Grottenbier Bruin

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

Re-sampled November 25, 2003 [a bottle expired May 2000 - in a vertical tasting to one expirering July 2005]: What a great difference cellaring can do. When the bottle was opened it rose out of the bottle - even after so many years - there was no lack of carbonation. The color dark brown so you almost couldn't see thru it (a lot darker than the fresh one) and with a small brown disappearing head. The aroma a lot more powerful than in the fresh version and fantastic of cloves and spices. The flavor is great and it explodes in the mouth with spices, cloves, and wood. All in all a heavenly beer experience. A good advice - keep this in Your cellar. Sampled July 16, 2003: [7/2/8/4/16] The aroma is powerful, sweet, and fruity with notes of plums. The color is an unclear dark brown, it has an OK but disappearing head. The texture is very soft, and the flavor is rich on fruit, it prickles the tongue and contains hints of alcohol, plums, caramel, coriander, and a little earth. A very nice beer.

(Bottle 33 cl) This version brewed by "De Smedt" in Opwijk. Dark brown with a bubbly, huge head and a high carbonation. Lovely, spicy nose - almost Orval-like - with a pronounced, malty sweetness without ever cloying. Subdued bitterness. A very wellmade beer. 210501

Orange-brown. Lively. Artificial tasting citrus aroma.

75 cL bottle. Pours dark brown with a lacing tan head. Light yeast, caramel malt and slight woody aroma. Flavour is light acidic,woody, caramel malt with a very controlled sweetness and brett note. Complex fruity, malty and yeasty brew. Light note of dried fruit. Lingering caramel malt and yeasty finish.

Bottle. Dark brown coloured beer, with an average off-white head. Very heavy sweet spicy and malty aroma, some light hints of yeast and caramel. Full creamy body with a intensive bitter spicy and malty finish. Little roasted and a nice long aftertaste.

Bottle. Aroma of fresh, citrusy mold. Quite clear chestnut colour, semi-stable, creamy, light brown head. Flavour is not very malty for a dubbel, but dry in a nice way. Turns a bit more malty in the aftertaste. Creamy mouthfeel, mild carbonation.

Bottled. Dark brown colour, foamy big head. Sweet fruity aroma with hints of yeast and alcohol. Very spiced flavour, with hints of soap and some alcohol. Weird flavour, aroma more promising than flavour... It’s a quite hard one to "understand", and didn’t.

Bottled. Hazy reddish coloured with an off white head. Aroma is dominated by yeast and spices with fruity notes. Spicy flavour dominated by yeast with notes of plums and dried fruit. Bitter finish.