Westmalle Dubbel

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

Serve in Trappist glass

UPDATED: JUN 3, 2011 I have had this in the states but thought it was just blah. But having it fresh, albeit out of the bottle, a couple hours from where it is brewed made all the difference. Poured a deep mahogany into a chalice. Great big off-white head that slowly dissipated leaving beautiful lacing on the sides of the glass. Malty aroma, little fruity and very pleasant. Maltiness stays from the aroma. Slight alcohol taste. Balanced well though. Taste of raisins, a bit sweet with a bit of bitterness which might be from the carbonation. Tastes thinner than it looks and finishes drier than one would think. All due to the carbonation, which is expectedly high. I prefer the Dubbel as opposed to the Tripel as it seems the sweetness of this one makes it more palatable to me. The lower alcohol also helps with the drinkability, but this isn’t something you would want to drink all day long. Especially on a hot day.

Just had a 1993 version. Man does this one hold up well. Might want to cellar some for a while.

Cloudy dark brown pour, thick head that lingers a while. Large bubbles in the head, but they’re mostly the same size, giving a non-random effect on the side of the glass. Malty sweetness on the nose. I can’t place what the sweetness remind me of other than Dr. Pepper, but it isn’t nearly that sweet. The bubbles in the beer itself are much smaller than I’d have guessed from the head (but maybe that’s where all the CO2 went). Good flavor, malt, maybe plum or a darker fruit but not what I would call fruity. The taste lasts a while, but doesn’t linger a long time. I really like it, though I’d love it more if the flavor exploded in your mouth rather than sliding in gracefully.

Bottle at Haymarket. Amber with beige head. Smells like chocolate covered raisins/ripe caramel apples with some brown sugar. Lots more apple/caramel in taste. Very smooth. Memorable.

Pours a brownish red color. Has a nice caramel smells with some roasted fig tree flavors. Taste is a bit bitter and dry. There are some nice caramel flavors with the roasted fig tree flavors popping up. I like.

Clear deep red brown with a big beige head. Aroma is sweet, malty, dried fruit and yeasty. Flavor is rather sweet and moderate bitter. Dry and bitter finish. Clearly not one of my favorites among the trappists. 210211

very enjoyable the more that my palate is starting to accept the more malty beers that would have been too sweet for me to enjoy. aroma is of sweet fruits and grain, taste is the same, brown color with a hint of amber. very easy to drink and enjoy.

Poured a dark brownish purple color. Aromas of chocolate, yeast, plums, and raisins. Taste has caramel, raisins and chocolate. It is overall pretty sweet with some butterscotch candy notes. Overall very smooth and tasty.

UPDATED: MAR 2, 2011 red brown colour, small head. smells of red fruit. looks very rich and dense. moderate carbination with balanced flavour. bit to dry dry with slight bitterness at the end. good finish but perhaps not long enough. 2nd and 3rd tasting. much better than initial tasting. notes of chocolate and coffee. very good.