t Smisje Dubbel

Brewed by Brouwerij De Regenboog
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Assebroek-Brugge, Belgium

330, little ziggurat bottle. Always attractive. Pours a deep chestnut brown with a comically massive, towering fluffy tan head that’s loaded with suds. In fact, you have to pour the beer about four times to finish the bottle, even if you’re working with a glass that would hold two bottles full. Probably about an 11 finger head, all told, given the opportunity. Try measuring that by yourself. Byt the time you take a drink or two, it’s down to sloppy loose bubbly foam. Suds and fury, signifying nothing. Funky brown apple tart nose, almost a little bit of CO2-y yeastiness, nearly basement but not quite. Kinda funked out for a dubbel, which is pretty cool in this case. Really makes you want to mess around with this yeast, maybe put in some fruit, maybe let it sit around for a long time. Creamy medium body, not quite slippery, and not really quite carbonated, either, by the standards of the beehive head this beer threw. There’s carb, don’t get me wrong, but you feel like these bubbles you’re drinking are the bubbles that didn’t get picked for the team that all went out the top of the glass in foam form. Mid-palates’s chocolatey, got some brown bread, maybe a touch of brown apple cellary goodness. No funk, though. Crisp overripe apple finish, with some dark biscuit and maybe a hint of nuts and toast under that. There’s a lot of nice stuff happening here, but it needs to decide whether it wants to lean toward crispness or complexity, and it needs to make more of an on-purpose impression with the carbonation behavior. But like a lot of Smisje stuff, you get the impression that they worked hard to get it just like this, and they just happen to have more niched-out tastes than some brewers. You gotta respect brewers following their muse.

I enjoyed this beer, poured from the bottle into a glass. It had an aroma featuring caramel malt with a touch of dark fruits and some grainy hops too. The beer was a dark cloudy brown color with some sediment and a dark tan head with decent retention and good cling. The taste was a sweet caramel malt flavor with some fruity effects and a touch of sourness and bitterness. The body was very wet and creamy, but was a bit watery with low carbonation.

Pours a dirty brown with chunks and floaters. Angry head settles somewhat, but never calms completely. Aroma of dirt and mud, but in a good way. Full mouthfeel, flavor is slightly sweet, slightly spiced, and evolves slowly. Subtle finish. Great example of an abbey style dubbel.

Sampled at Yourdarklord’s house. Pours a dark amber with a retentive tan head. Notes say aroma is weird. Fine carbonation. Flavor of raisens with some accents of peat and tobacco. Not much else was written down. I must have been busy talking. Oh well

copper red tinted body, extremely carbonated. duvel like in it’s resistance to quick drinking. honey and bread nose, not wheat, just bread. light spice in the nose that is more evident as it warms, this blends well with the sweet aroma well. sticky sticky. mead like, dates and alcohol, earthy yeast with a strong spice. good blend of flavors really great taste that gets just a touch cloying and is a bit thick. would love to have a 6% or so version of this. 3 6 6 2 12

Bottle from Publick House. Pours a murky, funky brown with a lacing off-white head. Earthy aroma, lots of sweet, chocolaty malts, with a hint of light fruit and cloves. Dark chocolate dominates, a little bittersweet. Quite malty, but not overwhelming. Great biting, bitter finish. A favorite style from a favorite brewer = a certain "4".

Caramel and apricots on the nose with hints of dust. Deep amber with some gold hues, big spongy head with nice lacing. Burnt honey and fruity sweetness, noticeable bitter bite. Massive carbonation, full body, intense warming alcohol finish. Nice beer, may be a little hot, bu this would likely do well with some age.