La Binchoise Brune Tradition / Cistercienne Bruna

Brewed by Brasserie La Binchoise
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Binche, Belgium

An integrated, "clean" Belgian dubbel but not especially memorable. Rusty brown colour with a big dollop of coffee-mousse. Terrific head retention and lacework. Strong yeast notes in the aroma, plus cherries, chocolate, tokay and Dundee cake. It’s a good aroma but restrained for an abv of 8.2%. Medium bodied with carbonation that is marginally intrusive for the style. Sweet and very smooth for this abv. Flavour mix is very clean and integrated - candy sugar and ginger cordial, with a faint herbal astringency. The finish is sweet, dry, ashy and warming. The buzz in the belly is the only real clue to the strength. No flaws, but it lacks the depth of some of its peers. (330ml bottle from trade with Papsoe - thanks Henrik! Best before 14/5/06)

Great dark brown with a big head. Some sedimant remain in the bottom of the glass when done. Kind of a serious brown ale or light dubble depending on how you look at it. Great blend of hops, fruits, and coffee.

Brown with funky sock aroma competing with malt in the nose. Brown with first rate head. Aggressive carbonation. Cognac, cinammon, chocolate malt, licorice.Circ de Soliel type label.

[005-20060825] 330mL. Faint band-aid, metallic aroma. Very brown body with a medium head that went away quickly. Light, meaty flavour, some sort of root vegetable which hung around. Low attitude, smooth, nice tip-of-the-tongue feeling. Very repeatable but not particularly memorable.

Bottle. Pours a hazy brown-copper body with a small white head. The aroma has earthy herbs, raisins, caramel sugar, and a generally pleasant malt profile. Faint fruity flavour and toastiness. Somewhat thin at times and bitter in the finish. Not too bad.

Bottle @ Volo. Hazy brown amber body, small creamy beige head. Sweet alcoholic malt aroma, light flower and flour notes, malty tang. Sweet malt with light tang, and spice, hints at anise. Quite pleasant. Average palate could be more full but is pleasant. A mildy flavoured Belgian, it could be a nice session beer if it was lower in alcohol.

Dark cloudy pour with thin off white haed that stayed. The aroma was strong and had a nice caramel and spice feel. There was also some traces of herbs and coffee as well. The taste was average with a big carbonation to it. I tasted coffee and black cherries as well as some wood and spice.

Pours dark brown w/ a full spritzy froth. Aroma is fresh w/ spice and dusty granite. Medium to full nectar w/ ample residul effers. Creamy on the mouth feel. Flavors are strong w/ coffee, molasses, oak, brownies, tobacco. sligtly fruity w/ dried stone fruit. Finish is long and has a nice bittering. Well balanced. Alcohol is well hidden. Overall: This brew rocks. Very complex. This one gets my Connoisseurs Choice rating. Highly recommended. If you like the flavor profile of brown ales, you’ll love this brew.