Val-Dieu Brune

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

Deep brown pour with off-white head. Aroma of peaty cobwebby malts, some Flemish sour hints, some yeasty and fruity notes. The flavor is malty and merloty, with some effervescent fruitiness. Also, some peaty nuts and dark chocolate do come into play late. A nice palate finishes a complex, very interesting beer.

Pitch brown. Dense, creamy, off white head. Very roasty chocoffee aroma similar to a stout. Subtle dark fruits, alcohol, and yeast, also. Dubbel? Darkest one I’ve had for sure. Flavor is the reverse of the aroma. Dark fruits, yeast, alcohol, rich malt in front of a roasty chocoffee finish. Finish is more yeasty as it warms. Medium body is a bit thin, smooth. Nice dubbel.

Brown color with a large, tan head. Slightly chocolate aroma with a large helping of rich malt. More of the same in the taste, but the chocolate stands out a bit more. A few hints of nuts (walnuts or hazelnuts). Very creamy feel.

This isn’t really very strong for a dubbel. Like the blonde, it tastes a little too wheaty for me. An average dubbel.

Pours red-brown with a huge white head. Sweet aroma with dark fruits and a strong yeast character. Hints of spices like cloves. Vinous flavor with that same strong yeast and hints of fruit both light and dark. Somewhat thin.

The aroma is sweet, vinous, fruity with alcohol, raisons, and yeast. The appearance is a dark red-brown with a large foamy head. The flavor is strong with alcohol but not overpowering. There is plenty of caramel, toasted malt and dark fruit. The palate is slightly thin for the style but about right. The finish is wood like and toasted.

11.2 oz bottle Pours beautiful dark almost black witha creamy offwhite head that laces the sides of the trappist glass. Aroma is some yeast, and some candied sugar. Flavor is a nice blend of caramel and roasted malts, some plum and raisin as well. Palate is light and airy and pretty well carbonated. Feels good in the mouth. Finishes a little dry. Not bad.

Pour is a cloudy brown with a huge white head. Aroma is hard to detect but there are some malts showing up along with a nice whiff of alcohol. Flavor is slightly woody and with an aftertaste of bananas. Not the best Belgian by a longshot but worth a try.