Anderson Valley Brother Davids Double

Brewed by Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Boonville, California USA

Aroma is malty and fruity, with notes of raisins and prunes, followed by some pilsner and special B malt....with yeast and fruity esters. Flavor is similar to the aroma, with dark fruits prevalent followed by a malt finish. Decent Dubbel.

Enjoyed from a 750ml bottle in a whiskey snifter. The beer pours a deep brown color, with a moderately sized and long-lasting tan head. Aromas of raisons, Munich malt, Special "B" malt, and prunes come through in the palate. Abbey yeast esters also come through, showing some slight apple/pear character. Finally, there is a slight note of bready/grainy pilsner malt. The palate keeps the promises made by the aroma. Deep Germanic malty flavors up front, followed by raisons, prunes, and esters. Carbonation is mild to moderate; perhaps a little low for the style, but just right, in my opinion. Alcohol is totally hidden. Overall, this is an excellent version of the style.

Pour is very much like a cola. A smallish tan head that leaves light but sticky lacing. Quite a malty aroma with dark fruit. Pleasant and substantial. Flavor is also big malt with dark fruit. Some rye and too much alcohol. Very flavorful and an enjoyable beer. One of those beers that after you finish it there is malt on your lips. I happen to like such beers.

Pours reddish brown color with off white head. Aromas of dark fruits and molasses. Sweet raisin and fig flavors with Belgian candy sugar. Medium body with moderate carbonation.

Medium brown color, decent carbonation. Aroma yeast and sweet dark fruit. Big dark fruit flavors, prune, plum, dark cherries. Yeast and sweet malts, brown sugar. Pretty well balanced, touch of alcohol on the end. Nicely done, quite drinkable.

$7 22oz Bomb- This is my first Belgian-style ale that I have rated. As a general rule, I stay away from these because I’m not a big fan of "yeastiness" and other flavors associated with it. Damn though, this is not a bad beer, I can actually drink this Belgian. One thing: I like how Anderson Valley doesn’t heat pasteurize their beer, but I can’t stand the layer of yeast on the bottom that I can’t stand having in my beer; I will not drink the last fifth because I mentally can’t handle "dirty" beer. Maybe nothing can be done about this side effect, but it is disgusting stuff to have in your beer--in my opinion. Will not buy this beer again for $7, but it is good to expand beyond my comfort zone.

In short: A basic American take on the evasive Abbey Dubbel style. Good.
How: Bottle 22oz. Sent by (I think) by my summer Secret Santa. Thanks a lot Secret Santa…I mean Dave.
The look: Dark ruby body topped by a small beige head
In long: Nose is sweet and fruity, smelled like a raisin pie to me. Taste brown sugar, raisins, baked dark fruits, almonds, some chocolate, some black cherries, some toffee, minimal woody hops contribution. A little burnt malts sensation as if the beer was 80% toasted sugary caramelized malts and 20% totally burned malts. All the desired dubbel flavours are there but somehow the whole thing just doesn’t stand out. I didn’t find the mouthfeel very Belgian with its medium prickly carbonation. As far as an American Belgian style dubbel is concerned this one is pretty decent.. But compared to true Belgian dubbel this is just average. Most American brewery struggle to get with this basic Belgian style right. I don’t know why, and if there’s one thing I don’t understand, it’s everything.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company--Brother David’s Double Abbey Style Ale--Wax Seal--2005 Release--22 oz. Bottle--9.00% ABV--27 IBU’s. (4.0 / 5.0) Belgian Ale--Dubbel. $4.99 Each. Thin fizzy mild lace tan head. Light sediment. Clear red hint brown color. Mild hop mellow Belgian toffee raisin front. Complex mellow mild sweet Belgian Sugar toffee caramel toasted mild chocolate mild fruit ester body. Smooth mild spice hint end. Sampled 10/19/2008.