Mykhola Mukona Doppelbock Lager

Review Date 8/22/2023 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Pale Bock   Brewery: Umanpivo   Country:Ukraine   State: N/A   $ Per OZ: $.27   ABV: 6.5%

Slava Ukraini! Glory to Ukraine! That was my toast when I drank my bottle of Mykhola Mukona Doppelbock Lager. This was one of 7 different Ukrainian beers I saw on the shelf at Total Wine a few days ago, and I decided to pick up one of each because, well, I love trying new beers, especially imports, and I wanted to support Ukraine in their efforts to defend their homeland.

Is brewed by the Umanpivo brewery (you can visit their website here), and I had never had beer from them before. I have had Ukrainian beer to be sure from Obolon, and I picked up beers from that brewery, too. Mykhola Mukona Doppelbock Lager was the first one I popped because I love doppelbocks, and this one intrigued.

Umanpivo has an interesting history. They trace their history back to 1878, had their brewery completely destroyed during World War II, and are now modernizing and adapting to today’s beer market with brews like Milk Stouts and IPAs. They say on their website:

Umanpivo Brewery is a combination of many years of experience, traditional technology and uncompromising compliance with the Bavarian Beer Purity Act of 1516. In addition, Umanpivo is: - Own fields on which we grow selected brewing barley. - Own malt house. - Modern German equipment. - Innovation laboratory. - Cooperation and development of recipes together with the German Doemens Brewing Academy.

Mykhola Mukona Doppelbock Lager has an alcohol content of 6.5% by volume and I paid $4.49 for my half liter bottle from Total Wine. There is no freshness dating. The label states an Original Recipe From Ukraine is used. This is a pale doppelbock, and really more of what I think of as a Pale Bock or Maibock in style.

Mykhola Mukona Doppelbock Lager pours to a pale golden color with a thick fluffy white head and a nose of soft sweet malt. Taking a sip, the beer offers up soft biscuity malt up front peppered with very grassy, very herbal hops. It’s not up to the standards of German examples of Maibock I have tasted, but it does have its own charm and the greasy hop character popping against the soft malt grew on me as I drank it. A moderate underlying sweetness is present, too, but that is attenuated in the bitter finish.

I would buy it, and drink it, again.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??