SKA True Blonde Dubbel

Brewed by SKA Brewing
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Durango, Colorado USA

Subpar Belgian knockoff with typish microbrew-taint (that strange metallic or chemical taste that comes from bargain-basement brewing conditions). Slight coriander underlay--reminiscent of Westmalle Trippel--with substandard effervescence. The water even seems thin, like a Budweiser. Generally unbalanced and sickly. I couldn’t drink beyond the taste-test and had to pour it out. Nast. (Brown bottle; 1 pt., 6 fl. oz.)

(06.06.06) One pint, 6 oz brown bottle from DiCarlo’s, Mundelein, IL. 8% ABV. Poured hazy golden yellow with tiny white head. Soft carbonation. Fruity spicy aroma. Medium bodied ale that starts with light malt sweetness and biscuity toasted malt flavor. Some fruitiness and honey notes in the middle. Finished dry with light malt fade. A rich, smooth and delicious ale.

Bomber poured a hazy golden yellow with a long lasting white head. Aroma was yeasty and fruity with hints of honey and spices. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavor was fruity and malty with a hint of honey and mild spice sweet but mildly bitter finish.

Poured in my Duvel glass. Hazy yellow-orange with a foamy white head. Lots of honey aroma. Spice and lemon are also there. To me this thing tastes like bad mead. Uncarbonated mead. Cloying. Yeasty. Lifeless palate. Bummer. Thanks to BeerandBlues2 for the opportunity.

Golden-colored, with a lot of half-flocculated yeast floating around; small head. Nose starts out with some c-hops (?!), but gives way to honey and a touch of malt. Funny, dusty flavor, quite bitter, a bit of honey. Thin, fizzy mouthfeel.

Pours a cloudy straw yellow with a medium foamy white head and some decent lacing. Aroma is malt (straw, hay) and grassy yeast, spices, honey, flowers and earth notes. Mildly sweet dough and grassy yeast, straw and cereal malt flavor, sourness near the end, flowers and fruit. Medium bodied and slightly warm, fizzy and burpy palate.

I must admit to being somewhat skeptical of a ?Blonde Dubbel? from Durango, Colorado. Now mind you, Colorado has some excellent breweries, but I always thought Dubbles were dark and malt driven. Anywho, beer pours decent enough with an apricot color and an egg white head that starts off well, but completely dissipates. Aroma is not too bad with some light fruit, ala apricot and pears, notes along with a yeast note as well. The flavor is an amalgamation that works on certain levels, but doesn’t on others. There are some really nice yeasty, but in the initial flavor there is a really bad rotten cabbage off note that spoils the beer. The finish is really interesting and enjoyable. It seems this is a beer with potential, albeit a flawed beer in its present form.

Nose is undefined,socks,corn syrup maybe some fruit or some darn thing. Tastes like water that a bunch of minnows have benn pissing in.