Trappist Westvleteren 8 (VIII) - Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)

siege06nd

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

IrishColonial you are too good to me. Thanks, Eric!

A. Pours a dark ruddy brown. Huge three finger cream colored head erupts even from a careful pour. Lacing is some of the thickest and most consistent I have seen. Beautiful.

S. Fresh bread, cherry, fig, and some brown sugar. Little bit of booze as well. Very nice.

T. Dried fruit, bready malt, roasted biscuit. Some slightly odd vegetal notes, maybe a little green pepper. Good but some weird notes.

M. Creamy, balanced, medium bodied.

O. Good. Much prefer the quad (12) but this aint half bad. Didnt like some of the vegetal flavors, but for the most part this was a good one.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 15:10:16 | More by siege06nd

seand

California

4.55/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

27.01.13 printed on the cap. I've personally had the bottle for a little over a year.
I wanted to keep the cap so I opened it slowly, and lost a little bit through the partially opened cap, so make sure your glass is ready.

A: Pours a murky reddish brown amber, with a huge amount of foamy tan head. A thick blanket retains and leaves good lacing.

S: Rich, malty, and deeply complex, much like an aged barelywine. Elements of clove and other spices, but it's blended into the whole rather than being starkly noticeable on its own.

T: Rich complex maltiness; nicely balanced and not overly sweet. There's just a touch of bitterness towards the finish, with a lingering slightly boozy note.

M: Medium body, medium but very prickly carbonation.

Overall, awesome. I wouldn't mind trying it younger, as it's a little less boozy than I would usually age, but it certainly held up fine.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 02:18:09 | More by seand

FosterJM

California

4.08/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1202nd Review on BA
Bottle to Bruery Tulip
330 Ml

Didnt save the cap, so didnt see the date

Thanks to GuruDel for sharing

App- Super dark brown with no light coming in. A mix of ambers in there as well. Huge puffy head with a good bit cling and lace.

Smell- Westy 8 has a lot going in the nose but I couldn't pick up on all of it. A bit of a small quad note really. I got a lot of dark fruits, a little sweetness and a good dose of Belgian Yeast.

Taste- A nice dubbel without overkilling it on the spice. Had a nice hidden and layered sweetness with a big dose of the yeast. The 8% is well hidden and doesnt affect the beer with respects to drinkability.

Mouth- A well layered medium body with a medium carbonation. Has a residual sweetness and a yeasty dark fruit flavor.

Drink- A very nice dubbel. Very smooth and drinkable without being too hot or too spicy as some tend to be for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 23:41:58 | More by FosterJM

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter. 21.01.14 printed on cap.

3.5 A: Murky dark brown color. Three fingers of frothy beige head. Retention is average I suppose and a small amount of lacing is left.

3.5 S: The aroma is very subtle. Pepper is the strongest component. Raisin and plum underneath followed by clove. Clean with a light earthiness.

4.0 T: Taste is more potent than the nose for sure. Big peppery spiciness with clove not too far behind. Plum, raisin, date, and fig fruitiness. Warming on finish.

4.5 M: Lighter body. Good spritzy carbonation. Good creaminess and super smooth.

4.5 D: A couple categories could have been a touch higher, so 4.5 here. This is a lot like the 12. Super well integrated, subtle, and infinitely clean. But, unlike the 12, this is perhaps a bit too subtle and you really have to concentrate to enjoy it. Still, good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 22:00:34 | More by DavoleBomb

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4.93/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

An extraordinary brew, an unusual, complex and balanced range of sour, caramel, and malt notes… and more.

Presentation: 33 cl brown custom Trappist capped bottle. Characteristic lack of label or marking other than the cap, which shows in black, silver and blue, name, seal, faintly legible date, and 8% Alc. by Vol. Served in a snifter.

A - Hazy amber brown with a towering frothy head, rich retention with nice surface memory and lacing.

S - Nose is quite a treat and the perfect show-off for the taste that will follow, long sour fruity notes covered in caramel and malt in a rare but perfectly synchronized combination...

T - …which the brew perfects and expands in the palate. The freshness of raw cider coated in caramel, those apples with vinous touches under the sugar alongside touches of dark fruits, and the caramel expanding to the notes of malt, hint of spices, and a superior blend along the whole ride.

M - Medium full body with moderately tuned carbonation offering a nice subtle tingle and holding with dexterity the complexity of the brew, both smooth and creamy with peaks of soft tart insinuation as it completes the ride.

O - A dubbel like no other, the malty profile rides over those sour and fruity notes in such a particularly beautiful way that there is little else I can think of to compare it to.

Notes: What a treat, and what a surprise, the last of the excellent Westvleteren brews to try was quite the special animal. Almost like a combination of the best of the blonde and the 10 but with its own character. The sense of balance and change of rhythm in the palate without losing a touch of its structure is something to remember…

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 02:37:37 | More by Daniellobo

whitehouse50

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Best before date of January 27, 2013. Popped this open for Valentine's Day. From tasting notes...

A - Poured into my Rochefort chalice with most of the sediment. Has a deep brown color with a slightly off white head that quickly dissipated to almost nothing.

S - delicate aromas of sweet raisins, very subtle bouquet overall

T - figs, raisins, lots of fruit and maybe a hint of chocolate? almost wine like.

M&D - medium body, very smooth with small beeds of carbonation. The flavors linger on and on cleanly fade away leaving you wanting more. Lots of lacing left on the glass.

Overall this is a great beer. It's very flavorful and fruity and has a clean finish. Is its the best in the world? I don't know but what i do know is that I was glad to have tried it but would not trade my cellar for it.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 19:25:10 | More by whitehouse50

shigg85

Japan

4.9/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Purchased from Tanakaya in Mejiro, Tokyo. Poured into an also newly purchased Trappistes Rochefort wide-rimmed goblet. I can't even begin to describe this wonderful brew in words that conform to a language I speak. A lovely caramel-colored head covered the black-brown brew from beginning to end, releasing all of the magical scents that again escape known words. I drank it, and it warmed my soul. Then, I drank more and it made me smile. I continued to drink and continued to grow more and more in love with it. If you have the chance (and the money) to buy this beer, do not pass on it. It is worth the search and the cash.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 08:18:18 | More by shigg85

wifehatesthebike

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from an un dated bottle. Picked this up during a trip to Amsterdam in mid 2010.

Appearance is a light brownish body with a fizzy thin head.

Smell reminds me of faint grape soda, raspberries, and a slight sour characteristic, similar to what I get off Jolly Pumpkin beers.

Taste is very smooth and easy drinking. Alcohol only sneaks up a bit at the very end of a mouthful. Initial bready and fruity hints followed by roasted malt. Excellent balance between dry fruit, yeast and malt.

Feel is relatively thin with a lively carbonation which is not over the top. Goes down easy allowing the complex flavors to shine through.

Overall one of the best dubbels I've ever had. A serving size of only 330cl leaves you wanting another.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 03:42:09 | More by wifehatesthebike

Sc0pey

United Kingdom (England)

4.47/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle at In de Vrede. It pours murky dark brown, with a thick fluffy beige head and soft carbonation. The nose is caramel, toffee, fig, date, liquorice, menthol and salt. The taste is very smooth and full of dark fruit: fig, date, prune and plum. As well as: wood, caramel, vanilla, mint, bread, charcoal, toast, liquorice, toasted sesame and coffee, with a very long roasted-bitter finish. It tastes fresh, complex and is very well balanced, but still very drinkable. It deserves its place at the top.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 09:26:08 | More by Sc0pey

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Re-review from bottle at Akkurat summer of 2011

Pours a murky brown, ruby red edges with an off white creamy head. The nose is lightly nutty up front, sweet caramel, lightly toasted, cherries, light sherry and very fruity in the back. The taste is sweet, sugary caramel, roasted nuts, berry fruits in the back with slighlty paper oxidation falling off a bit in the back. Full body, syrupy feel, decent carbonation, thin in the back.

***
4/18/10
A-gushes upon opening. pours a creamy bubbly tan head that fizzles away slowly and leaves a soft creamy coating on the side of the glass. The liquid is a cloudy dark reddish copper color that doesn't really allow light to pass through. There are some lighter orange edges with light shined upon it.

S-the nose is fair in strength, light notes of darker malts, toffee and a hint of chocolate. Soft fruit sets in with notes of rum. Peaches and the nose of a screw driver. Tartness in the back.

T-the taste is similar to the nose but slightly muted. Toffee, slightly toasted malts, and notes of chocolate are up front yet subtle. Sweet soft fruits lie in the middle, again peaches with orange juice and vodka. The booziness is stronger in the taste than the nose. Hints of warming and a fair amount of tartness come in at the back with a touch of cherry. The finish does have notes of an herbal hop presence to provide a nice balance. It opens up a little as it warms with the toffee, chocolate, and cherry in the back.

M-very smooth and creamy with a good medium body. The carbonation is fair in strength and hold up the finish. Slightly crisp but still smooth.

D-this is a very tasty beer with some interesting things going on. Great mouthfeel but a little boozy in the taste compared to what I had expected with such a renowned nectar. Still extremely good!

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 19:45:13 | More by cpetrone84

Ruds

United Kingdom (England)

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle dated 09.10.06, so a good 5 years aged (UPDATE from reading other reviews which I tend to avoid until my own - seems that this is some 8 and a bit years old if bottling is 3 years before best before!) and served at room temperature (3 degrees C outside today, so not warm by any means as left in my kitchen which has no heating)

Served into a Meantime goblet to a dark rich chestnut brown with almost a finger of white head, which soon thinned out

Dark fruits, brown sugar, toffee, figs/dates on the nose

Similar tastes to the smell, very noticeable is molasses. Getting hints of a whole menagerie of dried fruits ... prunes/apricot/figs/dates, burnt sugars, only ever so slightly in the 'burnt' sense!

Mouthfeel is great, not as chewy as I was expecting, but goes down a dream and makes you wish this wasn't the only bottle you've got !

Plenty of lacing with the remnants of the head clinging to the glass

Overall - a great beer, well over 5 years old

Full of depth and character

Would love to compare it with a 'fresh' example!

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 20:19:11 | More by Ruds

tsauce2

Indiana

5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Reviewed from notes.

P: 11.2 fl oz bottle in to a snifter.

A: SRM is toffee/cola brown. Translucent with sediment. Head is off white, 1 in, dissipates to 1 cm. Medium carbonation. Heavy lacing.

S: Sweeter than the 12, dark fruit, light hops, caramel andmedium roast malt (a bit more than the 12), blegian yeast and light bready notes.

T: A bit more maltiness than the 12, semi sweet dark fruit, more caramel sweetness than the 12, light hops, and more of a chewy/bread taste than the 12. Aftertaste is malt, caramel and bread notes, light sweetness.

M: Medium/full body. Malt, caramel, and light dark fruit additions give a rich and full feel, the yeast adds a bit of density. Finished wet.

O: I can't believe it, but I think I might like the 8 more than the 12. Awesome malt/caramel complexity with the belgian yeast/bready aspect. Again, one of the top five beers I have ever had. A treat to try and I consider myself extremely lucky to have some great beer buddies and the chance to have tried this.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 05:47:54 | More by tsauce2

Satchboogie

New Hampshire

4.45/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

BIG thanks to Kelp for cracking an '07 Westy '08 for an early New Years B-day present for me!

A: Dark brown, completely hazy with some floaties. A big 3+ finger frothy brown head that fairly quickly recedes but does leave pretty good lacing.

S: Dark fruits: Figs, dates, lots of prune, some brown sugar

T: Unlike the nose, there is a HUGE malt body with tons of brown sugar, some molasses, almost a pretzel like breadiness. The dark fruits make a strong presence with figs taking the forefront with depth of raisin and prune (though in the background enough to lose much of their 'sharp' edge). Reminds me a lot of a fig newton topped with caramel and a touch of rum.

M: Medium to full body, extremely smooth, absolutely no alcohol is noticeable aside from the well-rounded phenols.

O: An absolute treat for sure. I'm quite surprised just how much more depth there is to the taste than the nose lets on. I was expecting a grape/phenol bomb but was absolutely blown away by the malt depth, balance, and smoothness. This is one of the best Belgians I have ever had and would greatly recommend the Westy 8. Now I just need to see how a fresh bottle compares to this matured (nearly 4 year old bottle) bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 06:08:36 | More by Satchboogie

DarthKostrizer

California

5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks to Ehammond1 for giving me this beer for a birthday present after I told him it was still the best beer I have ever had. Bottle dated 22.06.14

Look: Pours a beautiful coca cola brown with a 1/2 inch off white head and great retention

Smell: Great dark fruits nose. Plums and raisins with a touch of caramel and toffee

Taste: This is still to this day the most complex beer I have ever had. It starts off with just a fantastic party of dark fruits in your mouth. Figs and plums and raisins are all working together to form a perfect symphony on the palate. The beer then finishes with just the right amount of caramel toffee and tobacco

Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium to mild carbonation and a bit sticky

Overall: This is hands down the best beer that has ever passed through these delicious lips of mine. If I could only drink this beer for the rest of my life I would be content and die a very happy man. Perfection in a glass

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 21:10:26 | More by DarthKostrizer

emerge077

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Blue 8 cap dated "19.11.13", if this is the best by date, 3 years from bottling, it's a little over a year old. Fond memories drinking this many years ago at Delilahs. Thanks Denise for this bottle straight from Belgium!

Into a Moinette chalice, it pours a tawny dark amber, crystal clear with rapid carbonation visible at first. Lasting veil of velvety foam, that remains for the duration of the glass.

Vinous aroma, dried fruit sweetness, yeasty doughiness.

Extremely creamy feel, medium bodied, fine carbonation. Some oxidation notes, rather bitter and oddly metallic. Some nutty malt flavors linger, bitter walnut and grassy herbs. Taste seems a bit of a letdown from what I remember years ago. Very dry and attenuated, with an overt alcohol presence. Probably won't seek out again unless it's known to be very fresh.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 01:25:33 | More by emerge077

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.72/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 33cl bottle into Westvleteren Chalice. Thanks to Kendall for hooking this up.

A. Pours a 2+ finger slightly off white head. Great retention. Thick lacing. Color is a rich chestnut brown.

S. Nice caramel malt sweetness and dark fruit. Raisins, brown sugar, plums, figs, a little dark grape. Really impressive dubbel smell. Some quads don't smell this good.

T. Caramel, dark fruit, raisins, figs, just a wee bit of dark grape. Nice sweet taste. Well this tastes like the best dubbel, I have ever had. Really tastes like some of the best quads out there. Just a bit lighter in flavors and mouthfeel.

M. Creamy texture. Medium bodied. A touch of lingering sweetness. Medium carbonation.

O. One of the best dubbels I have had. Really not all that different in smell, taste, and mouthfeel than a lot of quads. Not as flavorful or as much mouthfeel as 12 but this is an excellent beer. Westvleteren makes 3 very excellent beers, I am glad I have had the opportunity to try all 3.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 22:55:49 | More by siradmiralnelson

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Found a few bottles of this in Brussels along with the Westvleteren blonde, although unfortunately not the 12. Poured into a Westvleteren chalice in Bruges.

A- Pours a dark brown with ruby highlights, lively carbonation, produces a thin white head that diminishes to a thin film.

S- Very fruity, figs and dates, some caramel and malts with a bit of spice.

T- Lots of fruit again, loads of dark fruity flavors like figs, raisins and dates along with some anise spiciness and sweet alcohol. Excellent malt backbone with juicy bread, molasses, and some dry grains towards the finish. Yeast and mild hop bitterness are noticeable in the background.

M- Medium bodied, full carbonation, slightly slick but rich feel.

O- An astonishing beer, I've never had a dubbel that can even compare with this.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 00:27:34 | More by WillCarrera

RickS95

Indiana

5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Unfortunately, I couldn't read the date on the cap. The first number was 23 and after that, I have no idea.

It pours a brilliant shade of chocolatey brown. It's a rich shade of dark brown, with some lighter hues around the edges. The head is offbrown and initially a work of art. It dissipates relatively quickly, leaving a thin film of creamy bubbles on top, particularly around the perimeter of the glass.

You can almost smell sweetness. It actually smells like a caramel covered apple from the fair, with green Granny Smith apples and some caramel filling the olfactories. Aside from that, nothing else stands out.

Taste is almost perfect. It's malty with the caramel that filled the nose. You can pick up some dark, rich fruits like raisins and dates. Even the apple makes a cameo. There is a slight bitter note, as well as a hoppy bite, in the finish to balance out the sweetness.

It's a tremendous symphony of sensations on the palate. Sweet initially with a creamy mouthfeel. Near the end, there is a tartness which leads to a semi-dry finish with a slight hoppy bite and just a touch of heat from the alcohol. Medium-bodied and rich throughout.

This beer is better than the sum of its parts. It's simply extraordinary. It's extremely complex, but nothing is offensive and everything complements something else. It's simply a wonderful beer.

Edit...enjoying my second bottle almost a year later. The smell has intensified. Still the same scents, only they're stronger and work together better. The taste is the same only everything has meshed, along with a bit of alcohol making more of an appearance. It's without question my favorite beer in the world.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 02:52:51 | More by RickS95

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: 1/4" mocha coloured head over dark brown liquid with plenty of unfiltered goodness.

S: The Belgian yeast smells of figs and cherries are really coming through.

T: Surprisingly there was a bit of a bite of bitterness and alcohol up front with some cherry and fig flavours in the finish. The alcohol presence was actually kind of disappointing, after experiencing the smoothness of the 12 yesterday.

M: Medium to thick viscosity, a high level of fine carbonation, and some drying from the alcohol.

O: Disappointing for the price tag, but must be tried.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 01:04:33 | More by DaftCaskBC

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.53/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured it into a Chimay chalice to reveal a dark brown brew with some ruby highlights I guess. A bubbly fluffy tan head sticks around and leaves some markings on the glass. Quite a bit of sediment is chilling at the bottom.

Alcohol, yeast/bread, fruit, rounded out by some spiciness in the nose. Very nice.

This thing is pretty heavenly in your mouth. Medium bodied, creamy, with nice touch of carbonation. Malty, bready, and slighty fruity flavors abound. A touch of bitterness and alcohol are also there. This is a well rounded flavorful beer.

I’m not a huge fan of dubbels so I wasn’t too excited to drink this even though it’s a Westvleteren. Needless to say it blew me away.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 06:09:47 | More by MattSweatshirt

Chizoad

California

4.38/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Jon for this one.

Swirl of caramel colors with a big head in the goblet. Looks good but no way can you tell what to expect.

Really complex but fairly quiet aromas. Slight booziness and pepper.

Caramel, bittering hops, raisins in small doses, maybe some chocolate and bread in there.

Creamy, but well carbonated leading to a great sipper. I love it when these relatively heavy beers are carbonated like this. Forces you to enjoy it slowly, like a great meal. Top notch dubbel which sadly is mostly unavailable to me.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 04:39:03 | More by Chizoad

TRICKYD1CK

France

4.75/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bought for 9 Euros at Beer Temple in Brussels.

A - Dark as hell. A beauty in my Rochefort chalice. Small head that dissipates rather quickly, but seems to hug the sides well. Perhaps I didn't pour hard enough.

S - Dried tart fruit. I'm getting apricot, plum, even strawberry. Quite aromatic for a beer.

T - Melange up front with that brune taste of brown sugar and hints of fruitiness. Dries to a Belgian Stong Ale-like booziness as it sits in your mouth that really catches you off guard. Fantastic if you prefer bitter tastes to sweet ones. Tastes like dirt, but in a good way. Sort of like how lambics taste like dirty socks... but also in a good way.

M - This is beer. A beer drinker can tell when it's been artificially carbonated and this one is allll natural. The carbonation has a creaminess that is so hard to attain! Complements the taste of the beer exceptionally well.

O - This is why I drink beer. It's the fact that Westvleteren pays so much attention to characteristics besides just the taste that make it such a world-class brewery. I'm sad that I probably won't have this gem again for a number of years. I, personally, preferred the Blonde, but this one's a home run nonetheless.

Next Up: Rochefort 8 and St. Bernardus 8 to see how they compare!

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 23:53:51 | More by TRICKYD1CK

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Best before 8/13/12.

A-Pours a clear, though chunky, cedary brown with some ruby accents. A thin ring of tannish head and a nice pool of head.

S-Bready, yeasty, lots of sweet cherry in the nose with some brown sugar.

T-Sweet brown sugar and dark fruit, a bit of booze, some fig and a hint of something almost herby. Nicely complex for a dubbel.

M-Light to medium bodied, good carbonation.

O-As dubbels go, this is about as good as it gets. Great complexity for a style I often find to be overly sweet and sugary.

HV

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 03:01:15 | More by sholland119

claspada

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared before our most recently group tasting thanks to hoppymcgee. Huge thanks for this one.

Pours a light hazy brown color with light brown hues along the edge. A nice light khaki bubbly head that recedes leaving some nice lacing.

Aromas begin with a nice lightly toasted breadiness. I alos get some nice light Belgian yeast clove and spice, very light however. As it warms I get some dried fruits and some more various spice. Mellow yet very complex.

The tastes follow the nose with rich, sweet maltiness tasting of chocolate, caramel and toasted breadiness. Maybe a sprinkle of brown sugar and dark candy sugar. Flavors of figs and golden raisins and Red Delicious apples emerge as it warms. There is a slight Belgian yeastiness (spice and clove) to balance the sweeter malt flavors.

Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with perfectly balanced medium carbonation. Finishes sweet and resoundingly fruity with a lingering vinous dryness.

Overall this is a perfect example of what a Belgian Dubbel should be. It took all of my effort to not devour my half-a-glass because I really wanted to enjoy this. Is it worth the price tag, probably not. It is amazing, definitely. I have been trying to track one down for a while and when it if offered to you for free, you say F-Yes! Recommended and definitely worth tracking down as long as you don't break the bank or trade the cellar for it.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 15:41:40 | More by claspada

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to korguy123 for this bottle. date on cap of 18.05.14

Poured in to Duvel tulip.

A -Murky dark brown colour with a generous amount (3 fingers) of off-white head that slowly receded to a half finger.

S - Sweet caramel, raisins, toffee, dark fruit, Belgian yeast.

T - Dark caramel, raisins, plums, figs, toffee and light orchard fruit notes. The alcohol is warming. Very complex.

M - Medium boy with a good chew. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 13:43:37 | More by TheSevenDuffs