Belgian Style Dubbel - Flying Fish Brewing Company

jtierney89

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Got a single bottle from a Spirits Unlimited so it's probably pretty old (You can never find a fresh beer at a Spirits Chain in NJ, just a warning) but I figured since it's a dubbel it should hold up. (Also the only beers that ever make it to a spirits mix-a-six section is old beers and seasonals so)

Clear brown color with a head that quickly dies. Faint nose of dark belgian candy sugars, beets, caramel and toffee.

Ripe fruit flavors, on the lighter end of being medium bodied and crisp. Faint dark fruit bowl up front, followed by a sweet belgian candy sugar taste and then finishes clean with a faint lingering sweetness. The flavors are right but barely and almost undetectable (and for once it tastes kind of fresh) touch of alcohol heat. Simple light and drinkable. But that's not how I want my dubbels. This tastes more like a crossover beer as if AB-inbev made a friendly 7.99 six pack dubbel for people to try. The flavors are right if you dig for them, unoffensive, and light. Kind of like "My-First-Dubbel" kind of thing.

This is not a bad beer.
Though it Doesn't embody a true dubbel in my opinion, just an intro to one.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 03:29:56 | More by jtierney89

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear amber red with some alright head that eventually fades to nothing. Has some raisin and brown sugar notes. Some sharp alcohol in the nose as it warms . Also has some slight chewy caramel malts. Little to no hop aroma. Tastes similar to nose with medium to full mouthfeel. Flavors also give hints of fig and dark fruits (plum, dark cherry). Average bitterness for the style with a slight bite at the tail end. Overall, a very nice beer. Solid and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 00:43:43 | More by jwhancher

ckollias

Maryland

4/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a hazy brownish-copper hue with a thin 2-finger head that quickly dissipates and leaves a wispy lace.

S: Sweet Belgian yeast aroma with a fruity background.

T: Sweet malty Belgian yeast flavor that turns tart and finished on the dry side.

M: Full body and medium carbonation.

O: This is a solid dubbel. Complex flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 01:39:11 | More by ckollias

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

3.43/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a almost clear amber brown. Not much of a bubbly white head, dissipates fast with minimal lacing.
The smell is just some malt, not much else.
Thank goodness, the taste is better. Nice combination of dark fruit, brown sugar and malt. Some earthy hops balance the palette.
Nice prickly mouthfeel, and very drinkable. A nice beer, maybe not exactly the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 02:15:18 | More by Hopfenpeter

maddogruss

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this at Cloverleaf Tavern in West Caldwell.

A: Pours a dark red, mahagany body with a small, white head with some lacing and minimal retention overall.

S: A lightly, sweet toffee smelling beer, but nothing too overbearing.

T: A pretty smooth, sweet grape juice tasting beer with some subtle vanilla notes and hint of toffee and sweet alcohol in the aftertaste.

M: A pretty thin but fairly decent mouthfeel. Pretty nice on the palette overall.

D: A decent mouthfeel and taste combination made for a pretty nice drinking beer. Mouthfeel could have been a bit smoother, but overall, pretty good drinking beer with some warming alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2012 21:04:19 | More by maddogruss

lnashsig

Texas

2.48/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

#BOTG 76!

Poured from bottle into New Belgium tulip glass. Pours a dirty brown rain water color, very little head retention. some head pools into the middle of the glass. I guess it looks like a Dubbel, but not one of the better examples. Smell- caramel syrup, raisins, a buttery aroma as well. Decent, but points detracted because it reminds me of what melted milk drops smell like when in a movie theater next to buttery popcorn. Chemically in some ways. Taste- chocolate cherry cough syrup. raisins, butter. This is a stylistic miss, and the chemically syrupy nature of this is present even more. This is not a good dubbel, below average. Mouthfeel is syrupy thick. Not good. This would be a strike out.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 23:31:26 | More by lnashsig

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a copper color with ruby red in the middle and brown along the edges. There is a little sticky lace on the glass. The aroma is very faint there is a little aroma at all there is a hint of caramel and that is about it. The taste is a little bit better, there is a caramel backbone with a dark fruit flavor as well as a hint of licorice. The mouthfeel is moderately carbonated and a touch watery. Overall it is an average beer, the smell is a disappointment but the taste picks the beer up some.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 19:49:29 | More by goblue3509

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle to tulip. Sampled 10/30/11.

A: Pours with 1 1/2 fingers of creamy light brown head. Semi long lasting. The body is a medium-dark shade of amber brown. An off-putting amount of particulate can be seen suspended in solution. Lacing is spare.

S: The nose is pretty empty at first - and opens slowly, but still lacks the depth/complexity that better versions of the style exhibit. Grain, bread, toasted caramel and spices. Light alcohol is evident.

T: The flavor is slightly more complex than the nose suggested bringing about notes of dried banana chips, clove, a mixture of prunes, dates and apple, light tobacco, plus a little brown sugar towards the back end. Perhaps a little chocolate.

M: Medium body with a semi thick texture. Nice and lively carbonation.

O: Enjoyable and easy to drink, and better than expected - but still comes across as a cheap American interpretation.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 02:22:04 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

Thingus

California

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Recieved as part of a trade with nas4atu... Thanks Eric!! Live review, bottle into Duvel Tulip

Appearance; pours a cloudy mahogany reddish brown color, with maybe a half finger of bubbly brown head, that dissipates exceptionally quickly leaving no lacing and a very thin film... 

Smell; has a bready quality, hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and spices... Definitely has the "Belgian Yeast" smell going as well... The best I can describe that is muted notes of raisins and other similar dark fruits...

Taste; has a definite bready backbone, hints of raisin, nutmeg, cinnamon... Plenty of other spices I can't discern, slight notes of caramel and brown sugar.

Mouthfeel; effervescent in the mouth, with a juicy finish, I'd put this on the lighter side of medium body...

Overall; my fondness for the Belgian style has unfortunately faded quite a bit since the start of my craft beer journey... This was a very enjoyable beer of a style that I don't spend time with.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 06:03:30 | More by Thingus

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

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

Received in trade from mdaschaf, thanks for the opportunity!
Pours a deep reddish brown color with a smallish off white head that dissipates all to quickly. Smells of brown sugar and sweet fruity malt mostly. Raisins and prunes with a fair amount of caramelized sugars and hints of spicy yeasty esters. Taste is sweet and fruity up front with dark caramelized sugars coming next. Yeasty funk finishes as well a a lingering burnt sugar sweetness. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet slick mouthfeel. Not bad for an American interpretation of a dubbel. I enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 01:00:07 | More by johnnnniee

jhartley

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

A- Reddish brown body with a light brown/tan head which quickly dissipates. Nice bead.

S-Sweet sugars and raisins and malt.

T-Tastes the way it smells. Not overly sweet with carbonation that is not too strong, but typical for a Belgian style.

M-Refreshing carbonation feel. Malty sweetness. No prevalent hops that I could detect. Nice sweet finish.

O-Not overly impressed but this does not mean it is a bad beer at all. I received this as a gift and I would like to try this again.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 23:54:20 | More by jhartley

keanex

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From a 12 ounce bottle, no freshness date. Poured into a Duvel tulip glass.

A: Pours a clear red/amber with very little tan head.

S: Light banana and cloves, Belgian yeast and spices on the nose. Very true to a real Belgian beer.

T: Flavor is really lacking, a bit off even. Slight sweetness of sugar and malts with a slight floral hops at the end. Taste doesn't really match the tongue.

M: Medium bodied with good amounts of fresh carbonation.

O: This hits some marks of a real Belgian, but falls short in comparison to real ones. It's easily available though with a good price.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 06:19:15 | More by keanex

JerseyKirk

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: 1 finger off white head. Copper to toffee color.

S: Rich caramel sweet, Belgian yeast and slight soy sauce.

T: Carmel and sweet. Just like it smells. Alcohol is not present in flavor.

M: Nice and full bodied.

O: Good dubbel but I think I'm not the biggest fan of the style. Gotta give it a few more times.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 02:27:18 | More by JerseyKirk

DoubleJ

California

3.23/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

After a horrific episode with Alexander Keith's, I'm going to "dubbel" or nothing with Flying Fish. On to the beer:

Light chocolate brown with smudges of orange mixed in. The head forms ½ inch thick on top, but slowly dwindeles to a small lace. While mild, there is some good in the nose; raisins, vague chocolate, a pleasant fume of alcohol which gives it a wine-like character. There's also a noticable sour character that gives it an aroma similar to vomit.

Some pear and dates to start off the taste. Mild doses of chocolate covered raisin helps stave off mediocrity. The longer the sip, the more chocolatey it becomes. The body is light-medium and flabby.

Not bad, though very run-of-the-mill by dubbel standards.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 06:32:29 | More by DoubleJ

erosier

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

L: Pours a nice hazy orange copper color with a tall and thick off white colored head that laces the glass nicely on the way down.
S: Smells of sweet toasted and roasted malts, hints of sweet and slightly sour fruits, and then a slight yeast aroma at the end.
T: Tastes of a nice sweet toasted and roasted malt backbone, followed by a myriad of fruit flavors, a hint of alcohol, and some yeast flavors.
M: Smooth, rich, medium bodied, perfect amount of carbonation, slightly warming.
D: Very drinkable, overall this was actually one of my favorite Dubbels.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 14:18:04 | More by erosier

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Love the super-hazy, fog-choked bronzed brown liquid, which hosts an off-white head that, while not huge, clings to the sides of the glass like a tree frog.

Decent enough smell, a mingling of mineral, alcohol, sweet spices, Belgian (or Belgian-esque) yeast, and light notes of milk chocolate. There's something lingering that's kind of strange, a damp, musty smell somewhere between basement and seaweed.

Flavor is indeed dubbel-ish, bringing in all those basic traits detected in the smell (mineral, alcohol, spices, yeast, chocolate) with an additional herbal component, fruit (generic fruit, because I can't come up with a particular one this reminds me of), a dab of black tea, toffee, and a slightly minty kick that I'll guess is the hops.

Just slightly over-carbonated for my liking, but not an impediment either. Still soft enough, and with a slickness that makes it go down very easy.

Maybe not 100% authentic, but then this is a New Jersey dubbel, and they've come up with a cool twist on the style. My third Flying Fish offering, and the brewery is "good" to "excellent" in my book so far.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 19:52:48 | More by Metalmonk

MbpBugeye

Ohio

2/5  rDev -43.3%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Given to me by InebriatedJoker, thanks Mike!

Appearance
Not really that pretty of a beer. Its murky looking. It's at about an 85% cloudiness it seems; some parts of the glass seem like they want to be clear. The head was tough to coax out, and had no retention.

Aroma
There is a predominate dark fruit aroma; its not fresh, but rather rotty and odd. There is also some cocoa here and there as well as grass hop notions.

Taste
A little bit of the cherry fruitness that I attribute to a good dubbel is here, but again, its an old and rotting fruitiness. Odd nips of cocoa and root beer or cola come around. The finish showcases more of those mushed up cherry notes, a little bit of cherry stem and some alcoholic notions.

Mouthfeel
Carbonation isn't running rampant, but it still manages to be very sharp. Aside from that the body does nothing. There's no good rich fullness to it, once you swallow its all gone.

Overall
I'm an Abbey Ale purist and this is another fine example of American brewers not having a damn clue how to brew them. Not a disgusting beer, but way, way off the mark.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 01:06:32 | More by MbpBugeye

ommegangpbr

New York

3/5  rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

American brewed dubbels tend to make me skeptical. This rendition keeps me wary. Kinda coarse and hamfisted all around. Drinks more like an amber ale to me than a dark ale. The sugars just don't seem right for the style, neither does the quality of the bitterness. Sweet black tea notes, not particularly well brewed black tea at that.
I'd be curious to see what this is like on tap but as it stands I am unlikely to pick up a six pack of this anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 04:30:35 | More by ommegangpbr

Halcyondays

California

3.63/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a medium brown with a medium white head, good retention, light lace. Looks the part.

S: Some weird lemon fruitiness initially but blows off to reveal a nice brown maltiness.

T: Brown sugar with a bit of acidity. Some lemon, nice ending flavour.

M: Soft Belgian carbonation, a very Belgian mouthfeel for an American dubbbel which is impressive, medium-bodied.

O: It gets a little fermentation crazy at times, but the mouthfeel is excellent and the flavour is solid. The price is right, so worth a pickup.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 05:26:43 | More by Halcyondays

KyleVick4

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Pours with a two-finger thick tan head. Subtle cascading effect. Head quickly dissapates but leaves slight lacing down the sides. Murky brown in color.

S: Brown sugar up front with a hint of spice. Sweetness in there too.

T: Mmmmm. Just the right touch of alcohol with a strong, but not overpowering, coriander component. Brown sugar sweetness apparent.

M: Great drinking beer. Carbonation on the lighter side (as it should be!) with a rich silkiness for the style. Medium body and seems to simply disappear from the glass...

O: Great job guys. An excellent easy drinking, but high quality beer for the ages. I will buy this again and again. I just wish it were colder

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 00:45:46 | More by KyleVick4

Guden

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A- Light brown with a weak tan head, a little hazy, not great but appetizing enough.

S- Cherries, brown sugar and raisins mingle with soft earthy components. Pretty appetizing.

T- Very much like the nose but with added subtle spice in the finish. Awesome.

M- Medium body and creamy soft carbonation lends to this one being a great sipper.

D- Pretty smooth but balanced, could have more now and will definitely have again. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 18:22:03 | More by Guden

mralphabet

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass.

A: Ruby brown with about a fingers worth off-white head, settles pretty quickly with little to no lacing at all.

S: Sweet caramel malt, alcohol and a touch of brown sugar.

T: Following up the nose... there is that pleasant smelling caramel, good sweet malt and a touch of raisin and brown sugar in the finish. The ABV is showing up also...

M: Very smooth and creamy. Medium to full bodied and good carbonation.

D: Very good tasting brew here... the 7% ABV is all there... Hell it feels like more than 7%.... Due to this this is a one and done for me. Worth looking for.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 03:59:46 | More by mralphabet

kenatbeerswap

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a 12oz bottle to a pint glass.

A: nice amber reddish color with half finger of head that disappeared quickly.

S: raisin, caramel and toasted aroma.

T: raisiny with slight dark fruity flavor and a hint of spiciness. fair amount of malt flavor coming through.

M: medium body with low to moderate carbonation.

O: nice malty beer with sweetness and raisiny flavor standing out.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 03:49:17 | More by kenatbeerswap

MrOH

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Ruddy brown, hazy, very little head. No lace.

Very malty, raisins, treacle, pastry, caramel. Great aroma, hope there is more of this in the palate.

Bready malts, raisins, caramel. Sweet and vinous. I just wish it was a bit more intense.

Medium bodied, low carbonation.

Pretty decent. Not my favorite dubbel, but I've had worse.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 23:25:12 | More by MrOH

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

kinda light for the style but with a nice dense beachsand colored head that sticks around a while at one-fingered height and leaves just a bit of lacing.

lots of leather and dark fruits (raisins, dates, figs) as well as some yeasty spice.

pretty smooth malty flavor with dark fruits and a touch of peppery spice. thats kind of it. lacks the complexity of the authentic examples of the style.

slightly velvety mouthfeel with a syrupy feel. carbonation is good, but doesn't come close to the Belgians.

its good, easy drinking, and has some decent flavors, but nothing to make me revisit.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 04:34:21 | More by silentjay