Val-Dieu Brune

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

33cl bottle BBD 05/05 Brown Bier, nice head, gorgeous lacing, well carbonated. Maltific beauty of a nose, aromatic. It has depth, going beyond just a malty nose...Taste is a bit curt w/ slight metallic/staleness in the quick finish...maybe just a bit cold here at first...Timeout while it warms...begins to come around w/ a softer bittersweet finish, sits dry at the end...light bodied, but maybe it stuffs its bra...makes ya think there’s more there...earthy, bit o’ pepper & floralness(clover honey?) come together to make an easy drinking strong ale w/ some nice nuance.

Head is initially average sized, creamy, light brown, fully lasting. Body is hazy light brown, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (caramel, cookie, nuts), moderately yeasty (cobwebs), lightly hoppy (flowers), with notes of plum, orange, banana, and clove. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Medium body, watery/velvety texture, lively carbonation.

Amber brown body was a bit hazy. The head was small in size and short lived. The lacing on the side of the glass was thin, but sticky. The aroma was typical dubbel with spices, brown sugar, roasty malt, and cookie dough. The taste was just what the aroma promised with a sweet and spicy front, a dry roasty middle, and mildly bitter aftertaste. Alcohol is strong at 8%, but is not apparent in the flavor profile. This is a nice beer, fitting very nicely among the now crowded rows of Belgian style bottles lining the shelves of Green’s.

Saw this at my local beer shope-type place today and decided to give it a try. Not too bad. A good brown. Makes me feel happy in the head!

On tap at Monk’s in Philly. Pours brown, with a malty aroma Fruit anf malt flavors prevail. Body is thin, too thin. Didn’t taste like 8%.

Bottled. This beer has a dodgy smoky aroma. It is a lovely dark brown with a nice big, slow diminshing head. The taste is malty but is very thin for a dubbel of this strength. Disappointing.

What a great brew! This brewery is not bad. This brew pours a lovely dark dark brown almost black with a white white head. Smells much like the tripel from this brewery only with a much more caramelly sweet presence. Taste is excellent. Notes of currants, tobacco and chocolate. On the uptake it is very much like a regula belgian ale. On the back of the tongue post gulp it is much like a sweet stout. Good mouthfeel. Slighty watery but not too awful good brew Grat

After reading the bottle I thought this was just a Belgian brown ale. After sampling it and noting its yeasty aroma, and its medium body I knew it was something more. Enjoyed the slight yeasty aftertaste. This Abbey Dubbel was a smooth beer and could pass for a session beer (until you drank four of them).