Bornem Dubbel

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

Poured an effervescent dark amber with a large frothy white head. Sweet caramel dark fruit aroma. Taste is slightly sweet and vinous, with notes of caramel and coffee. Dryness takes over the sweetness and makes the beer more drinkable. Slight metallic banana twinge to the finish, though not terribly offensive. A simple refreshing Dubbel.

Pours with a generous thick, fluffy head over an amber-orange body. Aromas of yeast, crystal malt, banana and raisin are noted although a bit faint. Palate is light and fizzy, but unfortunately a bit thin. Flavors of yeast, malt, raisin, figs and some spices make a clean presence, but are a bit febrile and fade quickly. Amazingly with such a lightweight overall presentation, the 8% alcohol is virtually undetectable. In general, not a bad Dubble, but a bit watery and average.

Overall a solid ale with no obvious faults. The aroma is sweet and malty with tons of yeast. The appearance is a hazy red brown that pours a nice foam head. The flavor has a robust caramel and toffee taste along with malt, bananas, yeast, and figs. Bitter sweet aftertaste with some wood like characteristics and an small alcohol kick. Quite the complex blend that works well.

Bottle, part of the global beer network sixpack. Poured a nice, deep ruby-brown. Off white head, no lacing. Wonderful peachy, earthy and caramel aromas. Malty, very sweet flavors with a hoppy bite. Warming effect as you swallow hints at the alcohol.

330ml bottle - Pours dark brown with ruby highlights and a huge tan head. Aromas of raisins, caramel malts, a touch of chocolate, and pears. Flavor is quite vinuous,. yeast, raisins, caramel, roasted malts, and dark chocolate. Very sweet and rich. On the palate this is quite carbonated and feels pretty good in the mouth. It is medium bodied and the alcohol is covered very well. This wasn’t bad at all.

Bottled (BB 10/2006)
Dark ruby-brown color, firm cloudy tanned head. Fruity nose: apricot, pear and red currant. Carbonated, medium-bodied mouthfeel. All the right elements are there: plums, raisins, yeast, but this is very much watered down.

Tasted from the rustic and battered looking bottle (my only sample), it erupted and spurted suds over the rim once the top was popped. Poured into a chalice glass, the lively beer delivered a 50/50 mix of foamy off-white head and opaque, murky brown body. The head didn’t budge for the length and left rings down the glass. Strong and musty, dark chocolate and dried fruit aroma, hints reminiscent of turkish delight mingled with a strong and warming yeast and alcohol spice. The aroma became mulled and earthy halfway through. Thinner than expected body with a light oxidised edge I found similar to both the Dubbel and Tripel. Dried figs and plums, grated chocolate and powdered cocoa, none of the flavours were strong, just subdued in a lot of alcohol, that became vinous in the back. Alcohol is present in the swallow and in the mouth, but it was well masked. A little watery even at room temperature, and a little dull in the warming swallow. Overall, though, this wasn’t too bad a drop. (33cL bottle, 11% ABV, age unknown [14JB])

Out of a 12oz. bottle thanks degarth for the summer clean-out. Aroma raisin and bananabread. A dark brown almost cherry color, and holy foam head batman. Seems like it took forever to settle. Taste was about average for a belgian. Full thick palate and nice dry finish. Overall not too shabby.