For today’s craft beer review, I’m going to be trying another Abbey Dubbel. This time from the Brouwerij De Smedt/Brouwerij Affligem located in Opwijk, Belgium.
I’ll tell ya, I’ve really been in a Belgian mood lately, so I’m very excited to try this one.
The website, affligembeer.be, has only a very small description of this brew.
A very dense brown ale brewed with dark malt. A sweet, generous beer with 6.8% alcohol.
Ok. Let’s get it in a glass.
(I apologize for the picture being so dark)
This brew came in a 25.4 oz. bottle and had an ABV of 7.0%.
The color of the beer was a deep burgundy to murky brown color. It had a very dense, smooth, creamy, tan head that held a very nice size for a few minutes. The lacing was adequate, however it looked just a wee bit thin.
The aroma brought forth hints of banana, cloves and yeast. Some doughy, bready malts came through along with some darker, fruitier tones of prunes and figs. The overall fragrance did not seem to be quite as rich or robust as some of the other Dubbels I’ve tried in the past, but it was still consistent and held true to form.
The taste revealed more pronounced flavors of the cloves, yeast and bready malts. As it warmed it developed some sugary undertones along with the figs and prunes. The banana was kept very low and had to really be searched for in order to find it. At the back end, I only got the slightest inkling of an alcohol taste. It’s very well balanced and good, but similar to the aroma, it’s not quite as forthcoming as some of the other Dubbels out there. It’s still worthwhile and enjoyable though.
The mouthfeel was medium, smooth, mostly dry and soft with only the slightest tinge of warmth. Good carbonation was to be had and a nice dose of flavor was left behind on the palate for me to enjoy.
This was a decent and solid Abbey Dubbel. It’s not the best on the market, although it was still very enjoyable and fun to drink. It seemed to hit the spot actually. The ease of drinkability was relatively high as I found myself not having any problem finishing the brew. It retained all the characteristics of a proper Dubbel with much to ponder and analyze. I would recommend that you try it if you see it. I don’t think I would ever turn this beer down if it was offered.
What do you guys feel is the best Abbey Dubbel produced these days? Feel free to leave a comment if you wish.
Thanks for all the compliments, comments and page views guys. It’s greatly appreciated.
Cheers.
Score: 3.9 out of 5
Grade: B+
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