Val-Dieu Brune

Brewed by Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Aubel, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

No 244
Rated: 07.11.2007
Bottle brown, 500 ml
Appearance: Body is dark rubby, thick, opaque, cherry and of the plum, colour of the good quality red wine, carbonation is lively and vivid, there is a sediments from the fruits and yeasts that slowly goes down the bottom of a trapist glass, the bubbles are gliding to the wall of the glass, what creates an interesting impression. Body looks full. Head is medium but decreases not much so is mostly lasting after you pour it into a glass.Colour of the head is cappuccino like and is frothy and regular.Gives very nice, thick lacing.
Aroma: Brown sugar, burned sugar, nuts (wall nuts), roastiness is felt slightly at the background, cream, cherry, plum, cake, yeast, raisin, chockolate, aroma is similar to dunkel bock, but alcohol is very well hidden as for 8% vol. a bit refreshing, but hop content is rather low, grainy, a hint of alcohol is slightly felt at the background, cognac, malty character.
Flavour: Alcohol is mildly warming your palate, coffee - reminding of Irish Coffee, brown sugar, toffee, butterscotch, burned malted barley, earthy hops, cherry, plum, cognac, whiskey, good quality red wine, creamy, reminds me some Baltic Porters, very bitter, really burned, roasty malted with fruits like cherries and plums and alcohol warmth, beer is not hoppy, not strong wheat&yeast content.
Palate: Body is full, texture is creamy, carbonation is lively, accidic, nice roasty bitterness is felt, finish duration is long and some hoppyness is present. Finish is additionally mellow, a bit alcoholic, fruity.

Draught. Long lasting fluffy off-white head. Clear dark red brown body. Sweet caramel aroma. Sweet and mild caramel flavor without much hops bitterness. Long and dry aftertaste. Low carbonation.

Bottle: Dark red/brown color with off white head that retains with nice lacing. Slight coffee/chocolate aroma. This beer is nice, I expected it to be sweeter due to the aroma, but it is well balanced with a slight bitter/coffee flavor. Savory aftertaste. Nice body with a slight alcohol taste. No flavor is is over the top, just quality. I would not get sick of drinking this beer.

Pours a cloudy amber-brown with a lasting head and nice lacing. Aroma is slightly sour & funky (rotten fruit) with a hint of black forest cake. Tastes unimpressive at first, plain dubbel malting, but opens up into a wonderful warm fruitcake finish. Chocolate malt, light sourness, alcohol in the finish. Good carbonation and a nice creaminess from the lasting head. A bit watery, but overall very pleasant dubbel.

(cleaning out my beer bottle collection as pictured in my profile and utilizing ratebeer.com) As I recall, this was a tasty brune with dark pitted fruits and malts. Pours with a nice thick head.

Bottle from BevMo. Dark brownish/ruby in color. Somewhat sweet dark fruit aroma. Some spices and root beer smell. Fairly dry and bitter dark fruit flavors. Some raisin. Bitter malty finish.

brown amber body with a very big active soapy head that never completely went away. Takes patience for the foam to go down enough to drink. Aroma is big and delicious. It is fruity sweet malt with raisin and whiskey. Flavor is complex fruit, caramel, and sweet malt. Alcohol can be tasted and felt but it is not overpowering. A very nice Dubbel.

Bottle at Steelgaarden in Bethlehem, PA. Pours a hazy brown with a nice beige head. Aroma of vodka soaked raisens and plums. Medium bodied with typical Belgian earthy texture. Flavor of dark fruits, maple, dark candi sugar, and vanilla. Yeasty finish with a small but pleasant amount of alcohol. Balanced and not overly complex, but very enjoyable.