De Graal Dubbel

Brewed by De Graal
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Brakel, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

Nice dubbel with a dark amber colour and a beige head. Malty and sweet aroma with hints of yeast. Flavor is also malty and sweet with hints of chocolate.

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.

Bottled. Light spices and burnt caramel aroma. Brown color, light brown head, fair lace. Strong flavors, dark malt chocolat, spices, licorice, pretty bitter, medium body. Technical ok, but I don’t like those spices in a dubbel very much.

Bottle. Paler than expected with a crimson tinge like oxygenated blood, and a thin pinkish head retreating to the edges of the glass. Sweet yeasty aroma with notes of grenadine, liquorice, apple bubblegum and strawberry ice lollies. Yeasty with apple peel and lurking TCP notes, slight red berries and leather. Zero malt or lactic presence, palate slight and flimsy. So faint I can hardly taste it. Nothing like a dubbel in my book. Disappointing.

From a 750 ml bottle. Light garnet colored body with a medium tan colored head. Toffee and some plums come out in the initial nose. There is a nice brown sugar hint in here hiding behind the other lightly fruity smells. Bits of toffee mix with some coffee for the first taste. As one drinks more, you start to get iced tea and a waxy feeling finish.

(Bottled) Darkish, reddish-brown color with a medium head (really wants to get out of the bottle, though). Sweetish-caramely aroma with loads of licorice and herbs. Malty, sweetish, herb-licourice flavor. Medium to full-bodied, slightly sugary, quite low-carbonated palate. A very nice and tasty dubbel, especially for the ABV - I like!

Smallish offwhite head. Hazy amber body with fast carbonation. Fruity, yeasty wild berry aroma with yoghurty notes, somewhat artificial. Dry yoghurty wooden wild berry taste, again somewhat artificial. Mouthfeel a little watery. Aftertaste is much the same. Disappointing, and not really very enjoyable. (0.33l bottle at Cardinal.)

Hazy brown with a fizzy tan head. Sweet grain and alcohol aroma. Bread honey and toffee taste with an earthy finish.