Cisco Islandfest

Formerly brewed at Cisco Brewers
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Nantucket, Massachusetts USA

This was a really nice brew, pours transparent red/amber with a tall off-white head. Spicy hops in the aroma, some hints of oak, some fruity spices, and sweet maltiness. Taset starts lightly sweet and a bit yeasty and finishes with some crisp hops. The hops are pretty subtle, leaving a mild dry bitterness behind and light spices in the aftertaste. Really well balanced and well put together brew.

Pours a huge nearly white, five finger-head leaving bags of lace, pour *slowly*. Deep amber color. Very good carbonation. Medium bodied. Starts malty and sweet but dry, crisp but smooth finish you can call this a complex beer. $6.90 for a 750ml bottle.

Bottle: Fruity nose, cidery, cherry. Hazy brownish orange. Small head that disappeared quickly, though I poured slowly and put rest of second glass ang got lots of sediment. Sherryish, cherry, grape, apple, whole wheat bread in flavor. Dry and crisp on the finish. Tasty enough, just not my style.

GIBF 2003: Amber/brown color with a nice head. Bread and molasses in the aroma, it's a little on the thin side for a dubbel. Odd sharp ending.

Wow! I cannot believe I am the first to rate the newest offering from this awesome brewer! Let me just say it's a wonderful interpretation on the classic from the guys in Nantucket. The flavor is SO complex. Starts fruity-tart, gets a little malty in the middle and finishes almost like a peat-smoke fire. Very interesting stuff! P.S. Day 2, rest of bottle. This stuff is SO good! Has that characteristic fruity-yeastness that Cisco is so good at, can't wait to get my hands on another bottle of this soon. This may well change my view of dubbels forever!