Allagash Dubbel Reserve

Brownish color with a thin head. Aromas of dark malts, fruit, and yeast. Flavors of dark malts, a little roast, chocolate, and fruity with hints of clove and spice. It was pleasant and drinkable, but I think I was expecting a little more I guess.

I’m a fan of Allagash. I think they make some pretty good beers/ This Bubble is no exception except I don’t think it falls into the category of most abby doubles I have had. Pours a dark amber with a medium brow head. Taste is sweet but a bit too malty and the yeast doesn’t taste quite right for this style. finish is a lingering bitter/sweet . I will certainly have this again but not when I am specifically looking for a double

Review from cvillebeergeek.com...

Appearance: Poured into my trusty Duvel tulip (hate the beer, love the glass), this beer exhibits a slightly cloudy ruby red color. The head is foamy and thick. Retention is moderate, as is the lacing. 4.0/5.0

Aroma: Batch 69 exhibits a fairly typical dubbel aroma. Strong yeast aromas with banana esters, nuts, toffee/caramel maltness and a nice fruitiness (honeydew?). This aroma is, as I said, fairly typical. It doesn’t win any awards for originality, but it doesn’t offend either. 3.5/5.0

Taste: Taste is a little more bitter than I expected. Not much fruitiness here, but there is breadiness, a little toffee, and a strong nuttiness. A little mocha as well. This has the beginnings of a typical abbey dubbel, but lacks the fruitiness and the sweetness most dubbels have. Very dry. 3.5/5.0

Mouthfeel: Effervesence level is good (something I can only dream of when I bottle my first homebrew in a couple of days). There is a smooth and creamy feel to the beer, despite is dryness, a hint that the carbonation level is spot on. 4.0/5.0

Drinkability: Alcohol by volume is 7%, according to the bottle. While for me this might qualify as a session beer, it does require a bit of caution for most. Alcohol is hidden fairly well, though it does make its presence known. This beer will probably offend the virgin palate, as will nearly all Belgian styles, but if your beer palate is just a little bit developed, this is a nice beer. 4.0/5.0

Overall: Not really the typical abbey dubbel experience, but it is a good example of a dry Belgian style beer. The yeast strain used is unmistakably Belgian, but beer definitely does its own thing. I’m reminded of a time back in 2004, while campaigning for Howard Dean during the New Hampshire primaries, of being told that "that treeline" across a field from a high school in Somersworth was in Maine. Now, I’ve never been to Maine. We tried, but Dover, New Hampshire, where we were based, seems to be a vortex and no matter what direction you go in, you end up right back downtown. So, we never made it to Maine, but we did meet a lot of Mainers, and I’ve heard a lot about Maine culture since then. The point? When I imagine an abbey dubbel style ale combined with that Maine spirit, it would taste a lot like this beer. It’s not a great example of a abbey dubbel, but it is an easy drinking, high quality beer. 3.8/5.0

Opaque brown pour with a bit of a white head. Sweet toffee aroma with some port like character - very nutty and chocolaty. Lots of malt. Sweet and chocolaty flavor with a lot of grain as well. I really did not enjoy this. Completely flat and lacking carbonation. Yuck.

12oz bottle. Beautiful deep ruby color, with a finely laced head. Malty nose rich with fruit and leather. Rich mouth feel, with notes of raisins and chocolate, and a ever so slight vinous quality. Finishes crisp and dry. Think I’ll set some aside for aging.

Pours a dark reddish brown, with a nice head that dissipates a little quicker than I would have liked. Smells sweet, and it has a nice chocolate taste, but suprisingly approachable for a dark beer. Might not please everyone, but an excellent choice for drinking.

Bomber. Rich auburn, big soapy head that disappears pretty quickly. Smells of rich, toasty malts, plums, and caramel. Really appealing nose. The taste wasn’t what I was hoping for after the start, though. Comes on with a nice thick plum/raisin taste up front but doesn’t hold the complexity for long. Finishes sharply, but not overly strongly or really that great. Good, drinkable, but not outstanding.

Bottle. Pours deep amber with a beige head. Sweet aroma with notes of caramel, melon, and yeast. Medium body. Flavor is again sweet fruit with notes of caramel, honeydew, and yeast. Maybe a light note of spice as well. Pretty good.