Allagash Dubbel Reserve

Brewed by Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Portland, Maine USA

batch #34:A classic dubbel, rich deep ruby/burnt amber body, big thick tan head. Rich tobacco notes, nuttiness, ripe fruits, a subdued malt character. Perhaps some chocolate and caramel as well, yeastiness and a hint of spice. Rather thin mouthfeel, I was hoping for more. Nice big roastey barley finish. Alcohol and dryness come through big time, along with some sweet breadiness later on. the malt presence aught to be more robust.

I love Belgian style Dubbels, and while not at the top of the list, this one is certainly on the higher end. I see a lot of 3s for the appearance, I really think this deserves a solid 4.

I can’t even remember the last dubbel I had or what they are supposed to taste like. This is quite enjoyable. Smooth enough to drink at a good rate. Sweet and a little hoppy. For some reason it doesn’t seem very "belgian" to me.

750ml. bottle. Dark brown color with a medium sized tan head. Nutty, malty aroma with some dark fruits and caramel. Lightly sweet malt flavor with some dark fruits, dark chocolate and spices. Much better than their regular dubbel.
Earlier Rating: 9/2/2005 Total Score: 3.5
12oz. bottle. Dark brown color with a small light tan head. Malty, slightly smoky aroma with some cloves and yeast. Reminds me of a wheat doppelbock, sort of. Flavor was similar to the aroma; malt, cloves, yeast. Dry finish.

From a 750 ml C&C Bottle (#66) this poured the color of cranberry juice with a nice cream off-white head and great lacing. Simply beautiful. Nose iof fruit, chocolate, nuts, and caramel malts. Rich and smooth mouthfeel. Robust flavors with a long dry finish. Wonder if aging would have helped this, but this is the only bottle I had.

Batch #54. This is a great-looking beer with a lively head, glowing deep and dark caramel hue, and small bead lacing. Great label, too, which annotates batch number. Aromas are caramel, malt, yeast, and a hint of hickory to go with black cherry fruit. Good hop presence in the beer, a little bit of club soda effervescence. Not as long on the palate as it should be. Also hickory, almond notes. Some cherry/plum fruit. A woodsy, earthy dubbel.

750ml. Bottle $5.99 Binny’s Orland Park Batch #43 Allagash Dubbel Reserve poured a muddy murky garnet. Faint ruby highlights when held to the light along with some lively carbonation. 1 finger off white head formed on the pour and fell down to a cap with some thick islnds floating around. This beer looks really mysterious and murky, like it’s going to be packed with flavor. Leaves sheet lacing after each sip. The nose on this beer is packed full of dark fruits. Plums and black cherries are present along with a sweet smell of candy sugars (?). There’s even some pear and fig. Mild doughy aroma as well. Loaded with malt and a slight mustiness showing up toward the back. The taste is a little more subdued than the aroma. More doughiness which is quickly followed by all the dark fruits that were found in the aroma. Especially the plums and cherries. The musty earthiness shows itself on the swallow along with a mild bittersweet chocolate. Mild hop spiciness on the swallow. Mouthfeel is the low point of this beer. The body is on the lighter side of medium but as it moves along my palate the body seems a little thinner than I would like it. This is an easy drinker. The flavors go so nice together it’s easy to drink this faster than you should. This is a good quality dubbel from Allagash. The mouthfeel is the only thing lacking but that’s just me being picky. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable beer. 2/12/07

Bomber. Pours a crimson brown with a large creamy head. Aroma of soft malt, caramel and dark fruits. Flavor is soft and well blended, and there is a surprisingly nice touch of hops in there for complexity. As is Allagash’s trademark style, this brew is subtle, soft, and tremendously drinkable. It is clearly the blend of a true brewmaster.