty and hoppy styled double bock with a heavy aroma but a medium body.

This complex beer has slight hints of chocolate and slight subtle coffee notes in its aroma but goes down fairly smooth and well balanced leaving a malty aftertaste. The double bock, historically known as “liquid bread,” is a wealth of flavor and taste for an experimenting beer drinker.

The intense flavor might be a turn off to some lighter beer drinkers but those with an open mind may fall in love. The Germans know how to make their brews and this Doppel Bock Optimator is an example of their Bavarian style.

Munich would be a great place to live with beers Spaten.