Valley Brew Decadence 8

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

Bottle courtesy of aspidites sampled on 9/15/07: Pours a transparent copper orange with a nicely-lacing tan head. Aroma of sweet pale Belgian malt and some cherry fruity tart notes. Body starts with some grainy, doughy malt and yeasty esters with a touch of raisins. Nicely-balanced, complex and enjoyable.

Poured a dark copper color with a persistent off-white head. The aroma was sweet and yeasty. Fruity notes that appeared grapey. Light alcohol. Light fruity flavor with a yeasty finish. The finish was dry with a mild-moderate bitterness.

Rust-hued garnet. Tightly packed ivory bubbles establish a thin but retentive cap. Awesome medley of peach, red licorice, chocolate pudding, plum skin, and aniseed in the aroma. Gorgeous earthy yeast character with a touch of black pepper. Quite perfumey, as well. Soft natural carbonation firmly grips the palate. Very snug. Earthy yeast astringency accompanies a rich wave of caramelized raisins topped with softer layers of plummy malts, chocolate, and nougat as well as toffee-drizzled nuts. Despite its age, the hops still manage to brightly exude with a flowery daintiness. Stellar attenuation creates a platform for the velvety malts to harmonize with the sassy roast, honeyed biscuits, and well-defined cottony accents. Fruity esters provide substantial weight, as they impart a vibrant juiciness and suppleness which bolsters the body’s core and deepens the cocoa roast. Lustrous acidity also sparkles amid the baffling malt complexity. Yeast is very clean but possesses a curiously complex character. Alcohol is also masterfully cloaked but beautifully complements the dryness and peppery yeast qualities. Remarkably clean and polished, overall, yet retains such wonderful depth and richness. Lenghty, snappy and earthy finish showcases chicory and aniseed balanced by thickly-textured whispers of port, plums and creamed coffee. Not only is this well made and incredibly nuanced, but it’s very characterful to boot. A drop-dead beauty!

Bottle courtesy of CaptainCougar. Dark brown beer, thin head. Sweet toasty aroma. Chewy cherry/plum fruitiness. Sweet toasted malts and a bit of herbal character. Quite sweet but with a dusty cocoa flavour as well. Low spiciness. It seems a bit schitzophrenic to me.

Shared by CaptainCougar (thank you so much!) - cloudy amber with a short-lived head - aroma of dried cherries, vanilla, coconut (interesting and, honestly, pretty awesome) - flavors of cocoa, nuts, light spices, musty/earthy notes, coconut from the aroma working in odd and delicious ways - a really unique belgian ale.

Date: 06/09/2007
Mode: Hand Bottled
Source: Tasting, Noog 3D

muddy brown, frothy beige head, sweet chocolate and brown sugar aroma with lots of fruity character, sweet chocolate flavor, lots of bourbon and brown sugar sweetness, but it’s the rich dark fruit flavor that steals the show,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Bomber from KrausenJockey shared with friends on 6/26/07
Probably the best testament to how well-made this beer is, which speaks better than anything I can say in a review, was the reaction to this beer by the two people I shared it with. Neither of them were "beer drinkers", and their idea of a fancy beer was heineken. So you get the picture. Anyways, they both were shocked by how good it was and how much they enjoyed it. They both always ask if I have "more beers like that one" referring to this. And I’m right on board with them, this one blew me away.
The great thing about beer is that it dosent have to barrel-aged, or brewed with a top-secret yeast, or quintuple dry-hopped, or anything like that. A fantastic yeast (trappist, in this case), with a correct fermentation and careful malting are all it takes.
This yielded one of those rare beers that seems to pour on the flavor/aroma and hit both your sweet and dry receptors, as well as being at both times thick and light, satisfying and sip-inducing. A terrific fruitiness underlies the zesty medium malts with plenty of base malt body. So clean, and yet with a brilliant yeast signature that is never bland/nutty/doughy. Light chocolate is held in the background, with notes of cherry, strawberry and very light cola displaying themselves all about the palate. Clove phenols and vanilla are all in moderate levels and help add authenticity and light dryness. I could name about 10 other subtle flavors that are displayed in this beer too. A pinch of breadiness from the malts sits on the end, as well as a touch of alcohol warmth, which is actually appreciated here, as it mixes so well with the fruitiness and sweet malts. Nothing fancy, just really f-in good beer. Thanks Steve!!!

Bottle. Deep reddish copper in color with a nice off white head. Dark fruity toffee aroma. Figs, plums, and sweet fruity notes. Malty and yeasty flavor. Spicy vanilla clove notes. Finish is malty and fruity. Full bodied. Nice beer. Very drinkable.