Westmalle Trappist Dubbel - Brouwerij Westmalle

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle "best before 2/3/2012" (roughly 6 months from now... not sure how far out from bottling date Westmalle sets there "best by" date), poured into Chimay chalice.

A: Deep murky brown hue with a huge frothy lightbrown head on top (over a fingers worth, in a wide chalice), with "pancake batter" bubbles in the middle.

S: Yeasty, bready, and hints of caramel sweetness in the nose.

T: Taste follows the nose, but the tones of yeast and bread are more subdued than in the nose. A mellow candied sweetness and distinct notes of caramel are present. Dark fruits are also detectable, but very much in the background and also on the very back end of the flavor profile of this beer.

A nice bitterness on the back end rounds this brew out nicely, and keeps everything in balance.

M: Light and lively, this brew is well-carbonated and creamy in the mouth. It finishes with a good bitter-sweetness.

D/O: Remarkably drinkable. It's balanced, light, bitter-sweet, and enjoyable. I would gladly follow this beer up with another.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 01:42:41 | More by psuKinger

adityashekhar

India

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

06-18-2013 03:19:08 | More by adityashekhar

JSTpt1022

New York

4/5  rDev -4.1%

06-17-2013 02:04:17 | More by JSTpt1022

TheBeeraholic

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

06-16-2013 15:32:32 | More by TheBeeraholic

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

3/5  rDev -28.1%

06-15-2013 23:15:22 | More by IchLiebeBier

amalahow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.1%

06-15-2013 21:30:09 | More by amalahow

WoogityBoogity

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark amber body with reddish hues. Slightly off-white head with medium retention. Lacing is present but minimal.

S - Deep, toasty aroma of malts. Complex undertones of chocolate and caramel. Fruity esters are mild, with hints of cherry and raisins. Alcohol presence is faint, but noticable.

T - Complex malts greet the palate but finish is surprisingly dry with minimal bitterness; balance surprisingly not completely skewed towards malt. Dried fruitiness and phenols complimentary to one another, with raisiny character being most predominant. Noble hop flavor is subdued.

M - Medium-full body with lots of carbonation. Slight warming of alcohol present.

O - A great example of a matly, complex, strong Belgian dubbel.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 05:19:07 | More by WoogityBoogity

dt_gbpackersfan

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

06-09-2013 22:49:36 | More by dt_gbpackersfan

shamrok

Germany

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

06-09-2013 00:40:33 | More by shamrok

Noelito76

New York

4/5  rDev -4.1%

06-08-2013 14:04:04 | More by Noelito76

cambabeer

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%

06-06-2013 15:54:31 | More by cambabeer

coolandy007

Nevada

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

06-06-2013 10:41:31 | More by coolandy007

biernack

Netherlands

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

06-03-2013 18:10:48 | More by biernack

bf7

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

06-03-2013 03:37:33 | More by bf7

tviz33

New York

4.35/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 330 mL bottle in to a Duvel tulip.

A- Pours an enormous light tan head over top of a brown body which seems quite dark for the style.

S- Dark fruits and just a little Belgian spice.

T- Same as the nose but more dark fruit and less Belgian yeast flavor. Even a little smokiness comes through. Not as sweet as some others I've had.

M- Medium to full bodied with a good carbonation tickle.

O- A very pleasant brew overall. I'm glad I picked one up, but the price is a bit steep.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 01:09:04 | More by tviz33

Luiz0930

California

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%

05-31-2013 06:25:18 | More by Luiz0930

Stugotzo

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-31-2013 02:23:54 | More by Stugotzo

spoony

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

From a 330 ml bottle into a chalice.

A-A normal pour produces a standard-looking dark brown brew with a hint of clarity towards the edge of the glass. The short tan-grey head drops pretty quickly into a collar. Average for the style.

S-The smell is comprised of brown sugar, dark sweet fruit, raisins, and a hint of black pepper. Again, average to above average, but nothing spectacular or noteworthy here.

T-The taste follows the smell pretty closely. I get fruity, solvent-like alcohol and the aforementioned, brown sugar, dark and dried fruits, and mild spices. The taste is not as complex as some dubbels, but the flavors are well-integrated with each other.

M-The feel is typical for a Belgian, lower levels of carbonation, with a softer feel and medium body.

O-Along with the other Westmalle offerings, this brew is pretty easily obtainable across Belgium, including at my hotel restaurant, which is were I had a bottle for dessert one night last week. This is undoubtedly a good beer, with decent looks and above-average smell and taste, but there is nothing here that stands out and makes me say, "Wow, I can't wait to drink that again."

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 02:27:41 | More by spoony

cannunzi

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-29-2013 19:26:58 | More by cannunzi

felipeprates

Brazil

4/5  rDev -4.1%

05-28-2013 13:10:01 | More by felipeprates

TokyoCO

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle bought in Tokyo. Poured into a goblet.

A: Dark amber color, slightly lighter on the bottom. Many suspended particles. Bubbly head that sticks around.

S: Dark fruits, figs, apple, cherry. Sweet malts are also present.

T: Bitter fruits/ slight citrus in the start, sweeter and darker fruits develop and the figs are present in the aftertaste along with a slight hint of alcohol.

M: Fizzy but also quite heavy.

O: This is a really good sipper. The dark fruits are amazing!

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 04:35:07 | More by TokyoCO

mikehillman

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%

05-25-2013 23:19:52 | More by mikehillman

Janeinma

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -16.1%

05-25-2013 15:17:35 | More by Janeinma

magpieken

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%

05-25-2013 14:49:51 | More by magpieken

desint

Belgium

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%

05-24-2013 12:19:10 | More by desint