McKenzie Abbey 8

Brewed by McKenzie Brew House
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania USA

Date: 05/04/2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

slightly hazy amber, sweet buttery aroma, rich malt flavor, not very complex

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Score: *4
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(SCBE2003): Clear copper with small off-white head. Aroma is sweet caramel, yeasty, spicy, light fruity. Taste is sweet, raisin, orange, cardemom, caramel. Finishes earthy bitter with slight alcohol. Medium body, though a bit thin.

Vintage August 2004. Hand bottled by McKenzie’s - 750ml bottle. Poured a medium to darker, cloudy copper color with an averaged sized tan head. Aromas and tastes of spices, bananas, yeast and some caramel. Malty and bready in the tastes as well. Lively and dry body.

(750ml bottle, Dec 2007 vintage) Pours a lightly hazy mahogany body with a medium beige head. Aroma of raisins, dates, brown sugar, banana, and caramel. Flavor of raisins, brown sugar, toasted malt, some cocoa, and plum with a dry, lightly chalky finish.

A generous regular shaped dark beige head covers the dark brown body. Diacetyl comes heavy in the nose leaving most other flavours secondary, yet a sweet touch of white chocolate fights a friendly battle with a considerable roasty fiend all amidst nutty, tobacco and strongly fruity flavours (berries, figs like). Understated yeastiness provides a few minor spice hints and soft, rounded banana esters. Manages to develop a certain dryness in mouth which brings the fruitiness to a further level while the palate is round and well carbonated, with an unfortunate buttery oiliness imparted.

Pours a clear copper brown with a frothy off-white head. Has a musty, earthy, semi-sweet, peppery aroma with some butterscotch and cooked vegetables. Starts earthy, dry and bittersweet with a nicely spiced semi-tart balance. FInishes dry and mildly warming. A nice replica of the Belgian style but could be a little more complex with less diacetyl. Thanks to slob for the trade!

Bottle courtesy of hopdog and one of the dude’s final batches at McKenzies. Pours pinkish brown with a thin tan head. Smells perfumy with lots of dark fruit, spices and dough. Taste is of tarte cherries, lots of fruit, nutty malt and pepper. An excellent beer. I hope to see this brewer land firmly on his feet.

Pours turbid dark brown with medium splotchy wgite head. Aroma of malt, dark fruit, spices....very Belgian dubbly aroma. Tastes malty, fruity, with some finishing toffee and caramel malt and candi sugar. Not real dense on the palate, and with very little carbonation. Still, very complex and well balanced. A nice example of the style, and another winner from McKenzie’s.