Augustijn Donker

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Ertvelde, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

Currently drinking while typing. Once poured you find that there is a lack of aroma to this brew, with a Dubbel you expect big scents of caramel, toffee and sweet sugary malts but instead you get a limited amount of caramel, malt, toffee, alcohol but also apple and pears initially which is odd. Looks lovely though, a deep mahogany depth with a light beige coloured head of bubbliness which evolves into a layer of tight wound creamy foam which lasts long. Flavours are pleasant but not as prominent as a beer of this style. Light caramel, malts, pear, apple, nuttiness and a light hop taste on the aftertaste. Nice feel in the mouth, light and pleasant with a smoothness too. Nicely carbonated too. Ever so light and refreshing for a Dubbel so much that it doesn’t fit with the style greatly but I enjoyed it regardless of what it is EXPECTED to be.

Dark, clear, ruby-brown pour with a small khaki head. Aroma of sweet fruit, caramel, toast and mild Belgian yeast. Taste of sweet fruit and malt with a mild bitterness; it’s good, but not quite so bold as the aroma. Medium bodied with very lively, almost offensive, carbonation. Despite the excessive carbonation, this is a pretty good brew, and after it sits a bit, the carbonation becomes easier to deal with.

A murky amber brown pour. Aroma is fruity, sherry, chestnuts, sweet danish dough. The body is on the lighter side, medium carbonation, sweet base, lots of good dried fruit and red fruit flavors. Alcohol well hidden, easy drinking.

Bottle at Dans. Pours a copper brown. Aroma of caramel, petrol/kerosene, nice Belgian tang. Taste corresponds - rich sweet caramel, twangy, Belgian-ness. Up my street, but flavour and mouthfeel are a little insubstantial. Still lovely. Definitely doesn’t feel like 7%.

Dark copper colour, thin head. Toffee and typically Belgian nose with a guilty-pleasure solvent-like note. Pretty creamy mouth-feel, carbonation not overbearing. Dangerously drinkable, with the alcohol content masked well, but perhaps the sweetness isn’t quite balanced.

Dark brown/copper, surprisingly thin (for the style) white head. Nose is soft and sweet, hint of cheap milk chocolate, cloves, Belgian yeast character, slight open alcohol, caramel. Sweet front, slightly red fruit, caramel, hides alcohol well, sweet sticky finish. Not bad, slightly sweet.

From backlog

Head: white, large, bubbly
Colour: dark brown Smell: ref fruits, bit toasted, malts , sweet
Taste: overall malts, some raisins, caramel, candy sirup, sweetbitter , dry end