Westmalle Dubbel

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

Westmalle really has his own taste. Quite sparkling, but overall a good Dubbel. Additional note: Compared a 2 year old and a fresh bottle. To my surpise the two bottles didn't differ very much. The old sample was a bit more metallic and yeasty, that's all. Storing conditions were ok (no light and 10-15 degrees celcius), so i guess this one isn't really worth aging.

Bottle. Pours a hazy brown with a one finger dense cream head and splotchy lacing. Nose is brown sugar, sweet dark fruits and yeast. Taste is caramel, brown sugar, dates, plums and alcohol. Creamy mouth feel. Good Dubbel.

Bottle. Pour is dark red and brown with a small white head and very nice lacing that lasts throughout. Lots of yeast sediment at the bottom of the glass. Nose is slightly fruity, yeasty and bready. Flavor is good, but a little more bland than I remember. Creamy, a little bit of dark fruits, with a yeasty sweet finish. A very nice trappist, but just doesnt have as much umph as I remember.

0.33l bottle, Westmalle Trappist glass, at Tolkien’s House, Zagreb
The bartender claimed that this was the best beer he ever had, and the scores here would pretty much confirm it, best Trappist Dubbel. And I agree (not the best beer ever part, the best Abbey Dubbel one), but I’ll come to that later. It poured a very nice very-dark-nearly-black colour. Small thick tan head that went away at a medium pace. The nose... is a damn void, and a huge disappointment. It wasn’t even too cold. And it didn’t show up as it warmed. Surprising, seeing the big marks in that department in the other reviews. Ah, well. Only some faint acidity/deep malt here. The taste is very pleasant. Not really typical, though (not that sweet). A bit mild, but lovely maltiness, countered by the pleasant Belgian-style acidity, some yeast, weak fruitiness. Weak but pleasant chewy hopiness that goes into the aftertaste. A great quaffer, no doubt about it. I’ll try another, just to see if I was wrong about the aroma.

From a 11.2 oz. embossed trappist brown bottle with a best before date on the back label, 04.01.08, sampled at cellar temperature in a chalice. Poured a reddish brown with a frothy off-white/pale beige head that settled into thin foamy lacing, small amount of sticking. Aromas of caramel malts, a bit floral and sweet fruity esters. Good carbonation and a softly crisp, dry, mouthfeel. Pleasant dubbel taste, caramel malty with touches of cocoa, a soft sweet plum fruitiness, spicy yeastiness, the alcohol is not very noticeable, only a warming presense in the palate, and a dry spicy and fruity finish. A good dubbel, easy and smooth drinkability, I would like to try this the tap sometime.

Pours ruby with mostly receding tan head. Aroma of caramel, raisins, bubble gum and tropical fruits. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with lush carbonation. A very nice and elegant beer.

Dark, Dark orange-red/ looks like blood; Head was thin but fizzy; Aroma was full of Cognac and alcohol. Alcohol fills the mouth. Still very Cognac-like in the mouth. Also surprisingly dry, but not floral like an Orval. Very little sweetness or grapiness that i might have expected from this style. Palate was a bit thin.

Dark ruby tint to the brown color, beautiful creamed color head, very well balanced, full bodied, lots of malty flavors, some hints of some kind of fruit flavors as well, nice well-rounded aftertaste, very good Trappist beer