Westmalle Dubbel

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

Deep burgundy-brown with a frothy and thin, yet lasting, head. "Rosy" and inviting nose. Smooth, yet tingly mouthfeel; thickish, but easy to drink; tight bubbles make it almost milkshake-like. Perfect, subtle hints of sweet candy and sour fruit. Dryish finish, but wonderful flavors (sweet, sour & bitter) reside on your tongue for some time. Not overwhelming, but very enjoyable.

Chestnut brown with a rocky towering beige head. Aromas of unspecified fruit and soft yest. A little figgy raisiny fruit and soft sweet malt. The mouthfeel is much softer after swirling the last of the bottle to stir up the yeast before finishing the pour. Still, I found it to be on the thin side. I think I prefer some of the other dubbels I’ve tried, but that goes against the general consensus here.

Luxurious deep brown body capped with a creamy, marbled tan head. Grainy white sediment. Caramel and a surprising waft of Burton sulphur in the nose make me want to plunge right in. Sweet toffeeish maltiness balanced with some sourish, chocolate yoghurt notes. A distinctly hoppy, Orval-like dryness also. Yes, that’s right, sweet, sour AND bitter. And wickedly drinkable. Was saving a Rochefort 10 to initiate me into the 100 club, but this is more than worthy of the honour. A very sexy Dubbel. (Re-rate, 22/01/08) Was expecting to have to down-rate this slightly, but not a bit of it. Aroma and general yeastiness sourish, darkly fruity and slightly biting. A ringer for Westies 8 and 12. Sourish chocolate-smooth nuttiness, wholemeal, robust hop bitterness... and a lingering waft of freshbread in the aftertaste. Still top 10 material. (Another re-rate) Cannot be contained by karmeliet chalice. Blossoming irregular yellowy beige on mahogany. Nose noble, blood,choc yoghurt, hazelnut, biting yeasty freshness of Westy or English (Wadworth?), poetically noseworthy complexity of berry fruit bubblegum ,cherry,alcohol, banana.Wincing, almost menthol hops and CO2 if you over-inhale. And you must. Mmm. 9. Flavour opens with blood, nuts, choc,wholesome freshly risen bread,lingering sweet hop cheesecake biscuit, nuts again, marzipan but so well integrated,very shrubby Germanic hop. There’s a hairs breadth between this and Westy 8, and either could edge it on its day. Top 10 every time.

This is quite a beautiful pour, a deep ruby color, with a big two finger head, that fades slightly but still retains a nice foamy ring. The aroma is very fruity and yeasty, full of berries and cherries. You can definitely smell the candi and bubblegum aromas. The taste is slightly less than complex on first taste, very leathery, with some licorice and brown sugar. Very bready through and through. A solid beer, but slightly disappointing.

330ml Bottle: Rating # 2000! Aroma of yeast, malts, dark ripe fruits, slight raisin, and a hint of caramel. Poured brown with a hint of amber in color and a large, foamy, fluffy, tan head that greatly diminished but lasted throughout. Cloudy. Sparkling. Flavor is light to medium sweet. Tastes of yeast, caramel, malts, light dark ripe fruits, and some raisins. Medium body. Slightly tingly, medium-dry texture. Average carbonation. LIghtly sweet, caramel, and yeast finish is a bit sticky and a little dry.

Dense, reddish brown with a large sandy head that quickly subsides. Savory, oaky and fruity aromas dominate. Very definate grape flavors, as well as some vegatable flaovrs, too - asparagas, maybe? Nice crisp, dry hops throughout the body. Finishes kinda weak, but still a nice brew.

Somewhat subtle aroma, noticeable alcohol and warm banana bread. Lovely color, persistent thin butterscotch head, and lasting carbonation in mouth. Rich flavors, but not sharp in any, with a warm dry bitterness in the finish. It evolved nicely as it warmed up.

Bottle; Nose of plums, spice, and caramel; Hazy brown with a big tan head thats slowly disapates, lacing the glass lightly; flavor of sweet caramel, spicy malt, and dark fruit, with some oaky notes. Body light-medium with a tiny smidgeon of bitterness in the finish.