Ottos Abbey Dubbel

Brewed by Ottos Pub & Brewery
Style: Abbey Dubbel
State College, Pennsylvania USA

Listed as "Otto’s Dubbel Ale" - I had this on draft at the brewery. First impressions are that it smells and tastes a bit stale, but I’m learning that this is probably a product of the house yeast - I find this presence in almost every Otto’s beer. The thickness is remarkable, since it appears, at least to my palate, that they didn’t use candy sugar and instead just used straight malt to get the gravity - the effect being of course that the body is far too thick for a proper dubbel. Doesn’t mean this beer doesn’t taste good, in fact it’s delicious, though the banana is a little too dominant, and the requisite clove character is a little too subdued. Brash and slightly metallic at times, with a decent hop bitterness, also not to-style, but still tasty. Reminds me of a fresh New Belgium Dubbel but of course with a much higher gravity, or at least I perceive it to be too vinuous and heavy.

Otto’s is a great place. This beer tastes very malty, with a complex fruit, malt, some hops, and cognac in the finish.

Tap @ Bullfrog... Poured a prunish mahogany color with a medium sized, light tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of dried fruits, banana, yeast, roast and light alcohol as well. Taste of plums, dried fruits, cherries, yeast, touch of caramel malt with a touch of alcohol.

In short: An overly spicy and soapy/perfumed Belgian ale of some kind
How: Tap at brewpub
The look: Clear golden copper body with a small beige head.
In long: Spicy nose. Taste has way too much herbal and perfumy spiciness for me. Coriander, lavender, camomile, cloves, rose water, some spices that I use in my unsuccessful Chinese cooking attempts. Second in line was an intense “having my mouth washed with soap” feeling. That thing got gross before the end of my 4oz sample. I think I got a bad batch, a bottom of keg that shouldn’t have been served or something like that. This beer was like seeing my cousin Louis with working-boots on and a lunchbox, you know there’s something not quite right and that’s not how it’s supposed to be.

Wonderful - really candyish and sweet. Lots o’ malt with no hoppage at all. Nice.

Malty and deep dark fruits. Over-ripe banana, like banana-nut bread. Hazy chocolate brown with wispy off-white lacing head. Light smooth carb, almost flat. Heavy watery body, almost chewy - bit of sediment. Alcohol and vapors, sweet like brown sugar. Mellow malts and little hops. No bitterness. Mature fruits like raisins, dates, and figs. Nice sweet smooth finish and nutty after like dried dates. One of the better Otto's beers. Flavorful and complex - a real treat.

Draft @ Otto’s. Shared by artusory. Pours a bright, orange-reddish color; thin off-white head with fine-bubbled lacing. Lots of straightforward cloves and brown sugar and oily dried fruits in the aroma; a bit syrupy. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: chewy dried fruits, bananas and cloves, with lots of chewiness and residual sugar. Sticky, but tasty enough. Lengthy finish from all the sugar; cloves and bananas and dried fruits.

Otto’s is a decent micrbrewery but this beer was rather disappointing. Sampled on draft the beer poured a very dark brown color with ruby highlights and a small tan head. The aroma is light ripe fruits and some tangy malts. The flavor is sugary and has some ripe fruit and a hint of caramel. There is a moderate alcohol burn that really detracts from the beer and a bitterness that grows and grows more unpleasant with each sip.