Paulaner
Paulaner Salvator
The original doppelbock, descended from the strong beer brewed by Paulaner friars for the Lenten fast.
- Strength
- 7.9% ABV
- Style
- Doppelbock
- Brewery
- Paulaner
Salvator is the original doppelbock, brewed by Paulaner monks as sustenance during Lent, and the -ator suffix that almost every doppelbock now carries is an imitation of its name. Deep bread crust, dark caramel and dried fruit, with warmth rather than heat.
It is the clearest example of the style's monastic origin, and the reason the whole category is named the way it is.
What it tastes like
Inherited from Doppelbock, because this beer sits within the normal range for it. BeerHQ’s comparative scale, not a measurement.
Why BeerHQ carries this beer
| Reason | Carried for its place in the history of beer |
|---|---|
| Strength | 7.9% ABV — checked 2026-08-16. Strengths differ by market and change without announcement, so this is dated rather than absolute. |
| Record stability | Stable — this product has changed little and is not expected to. |
BeerHQ records no recipe, hop bill, malt bill, yeast strain, IBU or calorie figure for any commercial beer unless it is sourced. Nothing on this page is inferred from what the beer tastes like.
What is distinctive about it
- Gave the doppelbock category its "-ator" naming convention
- Descends from a strong beer brewed to sustain a monastic community through fasting
If you like Paulaner Salvator
Worked out from what this beer actually tastes like rather than from what its style typically does. Three kinds of move, because “what should I try next” is three different questions.
Closest to it
Very similar in structure and flavour. Safe ground rather than discovery.
Bock — try Einbecker Ur-Bock Dunkel
A close structural match for Paulaner Salvator — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
May not suit: Very close to Paulaner Salvator; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Eisbock — try Schneider Aventinus Eisbock
A close structural match for Paulaner Salvator — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: slightly less nutty (low–moderate → none–trace).
May not suit: Very close to Paulaner Salvator; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Helles Bock — try Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock
A close structural match for Paulaner Salvator — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably less caramel & toffee (moderate–high → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less caramel & toffee than Paulaner Salvator.
Similar, but different
Keeps what you probably like about it and changes one or two things. Usually the most useful answer.
Märzen — try Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen
Keeps most of what Paulaner Salvator does and shifts body.
Different: slightly less body (high–very high → moderate).
May not suit: Very close to Paulaner Salvator; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Munich Dunkel — try Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel or Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel
Keeps most of what Paulaner Salvator does and shifts alcohol warmth.
Different: noticeably less alcohol warmth (moderate–high → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less alcohol warmth than Paulaner Salvator.
Czech dark lager — try Velkopopovický Kozel Černý
Keeps most of what Paulaner Salvator does and shifts bread & biscuit.
Different: much less bread & biscuit (high–very high → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less bread & biscuit than Paulaner Salvator.
A bigger jump
Genuinely different, but connected by something specific — the shared trait is named so you can judge whether the bridge holds.
Wee heavy — try Traquair House Ale
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Paulaner Salvator.
Different: slightly less bread & biscuit (high–very high → moderate).
May not suit: Very close to Paulaner Salvator; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Old ale — try Theakston Old Peculier or Robinsons Old Tom
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Paulaner Salvator.
Different: much less bread & biscuit (high–very high → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less bread & biscuit than Paulaner Salvator.
Bière de Garde — try Jenlain Ambrée
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Paulaner Salvator.
Different: noticeably more carbonation (low → high).
May not suit: Noticeably more carbonation than Paulaner Salvator.
Likely fits rather than promises. Taste varies, and a recommendation engine that claims certainty is claiming something it cannot know.
What to eat with it
Inherited from Doppelbock. BeerHQ does not duplicate pairings onto individual products unless the product genuinely differs from its style.
- Baklava
At this much honey, a sweeter beer would taste of nothing — sweetness cancels sweetness. A doppelbock has the nutty, toasted depth to meet the pistachio underneath instead, which is the part of the pastry that has anything to say.
- Gouda
Aged gouda develops butterscotch and caramel that a doppelbock echoes almost exactly. A bridge pairing rather than a contrast.
- Rendang
A rendang is cooked until the liquid has gone and the paste has fried in the released coconut oil, so the spices arrive at full concentration with nothing to dilute them. Malt depth gives them room; a hoppy beer adds a competing aromatic to a plate that already has galangal, lemongrass and lime on it.
- Burrito
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Keeping it
Doppelbock is typically at its best 12–36 months after packaging, and time is working for it rather than against it.
Rewards age. Given cool, dark, upright storage this develops depth most drinkers would call an improvement. Buy two and compare.
Derived from Doppelbock. See storage and freshness for the full model.
BeerHQ carries a small set of reference beers to anchor styles, not a catalogue. There is no rating here and there will not be one. Last reviewed 2026-08-16.