Westmalle Dubbel

Brewed by Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Malle, Belgium

Very nice dubbel. Rich fruit flavors with a subtle sweetness. Great roasted malt color and excellent finish.

Westmalle Dubbel is a cloudy, dim, dark brown ale with a dense, blotchy, beige head that has excellent retention and lacing. It has a fruity aroma, with notes of apple, raisin, banana and clove. It is medium-light bodied; bubbly, with a dry, slightly gritty finish, almost like it was dry hopped. It is a simple flavor that’s pretty well bittered. It’s a bit sour and a touch sweet, with notes of leather, pepper, hay, juniper and brett. OK, maybe it’s not all that simple, but the flavors are very fused. This is a pretty solid Dubbel.

Bottle into chalice. Pours a a purplish-brown color, murky, with a thin, fluffy tan head that fades into a thin, creamy cap that lasts the entire beer. Nose is light dark fruits and brown sugar, with some spicy yeast lending a light, doughy character to the smell. Just a hint of spicy alcohol lends some interesting depth. Taste is intense - up front, you get a big, yeasty, doughy malt note full of dark fruit and some brown sugar, followed by a sweet, rich lingering dark fruit note that fades into a dry, slightly yeasty finish. Mouthfeel is crisp, lightly scrubbing, with a fluffy mouthfeel and medium body.

Quite yeasty first aroma when I cracked open the 12 oz bottle. In tulip glass boasts a one finger plush beige head on top of an unfiltered brown beer with amber hue. Aroma of dark malt and sour apple. Flavors of plum stone and mineral pucker with caramel nose. Body is moderate, hop presence not detectable (but must be because there is balance), carbonation is subdued, and there’s a dryness in finish. Consistent and complex. Body thins, malts sweeten and finish dries as it warms.

12 oz bottle purchased from Frugal MacDoogal’s in Nashville. Poured a cloudy brown color with a one finger tan head that quickly disappeared into a layer of scum floating on top of the beer. The aroma was almost non-existent. Notes of malt and dark fruit were present, but not as dominate expected. The flavor was okay. Very malty with a bit of alcohol in the finish. This wasn’t a very good beer. I might try a fresh one and re-rate, but this one was no good.

The smell is dark fruits, chocolate, candi sugar, caramel, and yeast. The look is cloudy, brownish in color, with a very nice foamy light than head. The taste is chocolate, malts, fruits, yeast, some sweetness. Nice soft feel of the beer.

Poured dark auburn with large off-white head. Mild sweet raison aroma. Medium mouthfeel. Flavour of dry red wine. Alcohol finish.

dark unclear beer with nice head. Strong malty aroma of dark fruit, plumes, caramel and spices. Flavour is sweet with sweet finish. Some bitterness would be nice for complexity.