Petrus Dubbel - Brouwerij Bavik

ThaCreep

Belgium

2.73/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Nose of roasted malt as well as yeast, slightly cellar, which is a think of caramel. Fruits almost non-existent in the nostrils. Brown sugar in the mouth. Slightly sweet, slightly spicy but not as a beautiful way. Finish a little bitter but without much imagination. Dubbel a very classic, nothing transcendent. Basic, too simplistic.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

07-17-2011 09:34:37 | More by ThaCreep

chinchill

South Carolina

3.64/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from an undated brown 33cl bottle into a St. Bernardus snifter, including all of the dark, muddy sediment that didin't remained fixed to the bottom of the bottle. The beer was still rather clear, dark brown in color, with a small tan head. The head soon died to a partial top coat and ring but left the glass nicely coated with lacing with each tilt of the glass.

Sweet and fruity aroma. Sniffing this is the only way one gets a hint that the ABV is over 4-5% (except for some warming).

The flavor is sweet, too much so, with a slight buttery note [diacetyl?] that some would take as a defect. Dark fruit over medium and medium-dark malts with a hints of smoke, cherries, and sherry.

M: Full smooth feel with a bit of astringency and mild alcohol harshness.

O: OK, but compared poorly to the Val-Dieu Dubbel that preceded it.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 00:07:43 | More by chinchill

JEdmund

Kansas

3.93/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A deep shade of brown with an off-white, tan head—good formation, though not much lasting power or lacing

Aroma is primarily toast but with some brown sugar and ale fruitiness too.

Body is slightly thin; carbonation is fine

Smooth, malt-forward ale featuring a rich toasted character; there’s a slight sugar sweetness, as well as some plumb notes. Finish has a slightly off-putting twang to it, but it seems to get better as the beer warms and opens up.

Aside from a few complaints, it’s an otherwise enjoyable, easy-to-drink dubbel and another well-crafted brew from Petrus.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 13:38:40 | More by JEdmund

tdm168

North Carolina

4.19/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - dark amber with a big, loose, soapy, brown head that fades to a thin lacing

S - huge sugary caramel, some fruit

T - big caramel malt, sugary, dessert apples, pie crust, very mild bitter finish

M - medium bodied, some stickiness, well carbonated

This is really an impressive beer. It has a tremendously malty flavor profile. It has an intricate range of flavors that keeps me interested in each sip. There really isn't anything bad to say about this one. It was definitely a good find.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 15:39:50 | More by tdm168

Douberd

Netherlands

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

330 ml bottle, part of a box of six different Petrus beers. ABV 6,5%. Poured into a tulip glass. Two fingers of beige head, with good retention. Body is dark mahogany colour, almost brown. Aroma of malts, chocolate, coffee, a bit of alcohol and clove. Taste is quite sweet, with lots of malts, again some chocolate. No sign of the alcohol on the taste. Very nice. Medium and smooth on the body, light carbonation. Fair amount of dryness on the palate. Very good beer, maybe a bit on the light side but that was not big of a problem.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 17:38:40 | More by Douberd

ventiman

Ohio

4.9/5  rDev +35%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I did not have the joy of seeing them pull for my glass. But this has a nice dark reddish brown with a frothy light brown head. The aroma to me was charming It did smell like well as it read on the menu SPRING WATER with a tinge of caramel and fruit being more dominant. The taste is sweet but not over sweet (No Lindemans Framboise here) nice flav of caramel, dark fruity flavors. The beer is decently heavy with low carbonation, creating somewhat of a syrupy feel.
And no ending back kick taste.
This beer was OK to my sidekick, as he was more into strong IPA hops But to me this was pure heaven. This can be scarey brew as I could had no complaints if the brew waitress had served it in a gallon Mug.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2013 09:55:03 | More by ventiman

JMad

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark reddish brown with a frothy light brown head. The aroma is a kind of different, it smells tangy with caramel and cherry being dominant. The taste is sweet with lots of caramel, dark fruity flavors and some clove spice. The beer is kind of heavy with low carbonation, creating a syrupy feel. This beer was ok but I enjoy the sour Petrus beers more.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 00:34:37 | More by JMad

nickfl

Florida

3.73/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours with a finger and a half of off-white foam on top of an amber-brown body with excellent clarity. The head settles at a moderate pace and leaves light lace.

S - Caramel and light molasses notes brown sugar and a touch of dark fruit.

T - Sweet, dark malt up front with notes of caramel and brown sugar. Some dark fruit in the middle with notes of cherry, plum, and red apple. Finishes with more brown sugar, lightly spicy hops, and a bit of toffee.

M - Medium body, moderately high carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - A bit on the sweet side for the style, but it manages to cover all the standard characteristics. There is dark fruit and a touch of spicy character but the sugary notes dominate. The sweetness leaves it feeling a little flabby, but it isn't overly thick and remains relatively drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 06:22:38 | More by nickfl

superspak

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330 ml bottle into chalice, 40098 bottle code(?). Pours very hazy dark brown color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Good spotta lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of raisin, prune, caramel, molasses, biscuit, earth, toffee, light cocoa, and light yeast spices. Pretty nice aromas with good balance and complexity; maybe a bit metallic at times. Taste of raisin, caramel, prune, chocolate, molasses, biscuit, earth, toffee, and light yeast spices. Lingering notes of dark fruit, caramel, chocolate, molasses, bread, earth, and yeast spices on the finish for a bit. Good flavor balance and complexity; not as complex as others in the style, but it will do. No cloying flavors at all; slightly dry on the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with barely any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very good Dubbel. Not as complex as some; but is nicely balanced and easy to drink. Definitely enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 04:06:16 | More by superspak

pkalix

California

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2nd of the sampler pack. i think it's just OLD STUFF from Total Wine. poured it into the PETRUS sampler pack glass and saw a 1/4" thick black sediment stuck to the bottom of the bottle. took several rinsings of water to get it out. i dont know if this stuff is old, sat in the sun, very low quality, or just sets out to be a strange brew....

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 00:43:53 | More by pkalix

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Pours really dark brown, bordering on black. Very little foam atop. Light cola malt smell, some candi sugar. Taste is a full flavorful malt. Loads of cola taste too, backed by a mild hop. Dark cherries too. As the beer warms, more dark fruit surfaces. Low carbonation. Quite good.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 19:14:15 | More by KTCamm

beergoot

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Lots of rich malted grains and dark fruit notes emanating through a thick, sticky head. Hints of brown sugar and molasses which coincides with the ruby red color of the beer. A slight hint of orange and other citrus hop notes.

Taste comes across with a robust caramel and brown sugar character. Nutty. Barely noticeable bitterness. Medium bodied mouthfeel with some vibrant carbonation on the tongue.

A nice, bold malt-forward beer leaning towards the sweet side of things. Perhaps a tad too sweet, but still tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 02:31:59 | More by beergoot

tony223366

California

3.28/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Not quite as impressive of a head as the Westmalle, but still 2 fingers and tan and fluffy. The beer itself is a darker mahogany with shades of dark red. It seems to be a bit on the murky side. I'm seeing some lacing already but the retention isn't great. Not a bad looking beer by any means.

S: I actually think this beer smells great. I get tons of raisiny dark fruits mixed with a sweet caramel. It does smell a bit on the sweet side but that doesn't make the aroma any worse, just possibly the taste. The alcohol is just gently present on the finish too.

T: The taste is worse than the smell unfortunately. It's very sweet without any nice counterpoints. I get fruits and caramel... and then more caramel. The finish is slightly bitter but it comes out of nowhere. Not a bad beer at all, just a very, very average dubbel.

M: Slick and a little thin. Wish it had just a bit more body and/or carbonation.

O: It's really not BAD, it's just not great. And in a category with tons of amazing competitors.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 04:46:11 | More by tony223366

Pintofbrown

Iowa

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This Bruin was poured into a tulip.

Appearance- The puffy and thick-lidded foam manages a finger in width, easily, before decompressing a little. The retention is decent enough on this maple colored cap.

The body is a deep, dark brown with some red tinged highlights. No lace is evident in the glass.

Smell- Dark fruits are the major player on the nose. There are notes of dates, sour grapes, and raisins. After a few inhales, a sweeter malt that imitates vanilla and brown sugar has a turn.

Taste- Blessed be the beer that has flavor profiles that mimic the nose! First impression is a good one, with the tangy dark fruit and sweet raisin flavors coalescing on the palate.

Further on, a chalky and pear-like Belgian yeast is appreciated. That tangy dark fruit flavor has a way of sticking to the inside of the cheeks: like it more and more with each sip.

The finish is okay, but devolves into an artificial sweetness that is not unlike watermelon bubblegum. If that dark fruit could have rode on with some of that less cloying vanilla that was appreciated on the nose, this Dubbel would be a superb beer.

Mouth feel- Perhaps under carbonated, but I do not mind so much. More bubbles may have helped with that over long, cloying finish. I do think the weight of the body, a staunch medium, is just fine.

Overall- Well, good qualities of the beer are very good: like the dark fruits and raisins that inhabit the flavor profiles. That finish tries really hard to knock this beer off-kilter. And it succeeds in a way.

The finish just hangs on for too long. If the carbonation could be a little more lively, and that tanginess could hang on a little longer, this would really be a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 00:25:29 | More by Pintofbrown

ahq514

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 11.2 oz bottle into St Bernardus chalice.

Pours an amberish brown color with little head, mostly just bubbles at the top of the glass. Appears to have medium carbonation. Not much lacing.

Aroma is mostly of caramel malt, with a slight hint of toffee. Has a tart apple aroma as well. Not much hop aroma. Some signs of dark fruits, but not very dominant.

Almost like a slightly tart dubbel. Actually quite refreshing. Has the elements of a dubbel, but the dark fruits don't stand out as much as I would like. A little bit of caramel malt flavor in there too.

Medium body and just under medium carbonation. Fairly drinkable.

An interesting dubbel. I'm worried I got an off bottle because no one else mentions it has a tartness in their review. But it actually adds a nice element that probably made the beer for me. Otherwise, the dark fruits weren't nearly forward enough, and there wasn't enough carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 05:08:15 | More by ahq514

brewdenver

Colorado

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark in color with strong fingers and good head. Malty smell with a strong raisin and hints of floral. Very pleasant to take in. Delicious beer all throughout. Caramel, raisin malty just a good beer to drink. A little flat for a dubbel imo but still good. Thick and has decent carbonation throughout. This is just a good belgian beer and not recently readily available in the US. Take advantage as long as the price range stays competitive.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 05:13:06 | More by brewdenver

u2carew

Massachusetts

2.83/5  rDev -22%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

11.2oz longneck
A) Pours with a thin tan head that settles out quickly leaving a sticky lacing at the edge of the glass. Deep amber in color. Semi-sticky lacing on the drink down.
S) Brown sugar. Hints of molasses and banana.
T) Caramel malts. Hints of brown sugar and maple syrup. A sweet cola-like taste. Grainy and bitter in the finish.
M) Quite carbonated. Medium body. Dry finish.
O) Not that great. The taste profile is similar to a beer cola. As for characteristics of a Dubbel this brew contains many of them from the hops to the carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 03:01:08 | More by u2carew

smakawhat

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Finally slogging through this mix pack of disappointment, so I might as well ended it on a style that has the tendency to rub me the wrong way from time to time.

A very snapping loud forming head of a nice off caramel color, but it slowly falls and has next to no retention. Body is a nice garnet red and dark brown can just barely see through it.

Nose is a mild chocolate but also a faint weak grain sense. A little strangely bitter smelling.

Chewy mild raisins, but also a very noticeable medicinal character. Bitter finish but also a very malty and honey coating texture. Some chocolate malt on the finish as well, nice hint of playful alcohol "kick" if I could use that phrase.

Overall, this isn't too bad strangely, but it's not like most dubbels I've had. Still unless the words after Petrus are Oud Bruin, I am probably passing on anything else they make.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 00:43:40 | More by smakawhat

mirogster

Netherlands

4.03/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark amber, mahogany, ruby color. Redbrown, relatively quick disappearing head, but holds nice lacing.
S: Dark fruits (mainly plums, raisins), belgian yeast.
M: Malty & earthy, sweet carmel chocolate with traces of alcohol. Light/medium body. Leaves with slight fizzines of CO2 & hoppy aftertaste.

Very good representative of belgian dubbels. Bought it along with his 5 brothers in 6 'sample' Petrus pack. So far best of all.
If you like typical belgian dark ale / sweet dubbel, that'd be quite good choice for you.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 14:23:40 | More by mirogster

patm1986

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

BEAUTIFUL pour: mahogany, crimson, thick head, great lacing with decent retention. this beer has an incredibly resilient body and head retention; just a simple swirl, and we're fresh and pillowy again.

pronounced tinny dubbel aroma off the bat, followed by some earthy funk from the sugars. fruits present are raisins, prunes, dried figs. there's a little molasses, some dark sugar like a muscavado brown, and a bit of floral honey, wildflower possibly, but not as intense.

tasting plums, cooked plums--like a caramelized plum in brown sugar--rummy raisins, pale malt, tin, and molasses.

mild body that i'm used to in a dubbel, but i wouldn't say thin, which is a characteristic i find in many, too. i wouldn't say it's a moderate body either, as it leaves the palate hastily. very balanced finish in both the fruit sweetness and the tinny dryness.

i really like this beer. dubbels aren't my favorite, but this one has a bit more of a dark fruit saturation at its core with a balanced finish more so than i'm used to experiencing in offerings of this style. really good.
cheers

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 01:34:21 | More by patm1986

russpowell

Oklahoma

2.63/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours an effervescent walnut with 2+ fingers of mocha colored head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Dark fruit (cherry & jammy notes especially),

T: Faint figgyness, some cheeey & a touch of strawberry mixes with brown bread. A touch of raisin as this warms along with dryness, Finishes watery with some raisin notes & a touch of dark candi sugar; yawn

MF: Light/medium bodied with slight carbonation, thins out as it warms

Very underwhelming dubbel. This mixed gift pack is all over the map, some good, some not...

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 13:33:02 | More by russpowell

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.85/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cheers to @LaitueGonflable for this one.

Pours a pretty dark and heavy deep, deep red colour. When held directly to the light, the light causes a refraction of the red to form a bright sparkling, like a cut ruby. Head is fine, but bubbly in places, forming a film after a while. Some patchy speckled lacing. The colour is divine, and overall, it's a very good-looking beer.

Nose is extremely interesting and rather complex. Spicy rye aromas, with a touch of acidity, and sweetly piquant characters like a fresh, hot cinnamon bun. A touch of citrus lingering across the back as well, which is hidden by the deep sweet-savoury body. Lovely.

Taste also bridges that sweet/savoury/spicy divide, but it's a little more banal in its implementation. Here, the characters present themselves all at once, and the palate doesn't develop from front to back. Instead, we get a single note, albeit a layered one, giving characters of dark bread, subtle sweetness and a touch of dark acidity.

Feel is light, but pleasant enough.

This started out really well, and had the signs this was going to be a phenomenal beer. It's still a very good one, but it ends up feeling a little disappointing just because it promised so much.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 08:10:59 | More by lacqueredmouse

karait95

Mexico

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

A: Dark brown color, medium body with very vivid carbonation but a medium to small head that dissipates somehow fast not leaving a lot of traces behind, color of the head is light brown. From some angles is reddish.

S: Alcohol aroma is present since the beginning, some toasted malts are also sensed, some kind of spicy fruitiness is present but very faint.

T: The flavor of toasted malts is mixed with some dark fruits and the alcohol that is also present, tasting is complex not very easy to know.

M: Start with some sweetness but changes to a bitter and ending that remains on the tongue and not in the back, it is more chewy than dry.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 02:11:58 | More by karait95

axeman9182

New Jersey

2.05/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

11.2oz bottle, a souvenir from working Belgian Beer Fest, poured into my Brooklyn Brewery tulip.

Petrus Dubbel Bruin Ale pours a deep, murky mahogany, with some red highlights shining through. There's about a finger and a half of khaki colored head. Head retention and lacing are both barely there... this is one of the less impressive Belgians I've seen. The nose has a little bit of clove, and even less fruit. It's dominated by a rummy, dark sugar sweetness. The flavor brings more of the same, but that sweetness is even a bit more overbearing. There's also a bit of (out of place) bitterness present, and to be honest this beer reminds me more of a cola than a beer. The body is just a touch too full, and the carbonation a little bit dull, but they're both pretty close. I may have to go pick up some Ommegang Abbey Ale or Chimay Rouge soon, because between this and (a soon to be reviewed) St. Vincent's Dubbel, I've had a mini run of the worst dubbels I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 02:25:06 | More by axeman9182

Tschnab

New York

4.38/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A- pours a dark ruby red, good light brown head that dissipates, leaves a ring of foam at the top.

S- raisins, figs, dates, brown sugar, yeast, cherries.

T- winter fruit galore, rock sugar, belgian yeast, port wine, cherries, brown sugar. This is a delcious beer. I could see the criticism here that it is too sweet, but it works for me. I don't have a sweet tooth, but this is still really nice. Its sweet, but its fruity and rich, instead of just sugary and overbearing. The body is a little thin.

O- This is an underrated, acessible dubbel. Probably the easiest drinking dubbel I've had.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 02:38:58 | More by Tschnab