Hang Ten - Clipper City Brewing Company, Baltimore

"Hang Loose, Matey!" That's the tagline next to the cartoony peg-legged pirate on the label of this Clipper City Weizen Doppelbock. The official name of this beer is Hang Ten and it's part of the Heavy Seas line of Clipper City beers. I had the Heavy Seas Pale Ale several months back and really enjoyed it, something I can't say for too many Pale Ales. I was excited to try more beers from this Baltimore based brewery but, sadly, they aren't distributed in my area. I spotted a 4 pack of bottles recently while on vacation and leapt at the chance to bring it home with me.

This was a spur of the moment purchase so I didn't do any research on this beer before hand. I didn't even read the label on the bottles until I got it home... I was a bit disappointed when I finally got around to inspecting these beers, "Unfiltered Wheat Beer?!?!" That's the first thing I saw on the label, just below the surfing pirate that is just seconds away from being devoured by a shark. Great, I pick up the style of beer that is brewed in such abundance in Kansas City that I can get it literally anywhere... As I contemplated giving these bottles as gifts to drinkers who are less fortunate, I noticed a secondary style on the side of the label, "Weizen Doppelbock." Suddenly I'm intrigued.

I've had a couple Weizenbocks before so I expected this to be a lighter, possibly sour/tangy Bock beer depending on if it's a true Weizen style or not. As I poured this Clipper City Hang Ten into my glass I was somewhere between amazed and dumbfounded. This beer had a copper colored by with ruby highlights. It was clear but had bits of wheat malt suspended throughout. It looked great, and the smell... it really threw me.

This beer smelled like it'd been aged in a Bourbon barrel. I picked up hints of cherries and some sweet malt, but mostly it reminded me a Whiskey and cola. When it came time to take a sip, I wasn't sure what to expect anymore. This didn't look like a Weizen but it could pass as a Bock if you filtered out the malt flakes. It didn't smell like any Wheat or Bock I've had before... This was going to be interesting.

The first sip I took of the Hang Ten was insane. It made me a little crazy. I didn't know if I'd imagined everything I read on the label or if someone was playing a delicious trick on me... The first thing I noticed when I took a sip was all that cinnamon, alcohol and brown sugar. It tasted faintly like a very mild Whiskey but it still had all that alcohol burn. It was subdued thanks to the sweet flavors in this beer but it was definitely still noticeable. When I finally looked up information on this beer I learned that it clocks in at 10% ABV... That's twice as strong as your average wheat... and considerably stronger than most Doppelbocks.

Clipper City Heavy Seas Hang Ten Weizen Doppelbock is a mouthful. Seriously, there is a lot going on in this beer and it was a great surprise to me. I enjoyed being surprised at every turn. The flavors were enjoyable and the finish on this beer really rounded out the strong alcohol. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes Whiskey, barrel aged beers, Bocks and anything with a bold character to it. Hang loose, Matey!