Ovila Abbey Dubbel - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

smakawhat

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on tap into a tulip glass in Granville Moore's of DC.

No head given, with a faint tan laced collar. Reddish brown body with a dark caramel. Served a little too cold.

Smell is non existent, seriously I am finding nothing here, really trying but nope.

For taste though we come through a bit. Spicey sensation with tight bubbles of carbonation. Small sweet cherry in the mid palate with mild malts but no hints of powder that I am use to for this style. Still taste and feels solid.

Overall not too bad here but not really gravitating toward it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2011 18:55:45 | More by smakawhat

bigbelcher

Arizona

4.18/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a tough one to judge, overall I loved the beer, however style wise I thought it was way to hoppy for a belgian dubbel. Color was a nice light brown. Tan head. Carbonation was good. Alcohol stregnth was nice with a little warmeth. I liked the hop bitterness however, based on the style they weren't appropriate.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2011 15:35:52 | More by bigbelcher

Snow81

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark amber with

Head: Little white head that dissipates quite quickly

Smell: Sweet malts with a hint of caramel toffee

Taste: Little caramel, toasted maltyness going on with what I think is some Trappist yeast and a nice hop on the back end

Weight: Medium body with low carbonation

Finish: Sweet malts with subtle hops and little caramel

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2011 15:52:22 | More by Snow81

SkunkWorks

New York

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the Tap and Barrel in Smithtown, NY. Served in a tulip glass.

Look: reddish, brown body that looks a bit purple in the bar light. Three finger tan head that retains quite nicely but doesn't leave much in the way of lacing.

Smell: figs, cherries, a small amount of alcohol, and some bread and Belgian yeast aromas.

Taste: sweet with some fruity flavors, like fig and cherry, Belgian yeast flavors, balanced by a muted hop spiciness and some alcohol dryness.

Feel: felt a little thin for a dubbel, smooth carbonation, and quite easy drinking.

Overall: this is a good dubbel even if it is not particularly exceptional. I would give it a try because it is Sierra Nevada, after all. However, I think authentic Belgian dubbels are a bit better than this one. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2011 14:42:10 | More by SkunkWorks

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Ovila pours a fairly clear, deep brown color. The off-white head towers over the beer and has quite a creamy appearance to it. The lacing and retention are both pretty good.

The aroma leans heavily on rich, slightly sweet malt. Beyond that the yeast lends some fruit and a good bit of spicy characteristics.

Ovila's flavor profile is pretty straight forward. The malt takes center stage, with a moderate sweetness that comes in the form of caramel, toffee and hints of candied sugar. Both light and dark fruit pop up in the middle, but neither are very powerful. Beyond the malt, the strongest flavor in the beer is the peppery, slightly medicinal flavor from the yeast.

Big, creamy mouthfeel. This beer has the look and feel down for sure.

I was excited to try this one, as the story behind it is pretty interesting. When I saw it on-tap in a bar for the same price per ounce I would pay for a bottle at a store, I couldn't pass it up. What I got was a fine Dubbel that doesn't have enough depth or complexity to stand up to the best in the style. That doesn't mean it's a bad beer though, give it a try for yourself.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2011 15:20:02 | More by Hojaminbag

psujmatt

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Black Star Co-op, 9-oz serving in snifter.

A -- Essentially no head, small bubbles form at side of glass leaving very thin, short lived foam. A bit lighter in color than a normal Dubbel, but maybe it was a trick of the smaller glass. Definite reddish tint to it.

S -- For some reason, about all I'm getting is sweetness and raisins, with the sweetness almost reminding me of a brandy barrel aged beer.

T -- Pretty sweet on the tongue with little tang at the finish, and a definite sense of raisins/fig, especially in the finish. Some of the normal Belgian spiciness, even though that was absent in the nose. I hint of oak, almost as if it were barrel aged. For my tastes, this was nearly perfect balance of sweet and tangy, without being fruity (other than raisin/fig). Not as complex as some Dubbels, but I think it added to the drinkability.

MF: It has a thicker mouthfeel than I expected, and it was wonderful. Very smooth and light with carbonation while also seeming viscous. I really enjoyed it, but can't quite describe it!

I could have kept drinking this all night. Assuming it had the normal Dubbel alcohol content, it was well hidden.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2011 22:35:46 | More by psujmatt

Phelps

Arizona

3.13/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Enjoyed from the tap at Tops, inside a tall, thin 10-ounce glass.

The result of collaboration between Sierra Nevada and the Abbey of New Clairvaux, Ovila Dubbel pours a deep apple cider color -- a mix of ruby and amber. Beautiful clarity. A creamy, half-finger head of light tan quickly becomes a thin ring. No lace.

Fruity nose, from what I pick up, which isn't much at all. Some dark fruits, a touch of sweet banana. Too light.

Interesting flavor. Bananas and pears are the leaders, while raisins, strawberries and a bit of brown sugar are also noticeable before a slightly drying finish. Slight lactic tang. It's a nice, crisp flavor, but again, it's a bit light.

Medium-high carbonation pokes the tongue and fizzes up the beer as it moves. Medium, velvety body with good weight to it. Lighter finish than body implies.

Overall, a nice attempt at a Trappist ale by Sierra Nevada and their newfound monk buddies, but it falls short, lacking the depth and complexity of true abbey dubbels.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2011 20:57:27 | More by Phelps

OnThenIn

Ohio

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

A: small white head that dies down quick on top of a clear, dark ruby body.

S: super fruity with some serious sweet aromas that remind me of caramel.

T: sweet with a fruity flavor that is very cherry like. The beer has a slightly bittsr finish that really works well to balance the beer.

M: medium body with low carbonation, which is surprisingly acceptable.

D: stupidly drinkable with a nice flavor. Good job SN.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2011 20:46:26 | More by OnThenIn

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap 4/3/2011 at Track 84 in Warwick, RI, served in a goblet glass.

A: The beer is a deep coppery brown color, short off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is faint but contains Belgian yeast, caramelized malts, some fruit and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of fruit, caramel and a touch of spice. Then some breadiness from a hearty but not too heavy malt character and a decent Belgian yeast backbone comes in. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a solid beer worth drinking for a while, but there are some better alternatives within the style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2011 18:39:37 | More by TheManiacalOne

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

While the story behind Ovila Dubbel is sensational, the beer carries a mystique of the highest of quality and flavor, even before its release.

The Dubbel pours with a mohogany amber color with a multiple shades of brown. Quite clear with only the modest of a haze. A creamy off-white head covers the beer with a heavy blanket of foam. Much more dense and weighted of a look than is normal for classic dubbel ales and without the lively carbonation that's normally associated with the style.

Muted aromas of barley malt, chesnuts, and with a mild spicy-fruity yeastiness that gives a simple and refined scent. Though the quality of aroma is high, the intensity is subtle.

Malty rich with deep caramel, almost toffee, along with a peanut brittle (without the peanuts) flavor. Estery influence of berries, cherries, and apples accompany the malt sweetness and give a much welcomed variety in taste. Decorated by peppery spice from yeast and by cleanly bitter hops, the balance pulls back from purely malt-focus but the beer retains it's malt forward taste. Again, a tasty beer but a somewhat simplistic flavor spread.

Creamy and full early, the beer retains a lot of its weight deep into the mid palate before a stubborn transition toward a malty dry finish. Carbonation keeps the beer creamy, but never the light and airy evaporation that's famed in such beers as Chimay Premiere or Ommegang Abbey Ale.

While the flavors that are present are clean, crisp, fresh, and high in quality, the beer lacks an overall level of complexity, depth, and layering that make authentic Belgian versions so endearing. The relatively low carbonation gives the impression of heightened sweetness and weight that steers the beer even further away from the whimsy that is a Belgian Dubbel.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2011 16:35:29 | More by BEERchitect

gfreed

Massachusetts

2.23/5  rDev -41.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

On tap at Cambridge Common.

Sierra Nevada is weird. They're wildly inconsistent. They make one of the worst porters I've ever had, yet they make one of the finest stouts in the world; they make some of the ickiest crap as well as some of the most refined beer there is to drink. This Ovila thing unfortunately fits into the below-the-five category. Most dubbels get better as they warm; this one got worse. Way, way worse, in fact. Right out of the tap it was rich and toasty and leathery; after about five minutes all the aroma and taste went flat. Not just flat, but FLAAAT. No more honeyed aroma, no more dense malt, no more nothing. Well, I detected some lemon furniture polish, but that's about all. Ultimately one of the blandest beers of the evening. Pass.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2011 00:03:25 | More by gfreed

Glibber

Idaho

3.48/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Small off white head that almost dissapeared entirely. Amber brown color, light tasting on the tongue with some decent carbination. Had some dark fruit flavors and malt, but I wish the flavors were a little more pronounced as the beer was not quite up to my expectations considering the great beers from Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2011 21:53:29 | More by Glibber

grittybrews

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
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

July2Nov

Hawaii

4.2/5  rDev +9.9%
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

sommersb

Tennessee

4.22/5  rDev +10.5%
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