Ovila Abbey Dubbel - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Greywulfken

New York

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

A: brown/amber brown beer with a firm tan head that settles into a film

S: dark fruit, cocoa, rich malt

T: following the nose, some dark fruit like plums and figs, with a nice spice, some hints of drier cocoa

M: nicely textured brew, soft and smooth with a little fizz; robust aftertaste

O: nice representation of the style from Sierra Nevada; very drinkable and fresh-tasting - gotta love the cork and cage on bottle in a 4-pack.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 01:12:25 | More by Greywulfken

brentk56

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: After the most powerful popping of a cork I have ever encountered in beerdom, the beer poured out with a modest cap as if nothing had happened; the color of the liquid was mahogany and there was a smattering of lace left behind

Smell: Brown sugar, caramel and vanilla, with undertones of oak, figs and cherry

Taste: The caramel and vanilla tones dominate the front end, with some dried dark fruit, brown sugar and earthy elements building up in the middle; the earthy flavors, including some oak, add a counterpoint to the sweetness after the swallow, leaving a nicely balanced impression

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, rather creamy, with low to moderate carbonation; lacks the delicate mouthfeel I seek in a Belgian style

Overall: I find myself slightly disappointed in this beer as I would have expected more complexity and a better mouthfeel from Sierra Nevada; a decent effort here and gets better as it warms, but nothing more

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 20:26:49 | More by brentk56

ChBass

Texas

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in a tulip at the Hay Merchant in Houston.

Color is dark brown with a little bit of red when held up to the light. It's crystal clear, with a think, creamy head that takes its trime to subside.

The nose is slightly boozy, followed by some dark fruit.

The flavor builds on the nose, adding some dark maltiness. It finishes clean, but has some booziness throughout. I know it's 7.5%, but the booziness is still surprising.

It feels lighter & less viscous than it should, given the fullness of flavor.

Overall, a nice beer, but I don't love it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2012 23:16:05 | More by ChBass

ronniebruner

Arizona

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Caramel and golden colored beer. Minimal head and lace. Aroma of yeast, sugar, and fruits, but also a bit spicy. Tastes sweet, of sugar and yeast, but a bit sharp on the tongue. I had very high hopes for this beer as Sierra Nevada has never let me down, however, this beer is a tad bit lacking for the price. Not a bad brew at all, but $4.99 for a 12.7 ounce bottle is a bit overpriced.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 20:48:28 | More by ronniebruner

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge props to my in-laws for grabbing me a bottle of this for my b-day...

A - Pours a hazy brown colour, thumb of head with some retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - Musty caramel, raisins, dark fruit, cloves and spice.

T - Loads of fruity flavors, cloves, the rich caramel and toffee comes through, toffee lingers with hints of leafy greens, and a peppery spice.

M - Medium bodied, though comes across quite light, smooth and a touch of dryness.

O - Overall an incredibly flavorful dubbel, loads of complex flavors, goes down super smooth and the abv is dangerously well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 23:13:45 | More by andrenaline

Con-a-sewer

4.7/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: dark ruby poured into sniffer no head little lacing

S: raisen fig slight booze bourbon

T: malt, raisen ripe fruit, awesome bourbon

M: smooth, clean crispness easy to drink

O: I like this a lot it's smooth and rich I like the aged taste it makes me feel sophisticated at least until I hit the floor lol

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2012 01:34:26 | More by Con-a-sewer

TheSixthRing

California

3.03/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours a dark ruby amber. Head is light tan and 2 fingers thick. Retention for days. Resulting lace is thick as hell and sticks to the sides with ease.

Smell - Some sugary character.... really hard to distinguish any kind of discernible aroma.

Taste - Starts slightly sour, there's a bit of light fig. Really, there's not much here to comment on. Finishes slightly sour.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full body. Decent carbonation leads to a bit of liveliness.

Overall - Meh. I usually chide dubbels for their thick, rich and sugary character, and because this beer lacks that, it would stand to reason that I might like this beer... but I don't. there's just nothing interesting going on with this beer. It's almost bland. I've gotten more flavor out of pale ales.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 01:55:55 | More by TheSixthRing

One2Remeber

Florida

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Lively carbonation. Body a mix of a murky mahogany and dark ruby red color.

S: Sharp tart, apple juice aroma. Heavy peppery spice.

T/M: Creamy, banana pudding taste. Black pepper spice taste. Hardly any bitterness, smooth as could be.

O: Love the style and this is spot on. Rich Belgian yeast, fruity tastes, lighter body. I would love this aged with funky wild yeast.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 22:20:39 | More by One2Remeber

tdm168

North Carolina

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

A - dark brownish amber with a thick layer of brownish head that's dense and foamy and has great retention

S - faint caramel and a faint spiciness

T - heavy caramel, sugar, apples, sweet, alcohol

M - medium to full bodied, crisp, a bit heavily carbonated.

I was hoping for a great deal from this beer. It's SN, it's Belgian, but ultimately doesn't meet all expectations. It's has great potential, but misses the mark. The sugar and caramel are a bit heavy and the drinkability is lower than would be expected. It's got decent flavor and body, but it's not as well put together as I would have expected. It's good, but I won't be picking up another one.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 01:57:45 | More by tdm168

burns1066

Iowa

4.48/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I really enjoyed this beer! Not as substantive as I expected, but with enough body to satisfy. Wonderful caramel smells, with just a hint of citrus and pepper. Very little lacing, head disappeared fairly quickly, which I thought was surprising. Tastwed like it smelled, a less full-bodied version of a more autumnal brew. Nice when you want something with a little bit more substance, but without being overly cloying.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 21:16:43 | More by burns1066

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

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

Bought a corked bottle some time ago. I'm brewing a Dubbel now so I'm trying to try as many of this style as I can. Poured into a chalice-like glass.

A: pours a cloudy, murky dark brown with amber & ruby highlights. Nice rocky white head that settles to a thin film. No real evidence of lacing on the glass.

S: after the cork popped off and I poured, I got a lot of lemony spritzy aromas, almost like lemon merangue pie. Also reminded me of a sparkling champagne. After reading the back label again, I do get slight hints of light fruit, black pepper, and clove.

T: lots of bready malts with hints of raisin, plum, and fig. Hints of light watery-like cocoa. Again, after re-reading the back label, I get some hints of carmelized brown sugar. As another reviewer mentions previously, I do get a dusty, barn aura distinction.

M: very watery-like and dry tasting. Would like some more malt presence, but I understand if this is more to the true intended style.

O: an okay beer. I'm not blown away by it, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. With all the marketing in various beer mags & nice packaging, I think I was expecting a bit more. Am still interested in trying the other beers in this series.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 01:23:21 | More by jwhancher

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into chalice glass

Appearance – Pours a hazy brown color with a hue of red. Upon pouring there is a big off white head that has a very decent retention. Eventually it fades to give a light level of lacing.

Smell – A strong brown bread aroma is the heaviest in the nose. This breadiness is mixed with darker fruit aromas of cherry and some prune, a strong yeast smell and a medium boozy smell.

Taste – The taste starts out with a dry bready flavor. Towards the middle some flavors of dark fruits and a good bit of yeast cake come to the tongue. These flavors sweeten the brew a bit, but overall it is still rather dry. At the end these flavors are met with an alcohol flavor that leaves a slight booze burn on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is on the creamier side with a medium level of carbonation. With it being more on the dry side a bit more carbonation may have been better, but overall it’s not too bad.

Overall – It is an OK dubbel, but nothing too spectacular. It has a more subtle flavor profile and for what you pay for this one you could find other more common dubbel’s that are better overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 23:36:46 | More by Darkmagus82

beergoot

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark, cloudy orange/brown color with a very nice thick, light tan head. Rich malted grains, dates, and a hint of alcohol in the smell. Also smell some cinnamon-like spice.

Nice caramel-flavored malt taste with some tasty fruity esters and light hop bitterness. Went well with some locally smoked salmon...

A very decent dubbel. Easy drinking and enjoyable. Hopefully this won't just be a one-time deal...

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 21:57:50 | More by beergoot

beerluvr

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very nicely presented corked and caged 12.7 oz bottle...no expense spared on the label either!

Pouring into a La Trappe goblet, exhibits an effervescent light tan head quickly settles over a very slightly murky brown liquid. Aroma of lightly roasted malt and brown sugar mixed with yeast spiciness.

The maltiness carries thru on the first sip, fruity yeast notes too...bitter but subtle hoppiness is well balanced here. Verrry well balanced between bitter and sweet with the sweetness winning over. Finishes a tad thin body wise but the nose and taste makes me forgive quickly. Well done effort here.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 21:52:01 | More by beerluvr

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Attractive bottle screaming that hey, I am an American craft beer in the tradition of old French/Belgium brewing tradition.

Similar to Abbeys Ovila has an attractive cloudy look with a nice aromas sweet spice and yeasty. The flavor resembles the same.

I enjoy the creaminess of the beer. Good drink-ability. I like the medium carbonation and body. Goes down oh so easy.

A nice Belgian style dubbel. Nice complexity but maybe lacking the malt flavors. However, its a ll a little thin. If you want a mild approach to the Belgian beer style this would be a good choice.

I prefer something a little richer. This reminds me of Belgian Brewery out of Fort Collins. Yes, it's Belgian style. Yes, it's good American craft beer in a Belgian style. But Belgian style demands a little more for more. Ovila is a bit underwhelming. Belgian brewing requires a little more aggressive chance taking to satisfy me.

So what should you listen to with Ovila? How about those great Scott Hamilton group jazz cds with Rosemary Clooney singing?

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 14:00:05 | More by frankiepop

Philousa

California

2.63/5  rDev -31%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Imbibed on tap at The Rose & Crown 5/25/2012.

Opaque chestnut, rust color with a ring of delicate bubble around the rim. Nothing covers the bald top. Good amount of Belgian dark malt. Nutty and a little bit of metallic penny aroma. Solid, but not complex. Very nutty and creamy flavor. Some candied sugar is evident but not annoying. No bitterness from hops, but malt bitterness lingers nicely/smoothly. A bit watery, this beer finishes dry.

Not very complex, but much more smooth than other Dubbels I've tried. Many times there will be an annoying flavor accompanied with an itching in the back of my throat when having a dark Belgian, but none of that with this beer (I think they toned down the candied sugar). Solid, but I'm not intrigued enough to try this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2012 04:34:59 | More by Philousa

superspak

Michigan

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

750 ml bottle into chalice, bottled 2/21/2011. Pours highly hazy reddish brown color with a nice 1-2 finger light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some minimal spotty lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big raisin, plum, fig, caramel, roasted nut, molasses, candi sugar, biscuit, earth, pepper, clove, and yeast spices. Pleasant and well balanced aromas with decent strength and complexity. Taste of plum, raisin, molasses, fig, caramel, toffee, biscuit, nuttiness, earth, pepper, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of dark fruit, caramel, toffee, molasses, bread, pepper, and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Great balance of flavors with good complexity; and no cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly slick and creamy mouthfeel as expected. Very easy and smooth to sip on; with only a slight alcohol warming present after the finish. Overall this is a really nice Belgian style dubbel. Nice complexity with big malt flavors; and good balance. Really enjoyable, and something I would not turn down in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 02:20:11 | More by superspak

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

25.4oz bottle, with a very wine-esque looking label. It took a bit of research to determine that 'New Clairvaux' is actually an abbey founded in California, and not the Low Countries.

This beer pours a somewhat cloudy, very dark burnt amber colour, with two fingers of thinly creamy pale beige head, which leaves but a few specks of lace as it readily recedes.

It smells mildly of dark fruity malts, some roasted biscuity pale grain, a mild nuttiness, and a middling earthy yeastiness. The taste is fruity dark malt, mild standalone earthy confectioners' sugar, some further date/fig sweetness, a waning dry yeast essence, and leafy, kind of musty hops.

The carbonation is rather average, the body a supportive medium weight, and a wee bit tacky, so smoothness is a particularly intermittent issue. It finishes fairly sweet, the muted caramel malt ceding little ground, but that dusty, barn aura not giving in either.

A respectable initial (I think) attempt at a rarefied old-world style and source from the new world instances of the same. Sweet malt, somewhat complex contrary players, but just not in the same complex vein as one hopes for from such a seemingly symbiotic contender centered in the Golden State. Ok to drink, but not in the portion provided.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 12:18:05 | More by biboergosum

TriggerFingers

New Jersey

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle.

I have been drinking more Belgians lately. So I was curious to see how Sierra Nevada was doing in this department.

Color: A striking darker reddish brown- very nice!
Nose: Some sweetness, reminiscent of many Belgian Ales.
Taste: Initial flavor has some esters, but not a whole lot.

As smooth as some Belgians, but this beer seems like a "Belgian imposter." Although its smooth, its a little too soft on the finish and falls a little flat for me. I would have never guessed this beer was made by Sierra Nevada (which is both good and bad). This is a surprisingly good Belgian attempt, but from SN this should be a knockout with the $ tied up in their testing facility and lab.

Definitely better examples of this style both domestic and abroad.

Overall: B/B+

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 00:45:11 | More by TriggerFingers

bnes09

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice shade of deep auburn. Soda-like head which actually has descent retention. and some lacing.

Dark fruit aromas with roasted nuts and caramel. Yeasty and aromatic.

Flavor is mellow with bready malt at the forefront. Hint of caramel sweetness, complimented by date and fig flavors. A bit peppery. Ends on the bland side without much flavor to behold.

Medium body and highly carbonated. Finish is clean.

Not bad. Could use a bit more flavor and depth.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 22:59:40 | More by bnes09

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep red pour, very nice clarity for something so dark, looks very professional, no murky homebrew here. Nice 1/2" head on it, slightly mild tan in color, average retention. Aroma was a bready brew, lacking any belgian pungency in many yeast strains from that region.

Very good taste, ample amounts of caramel running through it, I'm already surprised how much I enjoy the beer, really just bought it for the old lady who doesn't really like hoppy brews, since this came out in 4 packs, its a lot easier of a venture to jump into instead of a 750 of a dubbel, a style that lags far behind my favorites. Toffee compliments caramel, with a small nutty contingent to accompany the other flavors.

Amazed by the crispness and carbonation in the mouthfeel, most dubbels seem to be lifeless and dusty. I didn't really gather all the dark fruit descriptors that many use in these style of belgians. Nicely crisp and dry. One of my more favorite malt bombs that isn't a stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 14:27:31 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Giovacchini

California

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- reddish brown with a little head.

S- yeast, Bread, spice, raisins, cherries, malt, and ginger.

T- maltiness, yeast, dried fruits, pepper, bread, cherries, and toffee.

M- light carbonation with a creamy mouthfeel.

O- I like to see American breweries brewing Belgian beers. This is a solid brew but nothing about it makes me say "wow, this is awesome". I still want to try the other Ovila Abbey beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 00:52:17 | More by Giovacchini

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.18/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 4/2011 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a medium to dark red-orange amber. Nice carbonation, thick off white head with light lacing. Aroma of sweet malt, caramel and dark fruit, light Belgian spicing. Flavor follows with dark and light fruit, caramel malt and light spicing. Carbonation adds a bit of a kick to the light, somewhat dry hop finish. Reasonably complex and the body borders on creamy. A nice dubbel on the dry end of the spectrum.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 03:24:01 | More by LiquidAmber

SLeffler27

New York

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

Cloudy, dark copper in a tulip with a brief khaki head that produces no lace. Oddly, carbonation is prominent.


Has a similar aroma to fruit juice with some spices, plums, and a hint of red wine.

Well balanced with fruitiness being less prominent than suggested by the nose. This one is earthy with some mustiness and a light, acidic, subtle finish.

A burst of carbonation with each sip comes from this medium bodied beer with a woolly texture. Alcohol initially stings, then warms.

Enjoy with a relaxing meal.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 02:42:13 | More by SLeffler27

Ehrnstrom

Michigan

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

appearance: deep red, but still translucent. off-white colored head that doesn't leave too much lacing.

smell: sweet smelling, notes of licorice and chocolate, figs/plums also come through vaguely. faint hints of alcohol as well.

taste: honestly, this beer disappoints in taste a little. definitely good, but I was expecting more. carbonation is quite high, but the body isn't quite there.

mouthfeel: again, nothing spectacular, good quality, but just not quite all that one might expect. doesn't really linger, but doesn't really hit you that hard either.

overall: Can't say that I would get this again, but something to try I suppose, especially if you like the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 03:46:05 | More by Ehrnstrom