Maredsous 8 - Brune - Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.23/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Beautiful garnet in color. Clear and carbonated. A healthy beige head sits on top and has some staying power. The beer laces in sheets. Some musty, herbal and smoked jerk tones on the nose. Pretty subdued though. The flavors are subtle as well. Some fruity esters. Some alcohol, but not much. Some biscuit and bread tones. A little yeastiness. It all adds up to a pretty average flavor to me. It's airy in the mouth and about medium in body (at best). One I won't seek out, but wouldn't turn down if offered to me.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2003 19:53:52 | More by Bighuge

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was an interesting brew that I can't completely figure out. Make no mistake, it is good though, especially from the tap as I sampled it. It was a deep brown with a very thin tan head. Aroma is good, but I thought odd for the style. The nose was quite chocolatey and almost sweet, with some acrid alcohol and earthy aromas as well.

Mouthfeel was thick and full, and somewhat slick...this is a full bodied beer. Flavors of plums, cherries, chocolate, and clove are quite prevalent, and I thought the 8% tag was well hidden in the flavor, but certainly not in actuality.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2003 18:44:38 | More by IrishRedRock

kbub6f

New York

3.2/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

What a nice, huge, crusty, grayish-tan head. I had to pry the thick, clumpy lacing off the inside of the glass. The beer is dark mahogany with swirls of sediment. Very nice looking.

The smell is apples, candy, some Belgian spiciness, some grains. Hints of chocolate might be my imagination, but I don't think so. The beer starts butter-caramely, spicy, sweet. Again, hints of chocolate. The middle is sour and fruity with a full body. Some nice butter and burnt caramel. The finish is dry with pepper and bread and there is pronounced alcohol. It's nice. Not my favorite, for sure, but good. The caramel is almost too charred and the alcohol is a little too obvious.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2003 07:40:22 | More by kbub6f

the42ndtourist

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Rocky. Geological, even.

Colour like a thick slice of biotite in thin section. Deep brown with some orange hints around the edges. Beautiful. Head has the complexion of clinopyroxene in cross-polarized light. A yellowish white. It's a good size, and rocky like a hundred million year-old mountain chain, past its prime and rounded. And you can watch it erode as you drink - it falls from the Appalachians and ends up like the Prairies. Then again, maybe it's volcanic rock - basalt, maybe - with a bunch of vesicles clustered just off centre during the prairie phase.

Yep, these are definitely volcanic chains, spewing gases like nobody's business. Except these are no ordinary volcanos - they're throwing up odours of heavy malt, bits of chocolate, lots of old plums (prunes maybe - less fruity than sweet). This can't be a good sign.

Nope, here comes the eruption: huge bombs of sweet milk chocolate - processed chocolate, devoid of the bitter edges of the darker varieties; light ash of dark fruit fills in the gaps. As the column collapses, pyroclastic flows of cinnamon, allspice, and cloves rush and do the major damage. This is what covered and destroyed Pompeii. A haze of alcohol lingers in the atmosphere and dims the sun. A cold summer and even colder winter ensues.

It's a good beer. Less fruity than Chimay (Red or Blue), which suits me just fine as I'm not a huge fan of them. Smooth, tasty, very nice. Easy to drink.

And a note of warning: Vesuvius hasn't gone off since the second world war, and it's usually a very regular mountain. Naples is 3 million people and closer than Pompeii was. If the wind's going the other way there's going to be trouble.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2003 16:44:33 | More by the42ndtourist

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice to see this show up...

Murky dark reddish brown, huge tan head and spectacular rich lace effects. Dark Mexican chocolate malty aromas, some molasses, and it carries far. Slight orangish smell as well. Flavors of unsweetened chocolate, raisins, and spicy cinnamon echo the aromas. Fruit undertones of cherry and mild citrus. Rich and satifying at first, body thins close to the finish with some coffee in the aftertaste. Creamy and smooth, most of the looks of Duvel without the tart astringency.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2003 07:04:30 | More by ADR

TXHops

Texas

2.4/5  rDev -40.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

There was a time around Dallas when Maredsous enjoyed a strange cachet as a quasi-ubiquitous "quality" beer at lots of bars where you wouldn’t expect much to be available on draft. The hype has since died down. I suspect that it was so readily available a few years ago due to the fact that the extra-long tap handle had a very scary monk on it, and the bartenders around town were all cautioned that no patron was allowed to have more than 2 Maredsous's in one sitting. Talk about an image!

My little 33 cl bottle poured a very attractive reddish brown color (decanted off the yeast) with a slightly smaller than expected beige head. The standard Belgian-style dubbel aromatics were evident (fermented dark candi sugar, vinous alcohol, dates, raisins, etc...) and the body was a just a bit thinnish, though bolstered by the hefeweizen-like carbonation. The flavor was also exactly as I'd expected (exactly like the nose--dark fruits and alcohol, like every other Dubbel in the world) but with an odd, phenolic smokiness that tasted a bit like burning a plastic tupperware lid in the dishwasher smells--rauchware... Following the initial smokiness, a green apple character emerged, giving the beer a long, sour finish. However, creeping back into the sour tail was the smokiness again.

To give this beer the benefit of the doubt, I'll rate it as a combo of tonight's bottle and my memories of it from years' past. I can't recall the smoked phenols from the past, the green apple flavors and the slightly thin, sour finish brought me back to a time when I remembered that I didn't like Maredsous very much... The epitome of a totally unexciting Belgian Dubbel…

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2003 16:39:45 | More by TXHops

mickeymac

California

3.73/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Caged and corked, it was served from a 750 ml. bottle with a retro, Jazz Age label with red triangles, squares, and a rectangle set against a black background. The cork appears to indicate that it was bottled in October 2001. Although the month and day on the "best before" label are legible, the year is difficult to make out; it could be 2003, 2006, or 2008. The color is a very nice reddish-brown with a foamy head that disappeared almost completely. Notes of sweet fruit, including banana, are present in the smell, along with a distinct spiciness. With all of those flavors present, the beer is surprisingly dry and it all evaporates almost immediately, leaving a bit of tangy aftertaste that is slightly off-putting. The mouthfeel is slightly on the thin side compared to most dubbels.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2003 20:03:50 | More by mickeymac

BeerAngel

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear brown/amber with a massive cream-colored head that is more like meringue in texture. The smell of sweet fruit and light spices with a hint of yeast in the background makes your mouth water. The flavor of fruit and raisons with a light bitter hop and it finishes with a citrusy dry and bitter end. This is a very complex brew with a wave of flavors taking you on a trip through most spectrums of the tongue’s senses. It made for a nice experience!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2003 18:06:17 | More by BeerAngel

BeerManDan

California

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

This beer poured a reddish brown with little foam and no lace. The smell was of roasted malts and a fruity aroma. The first dip brought again the roasted malts, fruits and a hint a caramel on the first sip. It also had a soft, sweet maltiness, rich and effervescent. A well balanced sweet/bitter feel in the mouth and after taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2003 12:44:14 | More by BeerManDan

TexIndy

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap with a nice thick, creamy foam. Had a dark caramel color with little in the way of smell. Packs a good kick with a bit of unpleasant aftertaste. Overall, an OK beer. Too bitter for my taste to really want again but would recommend if you like strong bitter beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2002 14:19:41 | More by TexIndy

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev +13%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Color :a beautiful, burnished red. Head: frothy, bubbly, tan.
Aroma:spices and dark fruits: cherries, grapes (M. Jackson would employ the adjective "vinous")
What else?Alcohol. A "mere" 8%, but not hiding any bit of it! Reminiscent of a lighter bodied barleywine, or port wine. Soft and sensual mouthfeel, medium body, a very happy finish. Perfect balance: if anything stands out, it's the strength and the sweet, plummy flavor.

I'd only heard of this a month ago, and just today put it on tap in my bar, replacing Budweiser! It's my first taste, and it's up at the top of my list already!

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2002 15:21:11 | More by feloniousmonk

Gusler

Arizona

3.58/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a deep ruby red, with a pertinent sized beige head, adequate lace, and both degenerate quickly, leaving clumps to coat the glass. Malt nose, somewhat sweet, banana tones also noted, still clean and fresh. Start sweet, middle medium, potently carbonated, pleasant hop spicy bite, and a dry aftertaste, which lingers on. This beer is much more to my liking than the 6 and a tad better in all aspects, good but not great and I still think the whole line is worth a sample, for “The Belgiephiles” in the audience.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2002 07:00:59 | More by Gusler

putnam

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

To start with, the cork almost took my hand off. When I poured it, the energy in this beer manifested in an authoritative, vengeful, tall, jagged, head.
Violent perfume reached my nose before I swirled or sniffed the glass. Alcohol driven. Lean. Decorated with greasy, woody notes.
The flavors imply images of opening up a buttercup squash to find that it has been stuffed with cedar wood chips, then cooked. There is a sweetness there, but it has been weathered. Stern stuff and compelling.
Devilish red triangles and squares interrupted by black triangles and rectangles stare menacingly from the label.

I gave this beer a good score because I didn't want to piss it off.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2002 16:51:07 | More by putnam

AaronRed

New York

4.83/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

What a beer. This beer is proof that beer has as much variety as wine, probably more. Unbelievable! I had this on tap at Croxley's Ales in Long Island. So fresh, as soon as he poured it, I could smell it as he brought it over. Meduim darkness paired with a rich, creamy head that never dissipated. Aromas of rasins and plums waft into your nose. Also on the taste, you could sense all the fruit. More ripe plums and rasins, combined with a slight toasted malt flavor. Very rich, warming and alcoholic. It reminded me of rich port. This is a brew to really sit and sip after dinner or any memorable occasion.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2002 16:18:35 | More by AaronRed

StevieW

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep, dark brown color. Thick foamy head, stayed for-ever, and laced down the glass nicely. Rich roasted malt and yeasty aromas. Taste was complex, lots of roasted fruity smells of plums, bananas, with a touch of spicy sweetness. Finish was subtle and lingered slightly, reminded me of a port wine taste. Slightly bubbly feel. No more than one at a time. I had this with triscuits and felt like a yuppie.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2002 14:42:23 | More by StevieW

Jason

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 11.2 oz stubby brown bottle, “best before end” date on the back label. States that it is top fermented and refermented in the bottle.

Appearance: Tiny bubbled effervescent yet creamy looking light tan lace that stays around until the brew is gone. Shade of haze in the deep brown colour brew, though the light shows a vibrant yet tawny reddish hue.

Smell: Faint molasses and anise, fresh tart plum and black currant aromas are quite fragrant. Connotations of earthy yeast give hints to mineral, malt goes a little steely also.

Taste: Huge crispness with a smooth viscous mouth feel that shows off a sturdy medium body. Phenols lay down a hard spicy clove and medicinal flavour, alcohol plays a part in this also with a big spicy and sweet presence. Sizeable dry malt character throws around toasted husk flavours that are lightly astringent. Estery with dried fruity flavours that are reminiscent of pineapple and plum, alcohol has a touch of solvent flavour also but it is light enough and does not get in the way. Small amount of hops meld with the phenols to give a shaded bitterness. Quick snap of a sour twang in the middle disappears in the end, earthiness and a trace amount of smokiness bring more levels of complexity to further bring the finish in to everlasting.

Notes: Complex is not saying enough, so many levels of flavours that go around it is nearly too much. This brew is to be sipped and savoured and should be consumed at cellar temperature for optimum flavour. This is one Dubbel that does not take any crap.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2002 19:40:51 | More by Jason

John

New York

4.45/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another delicious dark strong ale from Belgium. It's a satisfying blend of sweet roasted malt, plum, raisin, nutmeg that's extremely smooth. A slight alcohol warming takes effect and makes this a pleasure to sip and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2002 14:16:37 | More by John