Ovila Abbey Dubbel - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

thekoz

California

4.33/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip from a corked bottle. High carbonation pop when I removed the corked, though the carbonation level seemed light and tight.

Great mahogany color. Sweet aroma with hints of raisin and other dried fruits (dates?).

Lightly bittered, lots of fruity flavor. Mostly raisin.

Head a tan head when initially poured, which dissipated fairly quickly.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 02:50:03 | More by thekoz

brotherloco

California

3.48/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml C&C Bottle. Can't find a date, but this a brand new brew.

Poured into a tulip. Deep red tinged dark brown appearance with a beige head that settles fairly thin across the top of the brew.

Smells of expected sweet caramel malt, dark fruits, spices. Not very strong. I think I detect a bit of Sierra Nevada-ness in there too, maybe their hops?

Taste is a little surprising. Much more grassy, earthy, and metallic than I was expecting. The middle gets a little acidic but brings on the sweet malt from the nose, it doesn't make a huge impact though. Peppery notes throughout the finish. Carbonation is good and the brew is medium bodied.

I'm a bit disappointed in this beer overall, was expecting more from SN. I'm glad they started this project though, and I'll certainly give the forthcoming Saison and Quad a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 00:41:52 | More by brotherloco

tlazaroff

Virginia

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Beautiful brown with a light mocha colored head, but brilliant red when held to light. Visible carbonation keeps the head alive which sticks to the glass in nice lacing patterns.
S: Wonderful rich caramel smell backed by raisins & dates.
T: The bitterness is more poignant on the palate than on the nose, however, malt dominates. It has a nice earthy quality, robust flavors of dark fruit and caramel with some chocolate notes.
M: Higher carbonation than expected, medium-full bodied.
D: This is a sipping beer, just a bottle for me please.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 00:40:06 | More by tlazaroff

homebrewhawk

Kansas

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle corked and caged. Served in a chalice. Opened with a big pop. Lots of carbonation. Poured a mahogany with a couple of fingers of fine bubbled, off white head. Spice from the yeast and some dark malt sweetness in the aroma. Medium bodied. Nice spicy flavor with clove. Not overly sweet as some dubbels can be. Some carmelized sugar and dark fruit. Very easy drinking. I liked this a lot.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 22:33:14 | More by homebrewhawk

grittybrews

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a rich, clear gold into a tulip with a finger of sticky eggshell head. Relatively delicate aroma of the usual banana, clove, and spice with just a hint of dark fruit sweetness.

Moderate carbonation and an extremely smooth, creamy mouthfeel. Once again, the flavor didn't wow me with anything too unusual for the style, with some banana/toffee sweetness and gentle spice on the finish.

Nothing really jumped out at me with this one, but it was really balanced and easy drinking. Glad I tried it on tap, but I wouldn't seek it out in the bottle at the current price point.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2011 15:25:16 | More by grittybrews

trappistlover

Arizona

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(750ml bottle). Pours hazy cola color with nice beige head. Appropriate carbonation. Aroma has candied sugar, black pepper, ripe pit fruit. Taste has some malt sweetness, but not over the top. A hit of bitterness in there. Medium bodied with an oily texture. Smooth finish where the pepper is distinctive to me. This beer is pretty nicely balanced, if a little subdued

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 04:24:26 | More by trappistlover

July2Nov

Hawaii

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Murphy's Bar and Grill, Honolulu, HI.

Appearance: Poured a copper-red-brown with a thin lacing.

Smell: Sweet bread with a slight amount of alcohol coming through.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Getting some cloves and dark fruit. Got some tang and spice to it. Aftertaste is grainy with a slight flash of alcohol. Also, tend to get an ever so slight bit of banana/bubble gum flavor, along with a ting of sour fruit notes. Carbonation tingles a little bit.

Overall: Very impressed by this brew by Sierra Nevada. Very great example of the style by the people who know what they're doing. For a 7.5% abv, it's very hearty. This is a beer that should be sipped and enjoyed.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2011 05:17:43 | More by July2Nov

JohnQVegas

Tennessee

4.35/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Bottle into The Bruery tulip. Same presentation as I've come to expect from all of Sierra Nevada's special releases, which is pure class, from the cage to the label to the cork itself.

Pours deep mahogany, with a lush three fingers of fluffy, dense khaki head. Fantastic retention, and excellent stickage as it settles slowly down to a one-finger cap, clinging tenaciously to the sides of the glass as it does. A bit better lacing is all this one would need to hit perfection.

Nose is very nice - light alcohol, pronounced spicy clove and a bit of white pepper, fresh strawberries and a bit of red grapes, with a light, deeply bready brown sugar sweetness underneath.

Taste is very good as well. Soft and lush, this one drinks way, way too easily. The spicy phenolics mentioned earlier, replete with bucket loads of clove and just a bit of soft pepper, are wrapped up in a blanket of deep, soft, fresh-baked spice bread. Dark fruit shows through with some soft dried figs - the berries and grapes promised in the nose are only hinted at here. Still, not sweet - deeply malty, but dry for all that, with the soft alcohol adding quite a bit of depth within the grand scheme. Not to repeat, but every bit of this one felt light, soft, and lush, from the mouthfeel to the individual flavors. Not one to bash you over the head by any stretch.

Mouthfeel is perfect - creamy, soft and lush, almost fluffy because of the ridiculous head retention, with a body that feels lighter than expected, and a carbonation that is as far away from sharp as can be imagined.

Very nice beer overall. A drier take on the style, but well executed - the guys from Chico delivered an absolutely world-class Abbey Ale for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 01:32:59 | More by JohnQVegas

Trilogy31

California

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a chestnut brown with a frothy head that leaves quickly with light lacing. On the nose there is some sour stone fruit, maybe a touch of fruity yeast and chocolate covered cherries. Very pleasant mouthfeel and taste, milk chocolate pudding, some hops and citrus, nice somewhat dry finish. Very nice abbey style ale from SN, a bit pricy but i look forward to their future releases

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 03:36:33 | More by Trilogy31

sommersb

Tennessee

4.22/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at 12th South Taproom; served in a tulip glass.

Color is a clear, dark copper. Nice lacing from the off-white head of about 1 finger. Aromas are complex, with sweet malts and caramel, dark fruits and spices.

Taste is very good - caramel malt sweetness with spices in the background. Smooth mouthfeel and a medium-full body. A nice bit of alcohol warmth. Aftertaste is sweet, but not as sweet as other dubbels I've had.

Great start to the new Ovila series. I'm looking forward to the others from Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2011 03:05:41 | More by sommersb

DovaliHops

California

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Loudest pop I've ever had from a corked bottle. Pours a nice brown color that looks amber red when held up to the light with a large cream colored head. Scent is Belgian yeast with some nice peppery notes. I get some dark fruits and clove as well. Taste is very well balanced with some great dark fruit and Belgian yeast flavors. A bit of clove and caramel with ground pepper. Finishes a bit spicy with caramel and a hint of chocolate. Mouthfeel is very light and creamy, but not too light. Has a "fluffy" feel to it. Drinkability is high. Overall, it's a great beer from a brewery who doesn't specialize in this particular style. I love this brewery!

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 06:22:14 | More by DovaliHops

vince4953529

California

4.38/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Haven't had a Belgian ale for awhile...got one bottle for $10, 7.5% abv listed on the classy label; a relaxing drink on a Tuesday morning.

Served slightly chilled in my RR glass. Dark ruby red color against the backdrop of an overcast day. The pour formed a creamy head also.

Tasted of brown sugar, peppery, and some unusual faint hint of celery and taste of fish; sounds weird but tasted great.

A very very smooth brew, creamy in the mouth goes down easily. Definitely enjoyable, but for the price it's unlikely I'll have this again... at least not in bottles.

I also toasted Ovila to one of my dear friends who committed suicide the past week, so tragic and shocking. May you have a good afterlife...

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2011 19:52:52 | More by vince4953529

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up at the COOP for about $9.... poured into MNFG... nice long lasting tannish head.... okay lacing but a nice firm cap for the entire glass.... the brew is slightly hazed deep amber.

Nose shows all the right elements ... bit of caramel and mild toast.. little bit of plummy and lesser raisin esters... smells very nice.

Flavor is a rich mix of estery fruitiness and a hint of clovey phenol... rye bread crusts with warmth... a little bit of heat helps pull out the malt profile a bit more.

Medium bodied with a touch more than medium carbonation.. no alcohol to speak of.

I am really digging this one... I typically don't age dubbels, but this one I could see developing a deeper and more rich flavor profile. Good stuff.

All 4's

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2011 02:38:27 | More by JohnGalt1

BerkeleyBeerMan

California

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a 10 oz. goblet

Appearance: Ovila is a full reddish brown with a leather quality to the texture. Upon pouring the ale a light head forms but dissipates within a minute and a half. The remainder of the head clings to the glass.

Smell: My first impression of this ale is of autumn. There is something leafy about this beer. The ale is distinctive for its bouquet of various malts. The immediate impression of the ale is spearmint. While smelling it I get a strong aroma of raisin which is tainted by a rank malt liquor smell. This malt liquor smell stays with the beer the whole way through and definitely diminishes some of its better qualities. Other characteristics of the smell are cinnamon and nutmeg.

Taste: The first sip is dry and earthy in body. Upon a second sip I get a mild pepper and tobacco flavor. There is definitely a basic grain flavor which isn't very interesting. Ovila has a minor sour quality in addition to a fruity mix of plum, tart cherry and dried apricots. The malts are overly sweetened by cane sugar. There is a heavy amount of hops. I am not surprised since this is a Sierra Nevada ale. The hops are astringent. I find this ale to be too carbonated.

Drinkability: An ale that has a ton of good characteristics that are made less palatable because of serious off notes that make it tough to swallow. It isn't an undrinkable ale, but Ovila does have room for improvement.

Mouthfeel: The body is medium. The bread malts make the beer slightly chewy. I find Ovila a bit too fizzy. The off malt liquor flavor makes me want to drink it very quickly.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 09:14:02 | More by BerkeleyBeerMan

leedorham

Washington

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a darker brown but still very brown. Thick pillowy off-white head with good lacing.

S - Smell is a bit acidic with some spicy notes. I detect some burnt sugar character.

T - Caramel character is very dominant for this one and the spice is quite subdued compared to other belgian styles. Still a bit of clove. Finishes slightly sweet.

M - medium viscosity with a higher level of carbonation.

O - I was very excited to try this and very pleased with the results. Looking forward to trying this with some age and trying the saison from the next release.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 03:59:20 | More by leedorham

flexabull

California

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ovila, what a great concept.

Pours a deep brown color with a nice tan head, good lacing down the glass too.

Aromas are nice, caramel, tea, light bubble gum, spicies, brown sugars and dark bread.

Taste is mellow, but with enough flavor to make this very pleasant to sip. Baked bread, apples, light spices, some tea, and hints of cream. Finish is crisp, lightly dry, with some spicy and bubble gum yeast flavors.

Mouthfeel is good, smooth, crisp and dry.

Overall, a very nice dubbel, smooth, subtle, drinkable, but with plenty of flavor. Very happy to have part of my money to go to the restoration of the Abbey.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 23:47:47 | More by flexabull

impending

California

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

750ml into a tulip. Opens with a PoP, pours a deep bronze cola, light coffee colored head recedes slow, ok lacing.

Nice classic dubbel aroma, rich with spices, clove and ginger atop mild dark fruits, nearby sits dark bread dough.

Taste surprises somewhat, significant vinous qualities. Light on the dark fruits. Ends just slightly bitter and burnt. Aftertaste is sweet, much more so than at the start, lingers pleasantly. Full flavored and full bodied mouthfeel. Warms well.
nice label
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 04:19:34 | More by impending

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle at the special session at Extreme Beer Fest. Apparently the world premiere.

Pours a medium chestnut brown with a light tan head. Nose brings some mild nuttiness and some dark fruits--raisins and a bit of date character. Mild caramel and bread in the background. Flavor is stronger with good fruit and sweetness plus some malt. Well rounded. Body is medium with light to moderate carbonation. Drinkability is nice. Good story and a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 19:39:24 | More by Thorpe429