New Belgium Abbey

Brewed by New Belgium Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Serve in Trappist glass

WBF-Raleigh. Hazy dark amber body with a small tan head. Sweet caramel and spice aroma. Sweet caramel and fruity flavor with some light spice.

A clear pouring dark brown with light copper highlights. The head was off-white and an inch and a half high. Hung around a while before rertreating into the glass leaving a galaxy swirl atop the brew. The aroma was a pleasant combination of malt, bread with a bit of spice (clove, cinnamon, nutmeg). The flavor was a bit too acidic. Not enough malt to balance out the yeast and citrus flavors that came through. Relatively thin body with a faint metallic aftertaste. Nothing to write home about.

Poured dark brown with a reddish hue to it. This was actually a pretty good belgian dubbel. Aroma was yeast, dark fruits, and malty with some yeast coming through. Flavor was pretty rich and malty. A little alcohol came through and maybe the slightest metallic taste. Very solid beer though.

(Bottle) Pours a reddish dark brown color with an impressive tan head. Aroma of sugar and nutmeg. The taste brings out a more fruity side of the beer. Well balanced flavor, but the aroma was pretty one dimensional. A good beer, and something I will try again when I get the chance.

Bottle. Sampled most recently at Monk’s cafe New Belgium dinner 4/10/07. Poured dark amber with a thick, creamy tan head. Sweet caramel aroma, with notes of yeast, banana bread, liquorice, anise, and orange. Malty body, with dark chocolate, liquorice and yeast flavor. very tasty.

Sampled on tap at the brewery tasting room. Cloudy dark brown with scant tan head. Aroma is a bunch of bannana and bubllegum. Medium bodied with light carbonation. Flavor is not near as sweet as the nose suggests, slightly earthy.

UPDATED: APR 5, 2007 12 Oz Bottle. Warm and fuming aroma of grain esters, replete with candied orange peel, chocolate coating, faint pear and banana and an air of higher alcohols coaxing a toothy glow. Crystal clear florid ruby, with a fringe of fire and a microbubble, coarse silking head in ivory. Flavor is a full, somewhat ascerbic bite, dancing with grainy esters in peach skin, old lemon juice, banana skin and mango. The yeast carries some thin bitterness, a bit peculiar and disconcerting. The flavors are bold and straightfoward, however a little off and displeasing. I’m surprised. Smack brings the familiar golding-leaf lemon herb bite, but the balance is almost unwarranted in the face of already herbal and slightly bitter main flavor components. Down the road, apple cider and pear brandy arrive with lots of money in their suitcases and it feels clean. Bubblegum comes to mind. I guess I expected somethin with less higher yeast products and more bready warmth and a nip of darker malt and caramel for depth. Palate is full, somewhat sweet and quite chewy. Foams and fills the mouth. The flavors are growing on me a good bit, but still edge a little soapy. I’m not sure what to say about this beer. I can tell the ingredients are high quality and the brewing was exacting, but I wasn’t expecting this result. Confusing.

Very impressed with this beer. For a Belgian style ale, this brewery has it down. New Belgium Brewing Company does a fantastic job with their brews. My buddy Ti m agrees. This beer has a great nose as well as a great palate. Ruby color is absolutly beautiful. Very happy with this brewery.