Enegren Doppel Valkyrie Doppelsticke Altbier

Review Date 4/15/2024 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Doppelsticke   Brewery: Enegren   Country: USA   State: California   $ Per OZ: N/A   ABV: 8.2%

Enegren is back! At least, for me it is. I suppose for some people it never left, but for me, it’s back. Allow me to explain. In the dark days of the Covid pandemic, none of us got out as much as we had before. We all had to adjust, and part of that adjustment for me involved online beer shopping. Specifically, I began to use Craftshack.com, and one of the breweries they usually stocked was Enegren from Moor Park, California.

I had never had Enegren beers before, but when I tried my first, I fell in love. And what’s not to love about Enegren? They specialize in German-style beers, and hey, you know me, I love German style beers. After a few years, though, for some unknown reason, Craftshack no longer carried Enegren beers. I was sad.

Just a few weeks ago, though, I got an email from Half Time Beverage, and as I was shopping there, I noticed they now carried… Enegren beers! Into my cart went a number of them, including one I had never had before: Enegren Doppel Valkyrie Doppelsticke Altbier.

This excited me on many levels. First, Enegren’s back! I could, and did get Enegren beers again. Second. Doppelsticke! This is a rare style indeed, a variant on German Altbier that is stronger and bolder. I almost never see these, and I know if Enegren brewed one, it was going to be good. In that I was not mistaken.

Enegren says:

Doppel Valkyrie is a double version of our beloved flagship altbier, Valkyrie and a throwback to some of our first anniversary beers. This strong, dark ale has rich flavors of caramelized sugar and dark fruits with hints of dark chocolate and rum, balanced with just a touch of Mt. Hood and Herkules Hops. At 8.2% alcohol this beer is great for the weird March weather and a perfect substitute for 2 Valkyries! Prost!

Enegren Doppel Valkyrie Doppelsticke Altbier has an alcohol content of 8.2% by volume with 46 IBUs. I paid $4.99 for my pint can from Half Time. This is the only pricing information I have. My can was stamped CANNED ON 02/28/2024 PROST!!!! Enegren Valkyrie is a standard German Altbier. I do not know if Enegren has ever brewed a sticke. They may have jumped right to doppelsticke.

Enegren Doppel Valkyrie Doppelsticke Altbier pours to a dark mahogany color with a thick creamy tan head of foam and a nose of burnt caramel, toffee and toasted nuts. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body and slaps you in the face with dark nutty toasty melanoidin goodness. Toffee, burnt caramel, brown sugar (but not in a sweet way), toasted pecans and a more than balancing bitter finish are all here. I just love the deep seated toasty nutty malts.

An extremely well done example of the style, and extra credit to Enegren for brewing such a rare style in the first place.

Enegren’s back. And I an for one am oh so happy about that.