Allagash Dubbel Ale - Allagash Brewing Company

Minkybut

Virginia

2.85/5  rDev -25%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

I poured this yukky beer into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer was cloudy, amber in color and poured a nice frothy tan head. The smell was nice whispering notes of creamy caramel and nutty goodness that makes you just want to bite it. Then you drink it and the dream is over. SOUR yuk, SOUR beer. Abbey sourness I can't stand. I will not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 16:19:41 | More by Minkybut

harrymel

Washington

3.14/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Bottled: unk

Browk with cherry hues, some central foam. Smells of traditional belgian yeast: sweet, some malts, some cheery, almond and a touch of shock coller. Medium bodied with thigh, higher carb and forward carb with a semi dry fnish. I'd drink aggain but 'I'm not likely to order again in a pub.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 08:15:51 | More by harrymel

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.66/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Great amber color. Hazy. Thin off white head dissipates to a film. Not much lacing to speak of. Aroma of wheat and some hops. Little bit of citrus comes through the nose also. Bready and bitter in taste with mild hints of fruit. Like the aroma tasted wheat. Starts off malty and evolves into hops towards the finish. Dry finish with some aftertaste. Medium body and silky in the mouth. Not my cup of tea, reminds me too much of a wheat beer but it was pretty well balanced and not awful.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 01:24:37 | More by Burkbom23

GuzzLah

Illinois

3.46/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a hazy amber with almost no head. Moderate bubbles.

S - mild aroma of Belgian yeast and soft spice. Nothing much from the hops.

T - soft citrus and caramel malt. Tangy and slightly dry.

M - low-medium body, creamy, moderate carbonation and low bitterness.

O - not the greatest example of the style, but not bad either. Flawless, smooth and quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:47:48 | More by GuzzLah

bensbeers

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served from a bottle into a snifter. Color is between ruby red and mahogany with a loose off-white head; slightly hazy; low retention; minimal-moderate lacing. Aroma is mostly sweet; candy, caramelized sugar; a hint of floral, earthy hops. Taste is a mellow sweetness; can definitely taste the Belgian yeast; nutty with a hint of banana; a little boozy. Feel is pretty light; carbonation is nice; no lingering aftertaste.

Overall, not too impressed with this. Glad I tried it, but was hoping for a better offering from Allagash. The smell and taste were lacking. Maybe they were trying to understate these two components, but it didn't keep my interest. Will move on to try their Tripel and Quad soon. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:06:10 | More by bensbeers

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured into goblet.

A - Classic look of Belgian dubbel. Nice head, beautiful color, nice lacing on glass.

S - Pretty standard smell, but maybe just a tad light.

T - Enjoyable (especially at first). Maybe just a tad thin and watery. Still, the malty and bready flavors come through.

M - While the taste is thin, the mouth is not quite so. Pretty standard medium body.

O - This is an enjoyable beer, but certainly not in the elite of dubbels. I won't avoid it in the future, but I do prefer Allagash's Tripel.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 01:37:37 | More by Beer-A-Lot

Immortale25

Florida

4.54/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter. No readable freshness date.

A- Pours a dark copper color with a 1/2 inch light tan head that retains well before sitting down at a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a mostly full sheet of surface foam. Resilient sheet of lacing slides slowly down the glass.

S- Belgian yeast brings notes of banana and bubble gum and the carbonation provides nice effervescence. Also some mild spice and a twinge of wild funk.

T- Bready malt melds with yeasty richness and some herbal spice. Has a clean taste with very little hop characteristic. Alcohol is incredibly well-subdued creating a very smooth drink. Speaking of smoothness, there's a slight butter flavor that bounces off the sweetness. Soft notes of toffee and caramel.

M- A bit spritzy from the medium-high carbonation. The body is about as medium as it gets.

O- One of the best dubbels I've ever had, if not the best.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 03:57:34 | More by Immortale25

thlayli87

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Cloudy reddish amber color with thin head. No lacing.

S - Toffee and chocolate malt aromas.

T - Chocolate, roasty malts, bread, hint of lemon, and some alcohol.

M - Fairly light bodied.

O - The flavor profile is excellent but the mouthfeel is a little thin. I would have appreciated a little more thickness. Good representation of the style. Would not hesitate to buy again.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 22:05:35 | More by thlayli87

barnzy78

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle 2642 13:40 is printed on the label. I emailed the brewery for curiosity's sake and they say it was bottled on 9/21/2012.
Pours amber in color topped with a frothy, ivory colored head that holds decent retention & leaves some lacing on the glass. Aromas are fruity and malty with caramel and bready yeast. Tastes are sweet with caramel, brown sugar, fruity and spicy Belgian yeast, but a little medicinal and metallic especially on the finish. Body is medium, while being nice and creamy. Overall, I've had better from Allagash, but this was decent.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 23:19:57 | More by barnzy78

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a gorgeous hazy amber color with a nice stream of carbonation rising up from the center. The head is a thick, frothy two finger offwhite color that retains itself quite well. As it slowly recedes, a beautiful but slight layer of lacing is left on the glass. This is everything a good dubbel should look like, period.

S: Classically bready, with a great balance between yeast and malts. There's also a nice amount of candied sugar, apple, pear, and chocolate. While subtle, it gives off a nice vibe of apple pie.

T: Sweet sugars come first, before transitioning gradually into a neutral, bready finish. A little on the simple side, but the balance here is top caliber. A faint touch of hops give it a perfect amount of bitterness to neutralize the candied sugar. Given a chance to warm up, a modicum of complexity makes itself known - and it's just enough to keep the beer interesting.

M: Clean, dry, and - dare I say - refreshing. Palate tingling astringency appears on the aftertaste, giving off said refreshment ability instead of weighing it down. A great beer to savor in spite of its initially light impression.

O: Really hard to complain about this one. This hits a nice balance between being clean and being complex. An excellent example of a 'subtle' beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 21:51:22 | More by ThisWangsChung

portia99

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml corked and caged bottle (batch 101) poured into an Allagash stemmed glass.

A - Pours a slightly reddish but mostly brownish amber color with an even neutral clarity that shows a steady stream of carbonation bubbles over a mostly translucent haze. Two fingers of fluffy pale khacki head lingers for several minutes, eventually working its way to the surface only to leave behind a thick web of lacing.

S - A bit metallic up front with lots of fruity esters. I actually get quite a bit of candied apples with the mix of lightly tart fruit and some nice caramelly malt. A mix of spices including cinnamon that enhances the candy apple impression. Low level, clean hop bitterness, bready grain, hints of Belgian yeast.

T - Rich malty base with Belgian yeast character up front. Surprisingly assertive hop bitterness, clean and crisp. Spicy and fruity with the apple character of the aroma finding a prominant home in the flavor as well...also getting some raisins too. Cinnamon, candy sugar and caramel malt carry into the flavor profile too. No real alcohol is noticeable.

M - Medium/full bodied. Complex blend of malt, spicy Belgian yeast character, fruity esters, and hop bitterness. Super well balanced and surprisingly easy drinking for such a full beer.

O - This really is a great Dubbel. I find that many in the style are over the top malty and way too sweet for my liking. I'm struck the incredible balance found here. This is one of those beers that I see on the shelf all of the time and just pass over. Very happy that somebody gave this to me for a Christmas gift...otherwise I would have probably continued to ignore this fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 01:10:33 | More by portia99

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Samuel Adams pint glass. Purchased at Nikki's liquors in north providence , rhode island.

A - pours a clear copper body with a nice 2.5" white head that leaves little lacing.

S- Belgian spices, banana, wheat, lemon. Fresh and inviting.

T- citrus, cloves, yeast, big smokeyness with an odd metallic aftertaste.

M- medium low carbonation, medium heavy body

Overall this was a delicious brew with a clean, balanced finish. I didn't expect anything less from allagash. An excellent interpretation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 04:14:26 | More by gcamparone

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours reddish brown with a tan foam head. It lasted more than expected, but left no lace.

Stuck my nose in over the course of drinking the entire beer, and got a much more limited nose than I expected. Some fruit and brown sugar at best, some light booze.

Brown sugar, burnt sugar, some dark fruit, nuts, and a little earthy bitterness. The booze is slightly there. The balance between sweet and bitter is very good, with neither dominating. The biggest surprise is how this one just seems to dry out, finishing lightly bitter and nutty. This makes this very drinkable.

Fuller bodied, but this one has some carbonation to keep it feeling lighter.

Overall, a solid domestic dubbel. Wonderful balance but lacks a bit of punch. Still, very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 12:18:17 | More by OtherShoe2

mgironta

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This brew poured with almost no head, except for a hint of white capping the dark orange cloudy body. Mild carbonation was visible on the brew. The nose had hints of spices and dark fruit. A bit of the typical Belgian smells, but pretty subdued. The taste was definite dark fruits with some booze. I also got some spice and breadiness to it. The other odd thing I got was a bit of a metallic taste. A bit of brown sugar and caramel comes out towards the end. The metallic taste really lingers with the finish. This brew was a bit of a let down. I wouldn’t rush back to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 01:27:15 | More by mgironta

Gatch

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Amber in color with a fizzy, quickly building and fading off-white head. Very little lace and retention.

S: Nicely roasted malt, yeast, some grass/barn, light fruit, faint hops.

T: Everything in the nose. The fruity flavors and yeast come together to create a balanced Dubbel with a slightly hoppy but cloying finish.

M: Good carbonation, dried fruit finish, but a little cloying although not detracting from the overall experience.

O: Fine stuff. I haven't had many beers of this style but it seems to be a consistent, middle-of-the-pack example.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 02:38:04 | More by Gatch

curasowa

New York

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Rich, copper color with lots of carbonation and two fingers of head that fades slowly with a curtain of lace.

Aroma: Tangy yeast, lemon rind and some phenolic hints.

Taste: A slightly astringent malt base is the starting point, with flashes of grapefruit bitterness and a nice yeast funk. The bitterness shows up a bit more on the way out, along with some hints of fruitiness, leading to a mildly astringent but otherwise pretty clean finish.

The Rest: Medium bodied and well balanced, this is a stand-up dubbel.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 00:42:01 | More by curasowa

Ikilledbill

3.28/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a wine glass, (only big mouth glass i had)

A- A clear light red, dark orange color...almost like a sunset beer

S- When cold you can pick up the malty chocolate notes and the yeast at the end of the smell. As i was drinking it and the beer became warmer you could smell the dark fruits and sweetness of the beer and a dull chocolate smell. I can honestly say it smelled more appealing cold rather than warm for me.

T- I enjoy the taste of this but it does not blow my socks off. Right off the bat you get the malty notes and then you are hit with a sweetness that is a bit over the top. I get a bit of more of a burnt chocolate or wood taste right before the dry finish. The dry finish does helps by diminishing the sweetness.

M- The mouthfeel is not thick and creamy which for the taste profile is a good thing for this beer. If this beer coated my palate I would probablly not enjoy it much. Refreshing and dry finish.

O- I would definitley drink this and recommend it to freinds and family. I would not seek out this beer in stores though. A bit sweet for me. I like it because of the malt profile and the belgian yeast spice...but again the sweetness did not do it for me...I would give this a solid B

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 22:09:57 | More by Ikilledbill

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle (batch 3411 date stamp 12:37) poured into a tulip glass. Slow pour to keep most of yeast behind mostly succeeded, but some sediment came along with the pour.

Appearance: Translucent coppery-orange-brown color. Off white persistent thin head with nice persistent strands of lacing.

Smell: One must really let this one warm up to let the aroma out. Not a lot of anything when first poured cold, but as it warms up I get some yeast, dark fruits, and just the barest hint of something smoky and roasted (borderline burnt). Even when warmed up the aroma is a bit weak.

Taste: A mix of interesting flavors. Caramelized malt, bitter coffee, spicy notes, slight metallic taste, some woody notes. Hard to pull them out and in what order I get them.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, airy carbonation - a little bit of lingering on the teeth though.

Overall / Drinkability: I wonder if this one was past due - I can't tell since the batch and date code are meaningless to me. It's not really wowing me but it's not bad - a bit weak in the aroma dept. and the blend of tastes isn't quite doing it for me, but it's interesting enough I'm glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 00:09:59 | More by damndirtyape

larryi86

Delaware

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle batch 94 poured into a goblet

A- A reddish-brown with a one finger off-white head.

S- Red wine, dark fruits, a little bit of coffee, caramel malts.

T- Dark fruits, figs and plums, hint of red wine, Belgian yeast, bready, and a slightly bitter earthy/coffee finish.

M- Very smooth, slightly creamy, medium body.

O- A nice easy drinking dubbel worth picking up.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 01:32:53 | More by larryi86

Greenmachine07

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- brownish dark with a hint of head and small lacing

S-almost like a tripel with a hint of bread and fruit

T-very complex, tart apple taste with a bit of citrus. very clean crisp taste. resembles almost a slice of pie.

O-good beer with a depth of flavor. you have to think about this one its not all in the taste. there are layers that came out past the one year mark seeing as i have had one fresh from the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 00:33:25 | More by Greenmachine07

tdm168

North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - dark amber with a thin layer of loose, white head

S - faint caramel, faint baked apples

T - baked apples, caramel, bread, faint spice

M - medium bodied, well carbonated, smooth

This is a delicious beer. The flavor is complex, yet drinkable. I will definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 01:40:31 | More by tdm168

kagent777

Utah

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle traded from SonofaLime, thanks Micheal. Poured into my beer goblet.

Appearance: Very nice clear amber with a 1/2 finger white head of tiniest bubbles. This leaves some nice lacing.

Smell: Bubblegum, clove and some banana from the yeast. A little bit of band aid medicinal type hops.

Taste: The taste mirrors the smell with some tasty maltiness added. The taste is sweet but not cloying. The malts seem bready to me. The finish is long.

Mouthfeel: The body was medium with a velvety soft mouthfell. The carbonation was lower. The finish was long but not intense.

Overall: I have not had many dubbels but I really did enjoy this beer. I need to try more of this style. Utah does not carry Allagash, so I will try others, but will certainly have this again when I have a chance.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 04:35:49 | More by kagent777

mooseo

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into goblet.

A - Dark ruby brown with a minimal off white head.

S - Pleasant aroma of dark fruits, banana, and Belgian candy sugar.

T - Delicious mix of dark fruits, Belgian sugar, and roasted bready malts. Slight hints of Belgian yeast and earthy bitter hops towards the finish. This is a really good dubbel.

M - Very smooth and creamy. Medium-full in body with adequate carbonation.

O - Impressive brew. Nice complexity, robust flavor. Very true to the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 02:50:13 | More by mooseo

videofrog

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured carefully from a 750ml corked & caged bottle into a Chimay goblet. Swirled yeast sediment for 2nd pour. Batch #94 indicated on the bottle. Found this sitting at room temp on a shelf in TX (Allagash pulled out ~1 yr ago.)

A: A deep amber color with lighter reddish oranges on the edge. Almost a finger of off-white head. Little to no lacing.

S: A bit muted, but I get caramel, brown sugar, and dark fruits.

T: Strong caramel, toasted grains, and brown sugar. The fruits seem to be plum and raisin. Slight tang of Belgian yeast. Very slight hop bitterness in the finish.

M: Medium carbonation, a bit chewy. Quite smooth.

O: Was worried about this sitting at room temp for so long, but I really enjoyed it. I'd choose Chimay Red over this, but it was cool to get Allagash in Texas right now, especially a style that should hold up for a few years.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 04:19:13 | More by videofrog

kylehay2004

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: thick 3 finger off white head on a brown with maroon hues body.

S: bread, yeast, caramel malts, touch of dark fruit, fig/apricot.

T: strong on the bready side with sweetness from caramel malts and toffee with the mildest of brown sugar notes.

M: light to medium body and moderate carbonation. this is a lot thinner and watery than I would expect.

Overall: this one is a little too thin for me and what I expect from the genre with the taste seemly held back. I have had better Dubbels. This isnt quite up to par with the other Allagash brews I have had.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 23:35:44 | More by kylehay2004