Stoudt's Abbey Double Ale - Stoudts Brewing Co.

oberon

North Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Ppurs a medium to dark brown with some orange hues,the head was somewhat dissapointing was gone in a flash,aroma was lightly chocolaty and medicinal.Taste wasnt as rich as alot of the beers of the style,there is some sugary sweetness but seemed somewhat watered down with real subdued flavors.Very easy to drink for a dubbel but thats because it seems a bit thin.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2004 01:16:49 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Vintage 7/18/02. A hazy brown body is topped by a full and foamy tan head that holds quite well and leaves some nice lace. The nose is welcoming with sweetish notes of caramel, dark fruit, and a lightly tart note. The body is medium/light with a very fine and gently effervescent carbonation that's lightly zesty on the tongue. The flavor emphasises a lightly tart fruitiness over maltiness, although some gently sweet caramel and mild toastiness comes through as it crosses the palate. The bitterness is well restrained. It finishes with an interesting spiciness that comes out of nowhere and adds to it's complexity; as well as a crisp and gently tart apple-like fruitiness that's followed by some lingering, sweet, caramel and fruit notes. Very nice finish! However, I don't recall the tartness being such a large aspect of this beer, and I've had it a few times in the past... I wonder if this bottling is a bit "off"? Regardless, there's more character and complexity to the beer in front of me than the one I remember. Nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2003 18:24:52 | More by NeroFiddled

WesWes

New York

4.05/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark ruby color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice malty scent that boasts of pale and crystal malts and a refreshingly fruity Belgian yeast aroma. The taste is good. It has a rich malty flavor with a creamy, yet really tart finish. It goes down quick and has great mouthfeel. It is a full bodied beer with good carbonation. This is an unique brew. It has a really tart aftertaste. It drinks well for the style; very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2004 00:41:04 | More by WesWes

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A corked and capped 750 mL bottle purchased at the brewery just before Christmas.

A: The bottle opens with a loud pop and pours with a bubbly black tea color. As the ale settles, it takes on a dark brown hue that has enough sediment that clarity is thrown out the window. The head was never sizeable and sits as a small pool atop the glass.

S: The aroma is a delectable blend of raisins and plums, some dry cherry and plenty of candi sugars that have a fuller, darker aroma.

T: Fruity, dry, slightly funky. This dubbel offers it all. The first flavors to register are dark alefruits: the raisins and plums and dates. A Belgian yeast strain adds a distinct dryness, an almost but not quite tart flavor. Candi sugars come in near the end and give a dark sweetness to the beer that nicely combats the yeasty dryness.

M: Sweet and full of flavors, this beer does the dubbel style right. I hadn't had this one in years but it is as good as I remember.

D: The alcohol is low but also well hidden. The full flavors make for a very enjoyable bottle. I;m gonna have to nab a couple more of these.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 01:25:33 | More by akorsak

Jason

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Capped 750ml brown bottle, vintage date of 06/04/03 … this is the packaging date.

Appearance: Creamy thin lace, the deep murky brown leaves the rest of the sense intrigued.

Smell: Brown malt in the nose, hints of cake and vanilla with a touch of spicy yeast in the back.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Long lasting twang of fermented toasted malt, faded sourness barley meets the threshold of flavour. Meek hop bitterness is met by a light yet ready spicy phenol, more sweetness is followed by a ripe fruitiness with black currants in the back. Dry and a tad husky, even in the sweetness, in the finish.

Notes: A tasty double, @ $6 a pop it is certainly worth it … a perfect pairing with a hearty beef stew or a gamy meat.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2004 03:36:48 | More by Jason

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

765ml (1pt, 9.87oz) bottle from unknown source, maybe Yankee/Sturbridge. Vintage date 6/4/03.

Poured into a large glass chalice, with little to no head over the clear reddish amber brew. Brew is leggy, but no lacing to be had. Aroma is deeply malty, with dark fruits present and accounted for as well. Taste follows the nose, starting the rich grains, then omving nicely into the dark fruit character, and the combo fades away upon the close. Mouthfeel is soft over the tongue, still plenty of carbonation, and drinkability is great. Age hasn't hurt this one a bit.

6/23/04 - 4/4/4/4.5/4.5
765ml (1pt, 9.87oz) bottle from Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a dense 1/2" beige head over the reddish amber brew. Laces excellently. Nose is quite malty, with some bits of fruit and alcohol present as well. Taste is the grain backbone upfront, but quickly segues into a tangy fruit flavor. Well balanced. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both good to excellent, with the only limiting factor being the fruit character could get a bit overpowering, possibly.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2008 01:50:55 | More by ppoitras

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage '04 bottle...
Appears a dark mahogany with a small tan head. Spotty lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of yeasty bread, toasted nuts, warm caramel, mild cocoa, vanilla, black plums, raisins, and perhaps a hint of cherries.
Taste is of yeasty bread, along with the aforementioned aromas.
Mouthfeel is slightly fizzy and yeasty along the tongue. Sweet & bready brew. Pretty well balanced.
Please...bring this style back! Even if it's only once a year!

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2006 14:31:02 | More by weeare138

Gusler

Arizona

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep hazy brown, monstrous light brown head, and oodles of thick lace to coat the glass. Nose is fruity sweet, cinnamon, plums, quite a complex nose and as you would guess "Sniffable". Begins sweetly malt, and that touch of cinnamon in the start, the top is reedy; the finish is sparsely hopped, sparingly acidic, droughty aftertaste. A very interesting beer with melded flavors that seem to change with each sip and one decent American Abbey Double.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2002 05:34:32 | More by Gusler

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a hazy deep amber color with a tan head. In the aroma, sweet dark fruit, primarily cherry and a hint of alcohol. In the taste, sweet to dry plum and dark cherry, hints of alcohol as well. A malty and smooth mouthfeel and a dry dark fruity aftertaste. Big alcohol presence, and a not a good representation of style.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2008 08:03:56 | More by OWSLEY069

TheLongBeachBum

California

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

Presentation: A very distinctive looking, and rather uniquely sized bottle at 1 Pint, 9.87 fluid ounces, or 765ml if you’re into metric units. A single obverse label has a gold & copper coloring with the words ‘Stoudt’s Abbey Double’ above it. Labeled as Bottle-Conditioned Ale. A smudged bottom right hand corner of the label states, ‘Vintage Date 6/4/03’.

Appearance: A turbid caramel-brown body, perfectly demonstrating the fact that this beer is unfiltered. A tan colored head quickly forms when poured, and soon settles to a thin collar. Above average carbonation means that the head is easily replenished when the beer is quickly swirled.

Nose: Caramel malts, spices, yeast, dark fruits and some sweet molassic hints at times when the beer is swirled. Average in strength.

Taste: A lovely spicy introduction, that is so typical of the Belgium Dubbel style, is immediately wrapped in a smooth, slightly warming, caramel malt middle. The spices rise in strength towards the middle. I frequently got a tart, sour hint – making me think this could be on the turn. With the smudged date – it’s hard to tell. The ending has a slightly sweet-bitter angle, with a dry yeast aspect – the characterful spice is still there though. Astringent at the death.

Mouthfeel: Above average, smooth and often creamy – but also mildly warming. The tartness I mentioned above puzzles, one minute its there, the next it’s gone.

Drinkability: Very nice, it’s mild warming effect, and spicy aspect lends a fruity dimension to the beer and aids its Drinkability.

Overall: An accomplished example of the style and a decent attempt – the spicy hints from the Belgian yeast makes all the difference I think. Cheers Nero!!

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2003 04:20:42 | More by TheLongBeachBum

ZAP

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Maroon colored...just a whiff of a white lace....big yeasty nose....sour fruits and vinegar....feels pretty smooth and silky in the mouth...body is carbonated high...and on the thicker side of medium...flavor is big on the sour apples...Some sweet plums are also in the mix, laying on top of an almost caramel backdrop... This is a little tart, but definitely complex...a bit of an artificial flavor on the finish....overall not a favorite of mine, but certainly not a horrible dubbel..

02 vintage

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2003 21:34:05 | More by ZAP

francisweizen

Australia

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a dark red, muddy brown brew with a nice tan head of foam. Aromas are across the board and consist of red wine, candy sugar, yeast, various hops and malts, and dark fruits! The taste is a bit boozy, very vinous, spicy, and highly quaffable. This reminds me of Chimay Premiere very much. The mouthfeel is just right, and this stuff is like liquid silk in your mouth. The drinkability is pretty good as well....nice!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2003 19:07:57 | More by francisweizen

merlin48

Kentucky

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Large 765 ml bottle, served slightly chilled. Pours a slightly hazed, orange/brown body with a large, beige head. Very little lacing. I went through three pours because of the size of the bottle(my goblet must have been too small). Final pour revealed considerable, brown sediment which settled to the bottom.

Aroma is nice, but doesn't seem like a Belgian style Abbey Double. Lots of malt notes, with caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and molasses. Some spicy coriander and clove are barely noted in the background.

Mouthfeel is full bodied and has lots of explosive, Belgianesque, carbonation.

Taste begins with spicy clove, which opens the door for a roasted malt assault of toffee, molasses, and rum soaked raisins. Overripe bananas emerge midway through. Vague hops bitterness balances the sweet malty character. Warming alcohol is present most of the way through. Finishes with a danky, yeastiness.

This wasn't, at all, what I expected. The taste is likeable and complex, but seems closer to a spiced dopplebock than an abbey double.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2004 13:09:16 | More by merlin48

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

From a 750 ml bottle with a crown cap. A gift from a friend, the bottle was dated 11/12/01, but it seems to have held up okay. The beer poured an dark amber-brown color with a respectable tan head. It has moderate carbonation and a malt and alcohol aroma. Slight fruit in the background, but also a vinous, winey quality. The beer wasn’t quite as sweet as I anticipated. There is a burnt chocolate and plum and raisin flavor as well. The dryness continued into the finish. Medium body. On the whole, this is a respectable, drinkable beer, but certainly not outstanding. I’d hoped for a little more complexity and depth.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2005 23:42:02 | More by Suds

Mitchster

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle. Vintage date 5-6-02. 7.0% ABV.

Pours out to a clear deep ruby, forming a spongy and creamy dark tan head with excellent retention and average lacing. Adding the yeast gives it a chocolate milk appearance, like murky apple cider and milk mixed together. Carbonation is medium-strong. Aroma can be smelled from an arm's length...Ripe and delicious with a ton of brown bananas, raisins, prunes, black cherries, clove, vanilla...very, very nice. Mouthfeel is tart, clean and lightly dry with a deceavingly light and airy body. Taste is very interesting...begins with immediate clove and banana and dark fruity, then is immediately followed by a surprising sourness...Belgian Funk with a bit of musty dankness, followed by leather, wood and a hint of metal. The finish is dry, clean and fruity/earthy. This is a wonderful brew! The sourness is pleasant, but towards the end of the bottle, the combination of acidity and metals is a little too much, like aluminum foil and lime juice. As it warms, the flavor profile remains constant.

Quite satisfied with my first brew from Stoudt's! I am excited to try their other offerings if and when I can find them. This is an very good and truly unique brew. Kudos to the Stoudt team for making this stuff. Would gladly buy this again. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2004 23:58:23 | More by Mitchster

Boto

Connecticut

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

Draught: Guest Beer @ Northampton Brewery: This one pours an opaque lighter brown color. There was almost no head to it at all. The aroma mainly a caramel sweetness, along with notes of raisins and plums. The taste was akong the same lines, except with a touch of clove to the taste. A hint of bitterness also comes through at the end. Quite nice!

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2005 01:30:09 | More by Boto

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Big ole 750 from last year’s old skool style.

Goes into me tulip with a dark russet cat brown bottle matching pour topped off with an impressive tan khaki frothy head cap, leaving behinf some small sediment particles in the glass.

Spicy aromas of cinnamon and slight bananas

First swigs: Bananas and rum raisin ice cream. A tad of metallic notes. Lingering bready yeasty wheat bread and rye notes. Fruity middle of plum and pear. Almost reminds me of a little quad. Ice cream notes of rum raisin. Wheat cracker.

Full bodied dubble.

Last swigs: Raisins and cinnamon waffles. Hidden ABV %. A fine interpretation of the style.

Beer is good. Happy beering.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2005 05:01:59 | More by blitheringidiot

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

765 ml bottle, aquired at the brewery.

A cloudy brown body, topped by a tan frothy head. Aroma is sweet and fruity, with some apricots and a hint of orange. Taste also features fruits, some dark, some dried, an assortment of spices and a strong yeastiness. Fairly full mouthfeel, but with a shade too much carbonation. Interesting to try, but not one of my favorite Stoudt's brews.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2003 20:48:28 | More by RonfromJersey

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

750 ml bottle, vintage date of 8/02. Pours a dark brown cloudy liquid. Thick tan head disappeared pretty quickly. Not much lace in the goblet. Smells of candy fruit, some spices. Fruity flavors, estery, dry with some spices, maybe some orange peel. Faint chocolate flavor in the finish. Slight warming from alcohol. Moderate carbonation. Overall, not bad. Not one of my favorite styles, but a bargain for the price. Certainly worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2004 02:26:26 | More by Bierguy5

marc77

California

3.7/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Hazed ruddy bister hue. Fluffy, airy, tan head yields frothy, sparse lace. Underbaked sweet biscuit and sour plum hints waft to the nose upfront. Ensuing are subtle, perfumed rose like hints and mild carob. Trace clove. Understated and clean aromawise. In flavor, incipient dark toffee sweetness is followed by a contrasting combination of raisin and underripe fig. Mellow clove phenol along with black licorice hints arise mid palate. Simple, bready, slight musty yeast undertone. A dilute, bland, pecan like impression surfaces as the beer breathes. Comparatively lightly bodied for style, but with adequate dextrins for a gentle, smooth mouthfeel once the initial carbonic bite diminishes. Finishes with a brief cidery snap, but otherwise clean, with fading phenol and simple maltose sweetness. A tame, but well rounded dubbel that lands softly on the palate. Excellent drinkability, but limited savorability.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2004 02:04:48 | More by marc77

granger10

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This beers pours a crimson color with burgundy highlights. Nice volumnous tan head comes and goes. Moderate lacing. Aroma is striking of dark fruits and Belgian candi sugar, I couldn't get much else. Maybe some chocolate notes. Taste was simply not the best. This beer has a very sweet red fruit flavor to it. Reminiscent of communion wine. Yeast doesn't provide the phenolics or flavor depth or contrast I'm looking for. Finish is somewhat artificial and a bit acidic. Body is on the light side. Just not my cup of tea.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2005 11:14:17 | More by granger10

aracauna

Georgia

3.33/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark ruby brown with a good head that lasts awhile. A little bit of melon in the nose, but not a whole lot else other than a slight bit of almost chocolate malt. The flavor is nicely complex, although there’s an unusual tartness involved that I’m not sure I like or not. It does improve as it warms, but the tartness doesn’t go anywhere.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2004 02:25:53 | More by aracauna

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer poured a true mud brown, with no head. Also, while the carbonation was not present to the eye, it was quite fizzy once it hit the mouth. The aroma is like sticking my nose into the spice drawer: cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, ginger. There were also hints of lemon in the beer. The mouthfeel was a bit overcarbonated, but it mellowed out quickly. However, the spices and cloves formed a layer in my mouth which stuck around. Not sure it was all that bad, but different.

PS: The girlfriend likes this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2005 00:46:09 | More by MuddyFeet

CRJMellor

Arkansas

3.6/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours cloudy, dark caramel brown with an off-white head tht ebbs away quickly. Leaves very minor lace on the goblet.
Aroma of caramel, dried plums, fructose with some bread and light yeast notes.
Flavor of sweet, sticky caramel dominates with a little bit fo brown sugar, dark fruits and a touch of spicy yeast.
Mouthfeel is sweet, in fact cloyingly sweet. Not enough alternative notes to cut through the sticky sweetness and balance the beer.
Drinkability i above average but too sweet and one dimensional for style. Decent beer just isn't top-notch.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2004 14:38:37 | More by CRJMellor

Wildman

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured a very dark amber color and formed a nice light tan head that left some lace. Some carbonation present. The aroma was of spices, but tough to decern a particular one. The flavor was of spices. The finish was a bit tangy. An alright beer for this style, but there are better ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2002 19:19:37 | More by Wildman