De Graal Dubbel

Brewed by De Graal
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Brakel, Belgium

33cl, from De Hopduvel Gent, easy to drink beer, cloudy, good head, simpel brew

Brown colour. White head, mostly diminishing. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel. Flavor starts heavy sweet. Not much bitterness, perhaps a note in the finish. Lively carbonation.

750 ml bottle poured a clear copper brown with a small diminishing tan head. Aromas of fruittiness, carmel, spice and a hint of mollasses. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of carmel, spice and molasses with a smooth dry malty finish.

Bottle. Light light unclear medium amber color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, caramel, nutty, light to moderate hoppy, herbs, grass, spicy, moderate yeasty, light can sugar. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. (110408)

Pours very dark copper with a fast falling beige head. I thought this was flat and a bit watery overall, lack crispness and esters. Mild flavors of cherry and caramel, sort of soft chocolate note, but I didn’t get much out of this, flat, bland and kinda boring for a dubbel.

Appearance: mahogany color (beautiful). Medium head, lasting and with beige color. Aroma: to caramel malts and citric-herbal touches from hops. Yeast smells with fresh note, this inject vanilla’s reminiscences. Also, chocolate aroma reminiscences. Flavor: sweet start, not sickly, from toast and caramel malts. Intensive and nice chocolate’s reminiscences. Others flavor like milk, mocha and cream. The liquorness and cacao taste remember me a truffle; while that the yeast inject sponge-cake’s reminiscences. Light berries note. Chocolate aftertaste. Palate: medium to full body with silky and oily texture. Light to medium carbonation. An incredible, intensive and nice chocolate taste. Balanced and with own-character. Great beer.

Bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy/fizzy, light brown, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy medium brown, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (caramel, nuts, toasted grain), lightly hoppy (flowers), with light notes of gum and clove. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, watery/syrupy texture, soft carbonation, lightly alcoholic. Acceptable but unremarkable.

Pours hazy deep coppery with reddish hues and off-white head. Nose is caramel malt, brown sugar, spicy yeast, some funky notes, and some dark fruit. Tastes caramel malty, with dark fruity and candi sugary notes, some vinous notes, and some spicy yeast. Fairly complex and smooth on the palate, this one was very good.