Grimbergen Dubbel - Brouwerij Alken-Maes

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into one of my Bruery Tulips.

A: Pours a murky, moderately-dark shade of brown, with a big thick off-white head on top.

S: Sweet smelling, malted barleys and candied sugars.

T: There's a great tart sourness here that I found no trace of in the nose. Candied sugars and a touch of dates are expertly balanced with a grape-like sourness that works well here. It gives this beer some character, and helps it avoid falling into the common trap of being "overly sweet and yeasty".

There's a spiciness on the back end that reminds me a bit of ginger or maybe pepper. It stays within bounds and doesn't overwhelm at any point.

M: Good mouthfeel here. Light, lively, good carbonation, creams up nicely in the mouth, finishes dry. Everything I'd look for.

D/O: This is good. I liked it, and would have it again. That said, 20 Liters is a lot... and I'm not sure if I would enjoy an entire keg of it. As I worked through the glass, the sweetness began to overwhelm the sourness, and what little bitterness exists on the back end is woefully inadequate to stand up to the other flavors here. In summary: Good, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 21:46:19 | More by psuKinger

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

dar482

New York

3.36/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

It's a good middle for a dubbel.

The taste has some malt, sweet dark fruits, a good carbonation. It has a foamy lacing. It is really drinkable, but is really is drinkable. It's not a bad thing, but I think it should have more bitter, sweet, and complexity.

Compared to Chimay Rouge, it's lacking, but decent and quite accessible.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2013 02:58:18 | More by dar482

allstar255

California

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

04-23-2013 21:53:54 | More by allstar255

OUJayhawk1799

Oklahoma

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

04-22-2013 17:38:18 | More by OUJayhawk1799

Bonna

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

04-21-2013 02:31:06 | More by Bonna

shehateme

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%

04-18-2013 23:48:17 | More by shehateme

intoxabroad

British Columbia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

04-13-2013 11:59:00 | More by intoxabroad

beernads

Florida

4/5  rDev +6.1%

04-11-2013 07:11:42 | More by beernads

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.61/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Grimbergen Double has a very thick, beige, pillowy head and a fairly clear, reddish-brown, bubbly appearance, with lots of heavy lacing left behind. The aroma is very fruity, spiced, sweet, and bready. The flavor is of sugary, spiced, bread crust, with a subdued bitterness in the background. The mouthfeel is between light and medium, and Grimbergen Dubbel finishes semi-dry, mellow, and highly drinkable. Overall, this is a very enjoyable beer, and I rate it most excellent.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 21:27:48 | More by RonaldTheriot

Rohkey

Michigan

4/5  rDev +6.1%

04-02-2013 21:05:22 | More by Rohkey

bacasnax

Florida

4/5  rDev +6.1%

03-31-2013 23:21:01 | More by bacasnax

rcjennings

Ohio

4/5  rDev +6.1%

03-24-2013 00:20:50 | More by rcjennings