Westmalle Dubbel

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

Serve in Trappist glass

Dark brown beer with big creamy head.Smell roasted malts,tropic fruits,bitter chocolate.Taste roasted malts,chocolate,caramel,coffee,mentha.spices.Long lasting finish.Nice smoothy feeling all over the mouth.A very enjoyable beer.

Poured from bottle, dark orange/brown, some sediment, medium head, good lacing. Smooth, full, rich, yeast flavor. Nice body. Nice aroma. Goes well with my chiminea time on the back patio.

Pours a dense, milk-chocolate brown color with a thinner head than I expected for a Trappist. The dry, champagne sweet aroma doesn’t seem to have much of the dark fruit character I’d expect from the style and actually gives a hint of the moderate alcohol content. The taste is much truer to style, with flavors of raisins, sweet (rather than tart) cherries, and a caramel sweetness. The effervescence mutes some of the flavor while helping it slip over the tongue with a silky drinkability.

Aroma is astringent with puckery grapes and cherries: very sweet. Berries come in more than any dark fruits. The appearance is cloudy red-orange, with lots of sediment. Light red wine. Head stays a couple minutes. Belgian funk in the flavor, of course, with a sweet, puckery berry finish. Sweet grapes, sour cherry. Earthy, horsey base (mild). Pleasant, though a bit underwhelming. Much sweeter than expected. Feels bubbly, if a tad fizzy. Finishes very dry, like sherry. Sandpapery. A little slick at the end. I know this is considered world-class, but to me, it’s just good ... not great. Could use a darker foundation.

Bottle @SportPub Chelsea, Helsinki. Poured cloudy, red/brown color with a nice beige head. Aroma is spices, yeast and fruits and malt. Flavor is caramel malt, dark fruit, yeast and spices. Quite highly carbonated. Slightly sweet finish. Overall a very enjoyable dubbel.

Bottle. Dark brown with a large beige head. Malts and some yeast in the aroma. Tastes of brown sugar, apple juice (or äppelmust). Quite thin and simple compared to some other dubbels.

Bottle - Pours murky mahogany with a huge foamy light tan head. Fruity aroma with hints of apricot, raspberry jam, raisin, and a sweet breadiness. Big and bready taste, with a bit of caramel sweetness up front and a dry, nutty finish. One of the best of the style that I’ve had.

Bottle from Systembolaget. I keep returning to this. The tripple might have a little more taste, but I quite often prefer the lower alcohol level of the dubbel. A nice Come Home From Work beer for the Friday evening.