SKA True Blonde Dubbel

Brewed by SKA Brewing
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Durango, Colorado USA

Opening the bottle did not seem to be that much of a chore. Considering the mini skirts depicted on the bottles label, the blonde wax job seemed appropriate. Straw color liquid with a quickly diminished white head. Rather disturbing aromas from the start, with old bananas, mashed potatoes, peanut shell, resin and grits. Scents of grains and mums also mix in the nose. Light sweet pale malt greets the tip of the tongue. Puffed wheat flavors seem to follow. More corn and grain flavors follow. Lots of DMS in this one. There seem to be scads of volatiles in this one, that dissipate as it sits in the glass. Too unclean. There are a few niceties, with light fruit and pale malts but there are usually scared away by the numerous nasties. The linger does have a wonderful sweet blonde malt flavor. Just can’t embrace this blonde. I’ve said enough.

Golden amber with a small, fizzy white head. Sweet nose of fruit, vanilla, honey. Light and weak on the palate. The flavor was unexceptional but passable.

Pours a slightly hazy golden. Aroma is sweet, with a big spice presence, some bananna, with some yeast and pepper chillin around too. Flavor is lackluster, kinda like nothing balanced out. The alcohol was surely present, but nothing seemed to go over quite well with my taste buds. Went down ok, and was mediocre. Something about it reminded me of Bill Knapps (RIP) chop steak...Gosh dang that was one delicous meal. Now I sit and crave.

Tasted in Toronto. Obtained from Colorado on a ’business trip’. Appearance is light golden with a slight straw, dayglow yellow colour. Fairly substantial head. Aroma of spice and hints of banana and fruit. Flavour is on the sweet side with hints of candy floss and bubblegum. Strange.

I was intrigued by the name, even though it didn’t taste like I thought it would. Very mild and smooth with just hints of clove and spice. I would never have guessed the ABV, there was no massive alcohol wallop, that could be dangerous. But a good beer all around.

Pours a golden color with a thin white head. Banana is very apparent in the nose along with faint spices and alcohol. Surprisingly bitter with plenty of fruit. Unfortunately the bitterness seems out of place here. Ugly bitter start, nice fruit in the middle, ugly alcohol finish. It seems like they should have done a few test batches before they stuck with this recipe. Calling this beer a dubbel makes me think that the brewery is sort of clueless and maybe that’s why their beers have never impressed me.

(Draft: 2005 Stone 9th Anniversary Festival in Escondido, CA) Next up is SKA True Blonde Dubbel. Why Dubbel? Nothing in this hazy pale golden beer speaks "Dubbel" to me. Mild banana and bubble gum in the nose, and not much else. The flavor is grainy, fairly sweet with mild bubble gum and banana esters, and minimally bitter. But no "darker" malts in this beer. Very strange. Medium body, slightly sticky on the palate, but moderate carbonation is just enough to add a little zest to the palate to prevent cloying. Very small off-white head fades to a tiny ring, but manages to leave several spots of lace behind. Very odd name for this beer as it just seems like a strong Belgian Golden ale to me, albeit an enjoyable one.

This poured a clear yellow body, capped only briefly by a frothy white head. It has a strong yeasty aroma that overlaid fresh bread and a light fruitiness. It’s fairly thick, hot, and spicy in the mouth. The flavor is a sharp, sweet malt with tart cherries, peppery spices, and the all pervasive yeast. The finish was sticky and bittersweet. The sturdy abv remains well hidden throughout, making this a potentially dangerous drink.

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