Allagash Dubbel Reserve

Brewed by Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Portland, Maine USA

12 oz. bottle from Shoreline. Drank on 7/27/06. Surprised the "regular" dubbel and the Dubbel reserve are listed as separate beers. I have one of the reserves aging in the cellar. Cloudy dark amber. 1+cm. foamy light tan head. Drops quickly. Thin layer of foam and some bubbles stick around. Really good lacing. Aroma - nice belgian dubbel aroma. Not overbearing, but substantial. Little banana, cloves, and belgian yeast spice witha a little bit of a sweet malty background. Sweetness comes out more as it warms. Flavor - High, sharp bitterness up front and through the middle. Some classic dubbel flavors in the finish - banana, cloves, spicy peppery bitterness, and a little yeast character. Flavor is not overbearingly strong, but it’s there. More sweetness and balance as it warms. Palate - solid medium. Sharp bitterness lightens it a little bit. Overall - I’d say an avg. dubbel. Good flavor that isn’t too strong, but a little too bitter, and not quite as sweet as I’d like. Good though, and I’d buy it regularly if it was available to me. Liked it more and more as it warmed. Really need to plan better to rate belgians warmer.

Pours a brownish ruby red color with a small white head. Aroma is malty with hints of herbal spices,nuts,wafers and chocolate. Taste is malty as well, almost to the point where some skunkiness may be present, with hints of almonds,nutmeg and sweet wafers. Will have to sample this one again.

From a 750 ml. brown bottle with batch number 43 on the front label and a blurb along left side of label. Poured a dark brown with a foamy beige head that settled into a thin sudsy lacing. Aromas of spices, herbal, coffee toffee and light fruity esters. Good carbonation and a crisp, textured and smooth full bodied mouthfeel. Pleasant tasting, spices and herbs, a caramelized sugariness, toasted grains, sweet toffee malts with a hint of coffee, fruity estery alcohol that provide a nice warmth in the palate, and a dry spicy and toffee malt finish, very good drinkability. A really nice from dubbel from Allagash, tasty and balanced, dangerously quaffable.

Dark amber/mahogany color with a large creamy and foamy head. A nice floral aroma with undertones of malt, citrus, spices and some light cocoa and coffee. Nice rich flavors of dried fruits (raisins, cherries, plums, dates), malt, caramel, toffee, cocoa and coffee. Really nice, very complex brew, definitely a winner.

(Champagne Bottle) This is a very nice dark dubbel. The chocolate malts come through in the scent and deep amber color. It is certainly dark but it isn’t as dark as I wish it was. Sampled at the Brewery.

12oz bottle. Pours murky brown with a tan head. Aromas of yeast, belgian candi sugar, and some spices. Flavor is sweet, with flavors of carmelized sugar and banana nut bread. Slightly bitter finish with some dryness. Not too shabby.

What kick this has..750 mL bottle, snifter. Milk chocolate, caramel, cookie malt (H), flowery hops (L); doughy yeast (L); raisin, prune, cherry, cola aromas. Medium amber body with a creamy, tan head that is slowly diminishing. Moderately sweet flavor becomes a moderately sweet, lightly bitter finish. Medium body, oily texture, lively carbonation.

Bottle. Dark redish color, with a small head. Malty, with some caramel aromas. Flavor is actually pretty good. Malty with some chocolate.