Valley Brew Decadence 8

Brewed by Valley Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Stockton, California USA

4 year old bottle that I was hesitant to open. Pours deep prune color with no head. Huge nose of chocolate, blackberries, licorice and coffee. The flavor has those influences and another that I cant figure out. Lots of coffee in the finish. Smooth on the palate. Like an Imperial Dubbel.

Feb 08 Circle City gathering, brought by MI2CA (given to him by the brewer, ratebeers own KrausenJockey): Coppery brown with a minimal head but did have oily legs. The aroma has big oak and phenolic characteristics along with notes of caramel, apple, pear, star fruit, and grains of paradise. The taste is fruity and toasty that is well balanced with some acidity to counteract the sweetness. Light herbal and grassy bitterness towards the finish. I even noted a hint of bakers chocolate on the palate. The mouth feel is rich, oily and lush which matched the flavor profile very well. Dry and well attenuated on the finish. Once the beer opened up it really took off. I was shocked on how much I really enjoyed this beer... is it really that old or was it brewed again? I lot of ratings over the past 6 months.

Bottle from a secret RB member. This was hand bottled and not as good as it might have been when it was fresh I am sure. Kind of off a bit and the true flavors were well hiden by its treatment.

bottle....pours a reddish brown with a thin off white head....nose of sugar, dark fruits, and raisins....flavors of mildly carbonated dark fruit and sugars that is quite nice. this really all works well together and is one of the better dubbels that i’ve had....

(Bottle) Pours a cloudy brown body with a medium beige head. Aroma of molasses, brown sugar, figs, nuts, and dates. Flavor of brown sugar, raisins, dates, some bread, and chocolate. A really complex and tasty dubbel!

Thanks to EDA for sharing at JJPMs place this summer 07. Pours deep amber with some haze. Aroma is solvent like and paint thinner- metallic hops. More stale and metallic hoppiness in the flavor some over the top fruity esters, some caramel and dried fruit condensed sweetness, and a stale finish. Guess I didnt like this one that much.

(Old rating discovered in a dusty pile of forgotten notes, and I wish the notes on this one were more complete.) Thanks to aspidites for this!. Pours hazy reddish amber with an off-white head. Sweet caramel and and licorice taste. Soft finish.

Noogfest Thanks to Beerguy101 for bringing this one to share. This one puts a muddy dark amber brew beneath a tan head. Big malt aroma with some licorice, dark fruits, caramel. Flavor follows the aroma. Some bitterness in the finish. Solid bodied and a smooth easy drinking brew.