Westmalle Dubbel

Brewed by Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Malle, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

bottle from Gomer’s Lee’s Summit out of a Westmalle glass purchased there as well. what can i say that hasn’t already been said? this is the dubbel by which i measure all others, which pretty much means that all others fall short. small, light brown head- not as much lacing as other bottles i’ve had. aroma is sweet bread and malt with hints of caramel and fruit. palate is soft but not creamy. carbonation is present but takes a back seat to the flavor. starts sweet and buttery and develops into dark fruits (plum, cherry, fig) that turn tart towards the finish with just a hint of hops lingering amongst the other flavors. wonderfully complex but very easy to drink. i love monks.

Mooi donker bier met flinke lichtbruine schuimkraag. Smaak weinig bijzonders, kan er niet veel van maken. Een behoorlijke tegenvaller dit bier.

Bottle. This beer was above expectations. I really liked it alot. A nice deep brown/red body with beige head. First a funny smell of of possibly liquor and yeast. Then an aroma of coffee and a lot of dark chocolate. Complex taste which was exciting. Some vinous or champagne taste with some sweetness in after-taste. You do notice the high alcohol percentage in the taste. The bitterness became more prominent when I poured out the bottom layer.

UPDATED: AUG 29, 2011 Cloudy dark red-brown with a creamy stable head, a middle, but a little bit oily body, hoppy, nice carbonation, roasted malts, coffee and hints of bitter chocolate, bitter aftertaste

Deep red brown. A bit of musty smell, some dark fruit, mild biscuit/toast. Mild dark fruits, bread, biscuit, mild yeast. Relatively dry finish.

Bottle at home. Deep reddish brown, gushing tan head that slowly diminishes. Funny nose - I get some real sour fruit and slightly off esters. I have a feeling this may be skunked :( will re-rate. Palate is spiced with figs and some raisins, dry grassy finish. Meh.

bottle in a glass that is not appropriate - pours an opaque and dark brown with tan head. Lots of sediment. Aroma is akin to wildberries or small dark fruit (name escapes me). Definite "basement aromas." taste is sweet. Finish is almost numbing to the tongue in a slow fashion. A very organic and introspective beer. YUM!

33cl bottle from "Il regno di Gambrinus". Served into a snifter. Pours a dirty dark orange/light brown with a big fluffy yellowish head. Lots and lots of carbonation bubblese streaming from the bottom of the glass. Wow this is a complex beer, there are just too many aromas to describe. I can feel dark fruits, orange, grapes, caramel, grassy hops, caramel and a quite strong alchool presence as well. In the mouth it goes down really smoth thanks a very lively carbonation, After adding the yeast, I can find a totally different beer. There is definitely more sweetness, the malt backbone is more subtle, and there is a lot less alchool presence. Overall, this is a great drinking experience that I will certainly enjoy more times.