Westmalle Dubbel

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

Deep and rich, but has an interesting dryness in the finish that makes one want more. Figs plums and dark fruits abound. The yeast is the star here, sweetish and tart at the same time. Delectable.

Re-rate: Still as good looking as ever. This time I picked put a spicey apple fruity calvados and port wine aroma and flavour I was not able to quite pin down before. Perhaps this one was a little on the lighter side compared to the others as far as flavours go but still an damn fine beer. I also got this celery and chicken noodle soup tang thing that crops up occasionally in nearly all the trappistes - I’d really like to know what that is? Everything else in previous rating stands.
Second rating 7/7/2002 4.4 Dense brown-red murky colour with large fluffy mid-tan head, nice lacing as well. Gorgeous complex floral aromatic and spicey nose and flavours. Superb body and nicely balanced palate and finish. One of my favourite beers made even better by drinking it with a meal at an small Belgian streetcafe on a mild summers evening.
First rated 4/5/2002 4.3

Pours with a frothy brown head. Deep amber color. Yeasty, sweet(plums, brown sugar,carmel) aroma. Soft creamy mouthfeel. Neutral finish in terms of dryness and acidicity. Very good Dubbel. Thanks CaptainCougar

poured an opaque brown hue with a bone color head. sweet aroma mixing dried fruit and chocolate notes.. Flavor was a mix of malts both sweet and yeasty. sweet malts were fruity and mild chocolate. Finish seemed some what hoppy and dry. very good.

One of the best, if not the best, dubbels out there. Creamy and smooth, yet fully robust and hearty at the same time. Moderate alcohol level works quite well with the dark malty tastes and aromas. Nutty, with a fruity raisin-like aftertaste. Minimal hops. A delicious Belgian ale.

A really good beer, but I had expected a great beer, like a Rochefort 10, and was so surprised when I tasted this that initially I could not write down any opionions or comments at all. Dark reddish brown with large off-white head. Malt with bitter finish. Fizzy/bubbly/tingly. A little bit more complex and more interesting as it warms, with hints of coffee and a little tannin sneaking in. Good but there are much better Belgian dubbels, and some great American copies, at a fraction of the price. If Unibroue decided to make a dubbel it would blow this away. Ommegang strong ale does, and it is a fraction of the price. Good thing I bought a case of Rochefort 10 at the same time ... on average between the two I am delighted. ... OK ... rerate second half of bottle after it has warmed up. Cellar temp is much too cold this week. Warmer the beer is much more complex than I had thought, with dark malt, sweet malt, distinct flavors of chocolate, and some characteristic wheat ale spice. Much more interesting than I thought at first.

I think one of the well-known trappist beers in the Netherlands. It’s maybe the standard for the most people, if they think how a trappist has to be. Particular for those who aren’t familiar with beers. It’s red/brown colored beer, with a large creamy dark beige foamy head. An aroma which begins a little sweet, fruits, then caramel and a litlle spicy. The taste is complex, a little roasted malts, also some dark fruit, with caramel and at the end some bitternes. In my opion a very good beer.

Bottled. Some beers just pass under your rating radar, don;’t they? Been loving this for years and just realised I never reviewed it. Rich ruddy brown body. That aroma; lots of fresh yeast, sniff of banana, clove, dry cleaning fluid... that flavour is all creamy fruits steeped in booze, mulled apple schnapps, carbonation keeping it feeling light not cloying. Then the malted fruits linger on the tounge. Been a long time since I was sat in Bar Erasmus cradling a couple of these, but it’s still a great drink. And that was my last bottle of Dubbel so it’s time for a shopping trip, methinks...