St. Feuillien Brune - Brasserie St. Feuillien

SilentSabre

Georgia

3.33/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This was pretty average all the way around, but still a good Dubbel. It poured a dingy looking brownish-red colour with a sand coloured foamy head that didn't seem to last very long. To my displeasure, I didn't see any debris or "floaties" of any sort in this one. I really like that in a Belgian and it was abscent here. Smell was quite everage with plenty of dark fruit and toasted grains. Taste was nice with dark fruit profiles, toasted grains, and a lack of that metallic taste that seems to be so prevalent in Belgian styles. The alcohol, while detectable, was very in-offensive and mild. This was pretty smooth and very easy to drink, especially considering the style. I have had better as far as this style goes, but I have had much worse, too. Pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2007 22:05:16 | More by SilentSabre

RBorsato

Virginia

4.9/5  rDev +27.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Chestnut brown in color with mahogany hues to a light source, a nice light brown head, and nice carbonation up the middle. Nicely balanced malt, dark fruit, and raisin aromas and flavors. As the label states "full of flavor" yet "mellow". Incredible balance; about perfect. Medium bodied but a bit airy due to carbonation.

Incredible drinkability -- St. F. beers are excellent !

Per Label: "Bottle Conditioned" & "Anno 1125"

Per S.F. website: 18.00° Plato

#142959 (on cork)
Tasted: 05/31/07

($8.99 / 750ml / 25.35 oz. tall straight brown wine-like bottle corked and bound with a wire strap fastener)

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2007 22:36:11 | More by RBorsato

cbn

Florida

2.3/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours slightly hazy reddish-brown with a creamy beige head.
A tremendous volume of tiny bubbles continuously rise to the surface.

Aroma is slightly sweet and malty with sharp metalic yeasty background notes.

Taste is same as above.

Thin on the tounge and palate.

Not much here to revisit.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2007 17:58:06 | More by cbn

number1bum

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Part of NEPA BC split #5.

750ml corked n caged poured into a tulip glass. Hmmm...the pour is truly perplexing. It struggled to get even a centimeter of head, which was beige while it was there, before completley disappearing leaving no lace at all. Color is dark brown, hazy. When the last of the lace disappears it looks like flat soda.

Smell is some sweet caramel malt, molasses, grapes and a red wine like tannin smell. There's some nuttiness and alcohol in the nose, as well.

Taste at first seems very thin. There are some subtle nutty, coffee flavor, then a bit of sweetness. Through the finish the taste profile comes out a little more with a more robust nutty flavor and some roasted, molasses malt. Luckily that grapey tannin aroma I got doesn't come through in the taste because I'm definitely not looking for that from my beer. All in all the taste isn't bad, it's just too thin and there's nothing remarkable about it. Mouthfeel is thin and a little watery, and it seems flat; no detectable carbonation.

This is a really poor dubbel, in my opinion. I'm not sure if maybe this bottle is a little old - it came from Shangy's and sometimes stuff sits there for awhile. Certainly it's not as fresh as it would be overseas, but at 7.5% it shouldn't turn that quickly, either. I have another bottle but it's from the same case, so who knows. I'm hoping I can edit my reviews up, but I'm not going to count on it. I wouldn't recommend picking this one up.

Edit: second bottle worse than the first. Tannin grape flavor is present and the smell is worse.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2007 00:21:38 | More by number1bum

jim102864

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Corked and caged brune with the wonderful painting-quality scene on the label of what is presumed to be medieval Le Roeulx. Appearance when poured from the 750 into my deep Duvel tulip glass includes a bubbly head with decidely no lace. The color is a clear hazelnut brown with ample carbonation. The aroma is at once faint... a sure sign of dissapointment for me since I expect a noseful with any solid strong brown. Then, nut and coffee nuttiness with faint candied sugar notes. You really have to swirl this stuff to whip up the aromatic signature or what there is of it. The taste is nutty with hints of candied sugar. Mild again, however, the taste becomes more pronounced as the liquid warms. Mouthfeel comes through with a swirl or two and presents a pleasant coating for the tongue. It's a drinkable but somewhat unremarkable dubbel. I much prefer something that's not so understated. Still, if your options are few, worth the investment.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2007 07:46:18 | More by jim102864

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a clear dark brown color ale with a huge foamy off-white head with great retention and good lacing. Aroma of candi sugar with great Belgian malt is very enticing. Taste is a great mix between some candi sugar, Belgian malt and bready yeast. Body is quite full with no alcohol being discernable. Creamy texture is also quite enjoyable. Overall, this was a well done abbey dubbel with great drinkability characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2007 18:38:46 | More by Phyl21ca

ojiikun

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Corked and strapped 750ml with neck markings that are nearly illegible but suggest a bottling date of '04. Poured a dirty medium brown with a bit of fog, but not particulate matter until the last glass. Head was nicely constant and the colour of burnt creme. No lace on my gulden draak tulip.

Smells strongly of sweet malts, new yeast, chalk, underripe bananna, slight honey, fig, overripe melon, faint spice.

Taste is at first salty, meaty malt, warm spice, nutty yeast. Starts semi-sweet, finishes fairly dry. When warm, spiced apple cider comes to mind.

This little brown lighter bodied than equivalent strongbrowns, but also had a much cleaner finish. Carbonation was at hand the whole time, which was a great pleasure. Booze isn't too well hidden, but isn't really that strong to begin with. A great, cheap brown.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2007 07:10:12 | More by ojiikun

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Amber brown color with highly active carbonation, could almost pass for a dark rum if not for the large head. Very carbonated, perhaps too much so for the style. Nose is yeasty, medicinal alcohols, fermented malt.

The taste is unsurprising - a decent dubbel. I think the carbonation effectively reduces the complexity enough to where it’s below world-class, but it would make a great introduction to Belgians for a brown ale lover. Hint of hop bitters lends a nice balance to chocolatey malts and minty phenol alcohols. Westmalle’s version was one of the first beers that made me say “oh” and I think this would have done the same - all alcohol is properly blended into the drink, slightly warming but very easy to drink. The knock is there is too much light fruity character rather than the usual dark fruits found in a dubbel, like rum raisin.

This brew snap, crackle, popped its way onto a short list of sessionable dubbels, but no reason to make it a special occasion. Drinkability would have been higher but the warming alcohol at nearly 8% becomes a little much.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2007 05:37:30 | More by BretSikkink

jmz62565

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear deep dark mahogony with a giant tan foamy head. The head lasts and leaves great lacing. The smell has a large amount of a "bisquity" aroma along with alcohol and little else. The taste is crisp with hop bitterness and a dark fruit aftertaste. Raisins,prunes, carmel, abit of alcohol, and sweet malt make up the backbone of this beer. The m/f is light with the flavors mixing OK making this an OK beer. For a dubbel,and for my taste, this beer is alittle too fruity.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2007 22:53:09 | More by jmz62565

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in a St. Feuillien chalice, the beer pours a brown/ruby red color with a good sized tan head. It smells like dark fruit (plums, raisins), caramel and a bit of chocolate. It tastes like dark fruit and caramel, and there's also a bit of a tart/sour hoppy grapefruit finish. Body is medium, but the mouthfeel is very carbonated. Luckily it doesn't affect the drinkability too much, even though it could be better. Overall I think it's a decent beer, but not a great one either. I'd like to try this again some other time.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2007 01:03:56 | More by bluejacket74

meadhead

Montana

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A good double
A nice caramel malt with a very mild Belgian tart ester--
hints of raisins and figs and other semi-sweet tastes

Pours a deep ruby red brown
with a nice two to three finger head that dissipates quickly

The smell was the low point
(perhaps just the dust aged bottle I purchased)
but far too alcholic for a medium-strong ABV
faint hints of caramel malt

Taste good and varying
a mild tart and a mellow caramel malt
than vice-versa:
good as it warms

Mouthfeel:
nice although a little too carbonated
for my taste
got a bit of the old
overfilled bubble feeling
drowning out the flavor

drinkability good
and enjoyable
this ale is simple and straightforward
a good abbey dubbel

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2007 00:17:01 | More by meadhead

Gmann

New York

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out of a corked 750 ml bottle. The color is a dark brown with an average tan head that left very little lacing. The aroma is a bit musty, dark fruit, not very strong. The flavor is of dark fruit, carob, a bit of hop at the end with a slight metallic taste. This ale is a bit fizzy with a moderate body. Overall a good Dubbel not too sweet which makes it quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2006 02:37:05 | More by Gmann

GbVDave

Illinois

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

Poured from a 11.2oz bottle into a St. Feuillien chalice.

A: Pours a slightly hazy dark ruby brown. Two finger head that disappears and leaves virtually no lacing.

S: Smells of raisins, plums, figs, nuts, and alcohol.

T: Lots of dark fruit. Some brown sugar, toffee, molassas, malt, and a little hops. Loads of spicy flavors going on here. I think the hops and spice lend a dryness to it that keeps the sweetness from getting out of line.

M: The warmer this beer gets the better. Right out of the fridge it was sharp and rather carbonated, sort of one dimentional. As it warmed it became smoother, a lot more rounded, and creamy. A much different animal.

D: I'd love to try this one on draft. It was a pleasure to drink the bottled version of this and I bet the draft version could only be better. I've had better Dubbels and I've had worse. This one is well worth trying as it has a lot to offer. Very nice!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2006 21:03:19 | More by GbVDave

techdiver

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a hazy deep reddish-brown with a modest tan head that dissipates quickly. Smell is of fruit and malt with some toffee notes. taste is complex with various hints of malt, hops and fruit crosing the palate at times. Medium-bodied and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2006 14:42:36 | More by techdiver

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml corked bottle with the weirdest cage I've ever seen. It has a metal strip that goes across the middle of the cork and keeps it buckled down.
Appears a hazy brown amber with a small light tan head that fades into a fizzy cap. Scattered lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of brown sugar, caramel, spicy Belgian yeast, cream, vanilla.
Taste is of the same aromas with some earthy, spiced notes.
Mouthfeel is smooth, sugary, and cakey.
I refilled a few times on this one. Nice and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2006 20:20:22 | More by weeare138

bditty187

Nebraska

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Seemingly clear (the liquid a bit hazier on my second pour), ruby-brown in hue; when my glass was backlit a bright tawny-garnet color is noticeable. Beige foam, at the apex the head was some three fingers tall. Head retention was fair, the bubbles slowly but steadily collapsed to a thin cap. There was no subsequent lacing of note; odd. Sad. The appearance is sound but not special.

The nose is spicy, fruity, and malty which is exactly what a Dubbel should smell like. I love the aromas of alcohol soaked cake, raisin bread with a shot of spiced rum on the side. Dates, chocolate, brown sugar, some faded spices; I swear I detect a hint of menthol (?), maybe mint (?). I like what I smell; the methanol/mint aroma is odd but tolerable (as it is in the distance). The bouquet just lacks a little maltiness, IMO, but technically I suppose it is dead-on for the style. I’m just being picky. The aromas are inviting and I can’t wait to take a sip.

My first impression of the palate was the lack of a malt backbone. Maybe I shouldn’t complain. It is a Dubbel and it is sub-8% abv. I taste vodka and bread, I taste rum and cake; I taste more alcohol then I do heat and I don’t really detect any alcohol strength (if that makes sense). Spicy, some cloves, some pepper lay on top of chocolate, brown sugar, and toast. It has a warmish finish, lightly malty; it is enjoyable but kind of tame. I don’t really have much negative to say about the palate. I think it is a good representation of the style but it is not outstanding either.

Medium in body; low but natural carbonation, the mouthfeel is a tad thin and a bit sluggish for me. I’d like to see more life.

No matter what I said this is a drinkable and tasty beer. While there are other Dubbels that are “better” there really isn’t anything wrong with this one. I think my bottle is a few year’s old. I’m not sure. Maybe it doesn’t age well. I purchased my 750ml bottle in Des Moines, IA. I will drink this again. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2006 01:01:36 | More by bditty187

phisig137

Virginia

3.35/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Cork tells me that this is number 142959. Pours a slightly hazy dark mahogany color, with a one finger head. Decent retention gives way to a blanket of foam, a clumpy lacing.

Aroma is very yeast. Fresh bread, yeast phenols, spicy, and slightly earthy.

The flavor is a bit of a surprize. Dry from front to back, and only the spicy yeast phenols give any flavor. Hardly any malt flavor at all, with a bit of hops on the finish. Not sweet and fruity like most dubbles. Mouthfeel is smooth, if not a little thin. Drinkability is good.

Decent beer overall, but I've definitely had better brunes. I'd buy it again, but only if all of the other brunes were unavailable.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2006 01:11:46 | More by phisig137

badbeer

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark red/brwon color with a white head that left a solid lacing. Strong smell of nuts, grapes, and cherry. Taste is of nuts, dark fruit, and toffee. A little different, but not bad. Plenty of carbonation and full bodied. Decent, didn't have trouble finishing the glass, but there are other examples I'd probably rather have. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2006 22:58:01 | More by badbeer

Erdinger2003

Iowa

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a gorgeous pillowy head that falls into a little head with a lacing that's stuck to the glass. Color is dark and clear amber when held up to the light. The smell is very hoppy and strong with very flowery hops. It has a slight sugar candy smell to it, and it also has a nutty flavor to it. Taste is fairly hoppy with many flavors, like a big nutty flavor. It has a slight scent of banana for a flavor, but that is overpowered by so many other flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2006 20:33:03 | More by Erdinger2003

hero27

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml corked bottle. Lot #135376. 7.5% abv.

Golden brown color..too oily to leave much for lacing. The aroma is heavy Belgian yeast & spices...which carries over well into the taste. This one has a big malt presence, and the spices compliment that pretty well. While this is not one of those "knock-your-socks-off" Belgians, it's a decent representation of the style. I'd like to try this on-tap, as bottles from Belgium seem to be kinda hit-or-miss. A better than average Dubbel, but I wouldn't go out of my way to seek out a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2006 04:37:41 | More by hero27

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer is quite well carbonated and pours with a frothy, ample, three-finger thick tan head that forms a rocky surface after it falls back down. The beer is a deep amber color that is quite dark, when held up to the light the beer shows a brilliantly clear, deep ruby color. The aroma is quite fruity with a sharp spicy almost woody note. There is some sort of note that reminds me of nuts, raisins, and a hint of apricots.

The taste is quite creamy up front, and a bit full on the palate. It is a bit sweet as well, which accentuates fruit notes like raisins, figs and a hint of apricots. The finish has a certain nuttiness to it that seems to be derived from a bit of roasted malt. There is a bit of a mouth drying astringent note in the finish as well. As the beer warms up it lessens the sweetness a bit and accentuates some of the roast notes that picks up a hint of coffee to it.

All in all this is a pretty tasty beer, I could wish for a bit more complexity, but it certainly is right about where I was expecting it to be. This is a nice beer, and I am quite happy to be working my way through a 750ml bottle this evening.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2006 03:45:04 | More by Gueuzedude

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer poured into the chalice deep amber brown with a yellow tan head which rose tall and frothy and fell slowly to lace the glass.

The aroma was fruity with dark fruits most prevalent, raisins and prunes. The aroma also contained a bit of phenolic spice kicked up by alcohol. The Belgian yeast character was also present and nicely fruity and spicy.

The flavor was malty with a caramel and a metallic earthy flavor. The flavor was fruity with raisins and prunes at a moderate level, but not over the top and a nice bit of chocolate thrown in for good measure. The metallic flavors increased more and more as the beer warmed.

The finish was dry with a lasting bit of tinny flavor and some spice with caramel into the aftertaste. The body was medium, but actually seemed a bit lighter due to the carbonation level. Quite tasty and easy to drink while cold but more of a chore after warming and the increasing tinny flavor. The beer also contained a sizable warming after consumption.

750 ml bottle purchased at Total Wine.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2005 00:04:27 | More by GCBrewingCo

oberon

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber with a fluffy 2 finger off-white head that settles into a creamy mass not leaving much lace behind,heavy spice and yeast in the aromas,some clove and cinnamon mainly with a touch of smoke.I may have poured a little to chilledso it took sometime for the flavors to start really showing thru but they eventually did nice vanilla pod and clove flavors over top of dark fruit and light smoke.A nice dubbel here dont drink to chilled and the flavors will come out nicely,quite warming.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2005 23:07:01 | More by oberon

radshoesbro

California

2.48/5  rDev -35.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

pours an impressive amber with a good head. head receeds very slowly and forms a good lace. upon looking at this beer i was quite excited as i had been drinking mainly summer brews and lighter beers for the entire summer season.

unfortunately i found this ale to be far to malty at first and then the finish tasted so strongly of alcohol that i was totally turned off.

the cost of this far outweighed the taste. it cost me about $8 for a single bottle! now, i have no problem paying a fairly large amount of money for a bottle of beer, but usually expensive beers actually taste good.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2005 21:33:36 | More by radshoesbro

Stubbie1

Connecticut

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Lot #135376
Biere d’abbaye Brune ( or as the bottle has it Brune Abbey Ale) pours a nice mahogany color. A nice tightly nit off white head is on top of this brew. Aroma is sweet, malt , sugar and plumbs come to mind, sticky and sweet across the lips. Mild hint of the alcohol is present but not overwhelming. I feel the flavor matches the aroma to a “T” with a very faint bitter finish and a slight hint of the alcohol.

Smooth and creamy mouthfeel and easy to enjoy. Can’t believe that there are only two reviews for this brew. But I suggest if you see it grab it and give it a try. It is worth it. Now, if I can figure out how to get a good shot of the bottle for BA….

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2005 00:36:26 | More by Stubbie1