Chew on this

There are few things that make one appreciate Bavarian beer the way it's meant to be appreciated more than Ron's travelogues, but one of them is arriving home thirsty and opening up something Bavarian from the fridge. I was actually a little disappointed to discover that what I'd thought was a quaffable dunkel was actually a doppelbock: Kloster Scheyern Doppelbock, to be precise.

Still, despite being 7.4% ABV it did the job. It's as full and sticky as one would expect from the style but still manages to maintain a fantastic smooth drinkability. The aroma puts up a bit of a barrier to begin with, being powerfully hot and syrupy. Underneath that, however, it's so much more approachable. Lots of high-cocoa dark chocolate, some tangy treacle, sharper liquorice and succulent figs and plums. The texture is full, as one would expect, but not overly heavy or cloying. One mouthful follows the next until the glass is empty.

I'm not saying I'd be on for immediately starting into another, but it's rare to encounter a strong dark thirst quencher, and it's something that Bavaria in particular seems to excel at.