St. Benoît Brune

Brewed by Du Bocq
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Purnode-Yvoir, Belgium

330ml bottle brought back from Belgium, in a Duvel glass. Deep brown that light finds hard to penetrate, held up to the light ruby comes through, fluffy, lasting off white head. Aroma is heavy chocolate with some spice. The beer is very malty, sweet with lots of chocolate and a spicy edge. Nice.

Dark beer with a beige head. Nice sweet aroma with a touch of caramels and fruit. The taste goes along with the aroma, a little sweet, but not too sweet.

Bottled. Purchased from Bier Tempel. Reddened caramel color with a smnall frothy tan head. Nose is very malty with a sweet caramel aroma, along with dark fruits, spices and mild yeast. Some minimal hoppiness (flowers) as well. Taste is much the same as the aroma - caramel, sweet malts, spices and dark fruits. The poster boy for abbey dubbels! Body has effervescence crafted with tingly spice sensations throughout it’s time in the mouth while intermingling with periods of creaminess. Finsihes bittersweet with stronger flowery notes and remnants of yeast and spice.

Very dark brown beer; yellow-brown head, creamy at first but dwindling. Sweet nuts, bread, buttery (but not diacetyl-like), leafy & yeasty aromas. Sweet-bitterish taste, but with a sourish balance (CO²?). Leafy and nutoil, dark malts, yeasty. Chestnut flour and bitter roasted malts retronasal. Very carbonated mouthfeel, nearly fizzy, tittilating, and much lighter bodied than than the flavour would suggest. Not half bad. A bit rough, but the balance is there. Better hops, less aggressive dark malts would do it no harm.

Dark ruby with big beige head. Beautiful sweet malt aroma. Sweet and yeasty flavour but could be stronger in taste. Slightly sour aftertaste.

Dark red brown color with nice tan head. Very nice aroma with caramels, malts, dark bread and fruits. Nice balanced sweetness with a long dry aftertaste. Yummi!

Tawny brown with a tinge of red in the body, large off white head with some decent lacing. Aroma of cinnamon and caramel malt. Metallic taste, some fruit coming through but disappointing really.

Bottle (33cl, BB 11.08.04)
Aroma is apples, prunes, yeast, light alcohol, very countryside-like. Dark ruby, brown color. Medium brown head with lots of lace and big bubbles. A lot of carbonation. Malty mouthfeel with an alcoholic touch. Body is quite light, so makes this quite easy to drink.