New Belgium Abbey

Brewed by New Belgium Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

12oz bottle via trade with cbkschubert! - Thanks Craig! - Pours a nice dark amber color with a foamy tan head that stayed very well and laced the glass. Aromas of caramel, raisin, candi sugar, some spice. Flavor is a nice smooth caramel, raisin, some candi sugar, and a fair spice finish. Carbonated well with a good soft mouthfeel. This was an enjoyable dubbel.

The aroma on this beer is delectable, especially when cold. Sweet, peanut brittle, spicy and spiked. As it warms it dies down in intensity a little. The pour is also nce, with a thick head that leaves a solid sheet of lace down the glass. Unfortunately, the taste isn’t as sweet and peanut-brittley as the aroma, and is also rather thin and tastes slightly sour/infected.

One of my favorites. A very good Belgian-style beer with the right flavor profile. If anything, it’s biggest weakness is a slight lack of spicy flavor character compared to some of the Belgians. Overall I’d say it could go toe-to-toe with most import and any domestic Belgian-style doubles.

I was actually sort of disappointed with this upon first inspection. Aroma wasn’t quite as hefty as I expected, though there was a nice hint of vanilla in there. First taste is sharp but a smooth vanilla caramel round body with a slight hint of oakiness going into a slight alcohol warming.

12 oz. bottle. Bottle conditioned. Drank on 6/8/06. Nice, clear deep ruby amber color. Big, 2" light tan head. Creamy. Impressive "authentic" head. Sediment stays put in the bottle. Thick layer of foam sticks around. Very nice lacing. Aroma - pretty strong, very nice. Spicy, fruity, clovey aroma. Little bit of yeast. Good, but not quite as good and complex as the smell would indicate. Bitter up front on the tongue. Kind of bland in the middle. Some of those "belgian" flavors come out after the swallow - little cloves, spice, and yeast. Palate is light to medium. Pretty high level of carbonation. Sharp up front, a little dry in the finish. Overall - This is good and enjoyable, but not great. It’s a pretty authentic dubbel, but lacks some complexity. Would buy again on sale if I was in the mood. I probably drank this too cold - need to re-assess with another one a little warmer. Might be better.

Like their Tripel, I find this a decent american imitation, but not much more. It obviously does not have the refinement or maturity of a true Dubbel, but if you forget what it is supposed to be and taste it for it is... I find the medium-full body, integration of deep fruity flavors and spices and malty alcohol presence a fine quaff to endure.

A nice Belgian aroma, and deep brick red color, this has a complex caramel malt and toast flavor with a rich spicy malt and yeast finish. Nice full body. A bit shy of hops.

A very good chimay look alike. Its not near as good as chimay though. A strong bannana taste and a great smell. Lots of yeast in the bottom but not as bad as most real belgium ales.