Val-Dieu Brune

Brewed by Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Aubel, Belgium

Sampled at a blind abbey dubbel tasting hosted by tennisjoel on 4-14-07, along with eight other beers. This was the first beer that we tasted. It finished in last place in my rankings, but it was third place in the group rankings. Originally poured from a 750 mL bottle. The overwhelming winner of the night was ’t Smisje Dubbel, with Corsendonk Pater finishing a strong if distant second. <P>Sweet, yeasty aroma featuring chocolate and apricot scents as well as some citrus sourness. Pours a sparkling (many bubbles) purplish brown with a moderate amount of beige head. Produces extensive lacing. Rich, sharp, sour, and chocolatey flavor. A hint of dark chocolate bitterness. Characteristically low on hops. Tastes like raspberry cocoa. A bit much for me. Medium body. Lively and frothy in the palate. Val-Dieu Brune would make a decent dessert beer.

Bottle from my dad. Dark brown colour. Really nice dubbel, caramel and really spicy aroma. Sweet, then bitter and sour/tart flavour. Overall a bit watery.

Tart, light bitterness, enjoyable. Not spectacular. Nice brown color with full head that takes a while to dissipate. Lively carbonation. Not bad.

Bottle (from Bitter Virtue). Lots of caramelly malt and dried fruit. Hints of spicy yeast. A bit too sweet for me and ends slightly cloying. High carbonation doesnt help.

Aroma is yeasty, candy sugar nutty malts, quite sweet indeed. Taste is similar quite heavily carbonated qhich takes it away a little i ended up stirring the fizz out with my finger qhich took some time, taste is not as sweet as expected, but not really my fav brune.

WOW, uncaged the cork and let the bottle sit there for a minute. Then POP, shot the cork right out of the bottle but no gushing or overcarbonation. Thin dense creamy head of fine bubbles. Excellent carbonation. Head sticks around for quite a while. Nice aroma. Sweet malts, brown sugar, raisins, cinnamon apples and roasted grains. Very appealing aroma. Color is a rich mahagony brown. Dry and yeasty flavor. A little metallic. More dark fruit and spices. Nice alcohol tingle and warming. Flavor is a little weak compared to the great aroma. Finishes dry and warm with some lingering spices and yeasty notes. A very good belgian that starts off great and then falters a bit in the middle and end.

Bottled. I wasn’t initially impressed with this one, but I had the brilliant idea of having it with my belgian chocolate brownie - tastes glorious! Better than milk. Dark walnut with a dense malt head. Lots of chunky yummies about. Aroma of rosted malts, dark fruits and caramel. Taste of dark chocolate, malt, berries and lots of other tasty stuff. Slightly muted in flavour and the alcohol is a bit obvious, but it is still good.

Hazy dark brown hue, with a frothy thick beige head, leaving laces, nice yeasty, dark dried fruits and chocolatey nose, with a pruney warmth alcoholic note, toasted malt, hint of nutmeg spiciness, brown sugar in the aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a yeasty toasted, roasted, and caramelized malt character, with some dark bitter chocolatey and mochaish accents, with a dark dried fruits note of prunes, dates, raisins, hints of molasses, brown sugar and spiciness, leading towards a malty, subtle dry hop bitterness finish.