Grottenbier Bruin

Brewed by St. Bernard Brouwerij
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Watou, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

Draught at Zeno’s in State College. Dark brown color, rich looking with a tan head and moderately thick lacing present. Thick tasting, for a first impression. Clinging on the tongue, with some husky, earthy musty campfire smoke and rich burnt plum flavor. Sweet dates and prunes show up across the middle, with some oak wood and toasted bread grain flavors in the finish, turning more smoky and char-like over the course of the drink. Nose is sweet, with toasted grains and smoky wood notes. Great stuff.

Pours deep brown with smal tan head. Aroma is sweet, toffeeish & fruity. In the flavor sweetness predominates, toffee like fruityness of banana comes through, with a touch of yeast. Nice, but simple.

Warm brownisch beer with good beige head. Aroma is slight sweet with touches of caramel, nuts and dry fruits. Taste is soft, mild and has earthy and fruity notes.

UPDATED: SEP 2, 2007 Bottle at The Rake Pub, London. A clear orange tinted brown colour with thin off white head. Smell reminiscent of root beer or cola, carbonation also reminded me of cola. Slightly sweet with a clean finish. Tastes of Yeast, Malt and dried fruits. Earthy and nutty but subtle, sort of abbey-like. Am developing a fondness for these brews, mmmmmmmmmmm...

Bottle, corked, Pierre Celis Selection, Grotten Brown, Cave Aged Ale, served in my NB worthy glassware: Poured a russet brown hue with a small frothy head and good lace. The nose displayed berry, current, starfruit, oak, cashew, earthy and musty yeast esters. The taste starts with a splash of twangy and tannic fruits on top of a solid base of roast malts. A heavy duty vein of acidic tartness runs throughout and cleans the palate. Oaky, nutty, and mineral softness adds to a neato balance. The feel is crisp and refreshing, I sort of dig this more than expected. An interesting brew that is neither Dubbel nor Sour Brown, yet added characteristics of both. I really found myself in trance with this beer the more I tasted it. The overall component is greater than the parts.

Heavy nutty musty aromas with raisins, wood and cola also. Nice creamy body with balanced bitter/sweet. A little bit of salt in the finish. Good beer.

Aroma of yeast, cobwebs, cloves, somewhat horsey, slight banana. Appears a deep copper color, crystal clear, with a mountainous foamy cream-colored head that dissipates slowly. Flavor is subtle, like figs that have been soured. Palate is moderate but dry with huge effervescence. Overall, a strange brew, to my palate.

Bottle: Pours with a hazy red-brown body and a medium sized off-white head. The aroma is of of molasses and malts. Tastes of a light apricot, raisins and notes of citrus fruit. Medium bodied. Bitter and dry finish.