Westmalle Dubbel

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

Damn this was a good beer. One of the best belgian ales I have ever had. Beautiful color and gorgeous head retention.

Dark red amber with a yeasty aroma. Roast malt and caramel notes, and a high-rise, fairly tenacious head that follows the beer to the end of the glass. The taste is also richly malty and zesty towards the finish with a touch of burnt sugar bitterness.

Very dark red with a short-lived but somewhat foamy beige head, some lacing. Vineous, plummy aroma with some notes of fresh-cut grass at first. Dark fruits and a bit of chocolate show up. Rich, malty but dry with a tiny bit of sourness, this is an outstanding Trappist ale.

Wow, dark brown with an absolutely huge light tan head. Malty and fruity nose, tastes like a Chimay Red crossed with a Rochefort...definite tobacco notes in the flavor.

Reddish brown body with a tan head that quickly dissipates. No lacing.
Rich malt aroma. Some tobacco, raisins and alcohol.
Full malty flavor. Raisins, yeast and alcohol are present too. Licorice, slightly sour and some of that tobacco among the flavors.
Full-bodied and spritzy on the tongue. Good mouthfeel.

Nice head of medium sized bubbles that disappear quickly. Very dark black/brown color that is opaque. The nose is malty with a hint of black licorice and slightly fruity like raisins, dates, or plums. Nice bite in the beginning that is balanced with some fruitiness, then goes to a nice long and dry finish, first sweet then bitter. Excellent mouthfeel. Not very fruity but I think it is better that way. Caramel flavor more noticable toward the end. Balanced and well made.

Burgundy body topped by a beautiful mountainous light tan head that poseses tremendous staying power. The aroma is sweet bubble gum with some yeasty notes. Very well balanced sweetness. The bubblegum flavor comes back just before the dry hoppy finish. A very nice beer.

(Bottled, BBE 01/2006, the last bottle I’ve saved from back when the Finnish monopoly, Alko, still sold this one, from De Koninck glass) Very dark brown color, slightly tanned, small but lasting head. Caramely, lightly roasted malt, hops and chocolate, dried fruit - even some rye-pudding can be found in the sweetish aroma. The flavor is well-balanced: slightly sweet, very malty and hoppy with rhum, raisins, orange-peel and a bitter, quite carbonated finish, some anisey spiciness - even banana. Long, lingering, sticky-hoppy, very enjoyable aftertaste. Quite full-bodied and carbonated, warming palate. An excellent, quite full and complex dubbel, only slightly too carbonated.