Grimbergen Dubbel - Brouwerij Alken-Maes

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - A deep ruby red with a finger and a half of resilent head that leaves rings of lacing behind.

S - Bing cherries lead the aroma with dates and red grapes as well. A mild grassiness and . . . well, it also smells a little like wheat. Just a hint of alcohol when it is warmer.

T - A slightly bittersweet malt flavor in the foretaste with a substantive cherry flavor and a smooth mildly grassy bitter finish with a touch of lingering cherries..

M - Medium bodied with a bit of a stinging from high carbonation, but that only lasts through the early sips. Quite refreshing.

D - A great dubbel. I really enjoy this style (much more than the tripel), I wish more American breweries would pick it up. It is pleasant enough and cheap enough to drink regularly. A tad strong to session, but I would do it! A versatile flavor for food. This is a great beer.

Note: I was a little worried that this was old since it had 2001 printed on the bottle (I might have misread the code though). It certainly tasted as if it still had several more years left in it.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2006 22:59:26 | More by mrasskicktastic

BDF2000

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +19.4%

06-16-2013 01:28:07 | More by BDF2000

DbbC

Illinois

4/5  rDev +6.1%

06-15-2013 01:38:13 | More by DbbC

williahd

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

06-11-2013 00:17:49 | More by williahd

safaricook

Netherlands

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

06-09-2013 15:47:06 | More by safaricook

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle. A particularly difficult beer to pin down, origins-wise. I assume that this beer, brewed at Alken Maes, is owned by Kronenbourg, as that is what this bottle says. And oh, the same 'glucose syrup' that invades their Blanc 'witbier' is present here. Yay.

This beer pours a clear, dark ruby amber hue, with three fingers of puffy, loosely foamy beige head, which leaves a seriously random array of grotesquely layered, sudsy lace around the glass as it evenly subsides.

It smells of tame Belgian yeast, a bit of bittersweet chocolate, faintly roasted caramel malt, an ethereal nuttiness, a touch of weak clove, and a mostly dry earthy hoppiness. The taste is fairly sweet caramel malt, lightly stewed raisins, a still subtle oily nut essence, Zeller's brand figs, a hint of generic sugary red grape juice, and a soft earth yeastiness. I was ready to wank on further, but this beer just sort of stopped, and thus, so did I.

The bubbles are pretty sedate, the body mostly medium in weight, and smooth, I suppose, a certain hard to pin down astringency rising and falling. It finishes on the sweet side, as a NutraSweet kind of sugary character finally bursts forth, among the lingering veritable caramel malt, yeast-enabled dark fruitiness, and very timid earthy, more than noble hops.

A 'dubbel', sure, but in a rather newbie, weakly pandering manner. Complexity seems lost on this one, and the adjunct ingredients, while not overly apparent, still add little to the mix, if at all. Easy enough to drink, but hardly up to the measure of almost any other true Belgian offering of the sort.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 02:31:41 | More by biboergosum

mttaylor1066

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

This variation on the dubbel style is classic, IMO. If you want to have a double dubbel, this is the single Belgian for you.

Poured into a crystal water glass. Dark cola in appearance with a nicely formed mousse that lingers and laces the glass.

The nose is Belgian yeast and lightly roasted malt.

The taste is not nearly as dark as the color. A sweet malt base with enough hop bitterness to keep it light on the palate. Perhaps it is the color, but I taste old-fashioned cola nut. This is not a very difficult beer to understand or enjoy.

Mouthfeel is like a fizzy American-style ale. It's not as languid as the other Belgians. Enjoyable.

One of my standby ales, if I don't know what I want in the liquor store I know that I'll be pleased with a six pack of this in the refrigerator.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 21:29:09 | More by mttaylor1066

Mervin

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +6.1%

06-03-2013 21:48:42 | More by Mervin

Miha

Slovenia

4/5  rDev +6.1%

06-01-2013 20:23:50 | More by Miha

Boone757

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

05-31-2013 23:38:16 | More by Boone757

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

05-25-2013 23:28:35 | More by Slatetank

kvnstfrd

Missouri

2/5  rDev -46.9%

05-23-2013 04:45:15 | More by kvnstfrd

pin

Australia

2.5/5  rDev -33.7%

05-21-2013 21:37:48 | More by pin

Blindpigbiz

California

3.24/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Style/abv: dubbel/6.5%

Smell: cacao, water, malts and a spit of caramel

Taste: tart green grapes, slightly effervescent water, slight hints of toffee and celery alongside bitter malts, raw almonds, and a pinch of caramel syrup

All-in-all, this beer was slightly disappointing to me due to the flavors within the beer counter acting each others positive qualities. However, the latter is just my opinion and I encourage everyone to try something at least twice: once for curiosity and twice for the hell of it

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 20:52:27 | More by Blindpigbiz

hotsudge

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%

05-18-2013 01:53:33 | More by hotsudge

kylehay2004

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

05-18-2013 00:18:31 | More by kylehay2004

polloenfuego

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +6.1%

05-17-2013 20:55:40 | More by polloenfuego

Ciocanelu

Romania

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-16-2013 20:57:35 | More by Ciocanelu

Keegan

Germany

3/5  rDev -20.4%

05-11-2013 17:19:09 | More by Keegan

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-10-2013 03:41:40 | More by NightINgale

Beerswag

California

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-08-2013 20:48:19 | More by Beerswag

Dave1999

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a transparent reddish brown with a foamy white head.

The smell is cloves and yeast.

The taste is sweet and malty. Pretty one dimensional but fairly tasty.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall a fairly nice if unremarkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 04:07:09 | More by Dave1999

pkenkman

Estonia

4/5  rDev +6.1%

05-01-2013 20:56:06 | More by pkenkman

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

The beer brings a dark-amber body, and the almost-white neck is not as well-retained as expected, given the style. The aroma has strong caramel notes, with toasty and cherry-like ideas in the background. The alcohol is (too) perceptible. The finish is short and smooth, leaving a subtle hop presence. It's a good beer, but not fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 03:17:31 | More by HabiMendes

randylangford

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.1%

04-26-2013 22:52:04 | More by randylangford