Triangle Bourbon Aged Abbey Dubbel

Brewed by Triangle Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Durham, North Carolina USA

Draft at the brewery, then fresh from the growler when I got home. Copper color with a bit of sediment and a big white head. Robust nose of caramel, alcohol. and bourbon. The beer clearly grabs a decent amount of the bourbon flavors from the barrel, more so than any wood notes. The mouthfeel is sharply carbonated with a touch of burn and leaves a nice sweetness in the mouth. It’s a complex and really enjoyable beer.

On tap at the new joint, Revolution, downtown Derm. Having enjoyed the base beer, I can say this one is even better. Same handsome pour, a deep garnet, but with slightly less evident head and carbonation. The same soft autumnal fruits blend with malts in the nose, but there’s less yeast and more bourbon. The barrel is quite modest, a good thing in my boat, since it doesn’t overwhelm the beer and contributes to the complexity and depth of the flavors. Probably this brewery’s best so far.

Tap at Watts Grocery. This is super solid. Tastes like a dubbel, but not overly sugary like some can get... sweetness is nice and malty, slightly fruity with a subtle amount of bourbon... nice woody notes but not too much sourness or charcoal. Given the style, not a beer I would expect to be delicate, but it is a rather subtle brew. Very enjoyable.

On cask and on tap at the Durham Black Friday Beer Festival. I preferred the cask version with slightly softer carbonation. A simple nutty dubbel with notes of chocolate and dates complimented nicely by just a hint of bourbon. Great job of not overwhelming a beer with too much bourbon and oak.