Val-Dieu Brune - Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu

mgironta

New Jersey

4.48/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This brew pours a rich, dark brown with a two finger off white head that dissipates rather quickly. There is a decent amount of lacing left on the interior glass. On the nose, I get some malt and coffee. On the next sniff, I get some chocolate on it and a hint of smoke. This is one of the more complex noses that I’ve had on a beer. On first sip, there’s a decent amount of sweetness to this brew with a very subtle hint of bitterness. I get dates, some coffee notes and chocolate. I also get a bit of brown sugar. There is a lot going on with this beer. The alcohol, despite being pretty high for 8%, is completely hidden. There is also moderate carbonation on this brew. I also thought that this was going to a heavy beer due to the color, but this is a lot lighter than I thought it would be. The finish on the brew is mildly bitter and lingers. This is an awesome beer that is full of complexities and nuances. I will definitely be trying more Belgians if they’re at all like this.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 23:07:01 | More by mgironta

chinchill

South Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a stubby, brown 33cl bottle into a snifter Most of the dark, muddy sediment at the bottom of the bottle added in the pour. The beer was still rather clear, dark brown in color, with a small bone-colored head. The head soon died to a top coat but ample and attractive sticky lacing was left clinging to the glass as the level slowly reduced.

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 mildly sweet with a slight bitterness and a touch of sour. There's a load of dark fruit over medium and medium-dark malts with a hints of smoke, wood, and coffee in the finish and aftertaste. Hints of plums, prunes, dried cherries, roasted nuts and fruit cake. Yum (approaches 4.5)

M: Full, creamy smooth feel with fine, soft carbonation.

O: A very satisfying and drinkable brune. The 8% ABV is mostly well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 22:41:38 | More by chinchill

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.5%

03-11-2013 05:08:12 | More by spycow

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Abbey val dieu brown pours adeep reddish brown. A beige head which is quite thin sits on top. The body is dense and fades with lacing in it's wake.
The aroma I get hints of sweet malts candied sugar and molasses but there is also a sourness to the aroma as well as vinagar notes.
The taste is dark fruits and sweet candied sugar. Some malts too while the yeast gives a bit of a spicey taste as well. Also, there is a sour taste one can pull out.
While the brew is still chilled it drinks dry and bitter but as it warms the sweetness of the brew comes out and hepls tone down the bitterness.
This brew drinks thinner then most dubbels with some warming alcohol on the palette.
This is a good beer but with decent flavor but what throws me off is the sourness like one might taste in a Flanders style. In any event a pretty likeable brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 11:50:06 | More by micromaniac129

Proteios7

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

03-03-2013 22:17:11 | More by Proteios7

djrn2

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

02-28-2013 22:19:47 | More by djrn2

Cyrano41

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a stubby brown bottle into a goblet. Dark, reddish brown with one inch of beige head. Thined slowly but left lots of pretty lacing all around. Aroma was malts and for the first time I get the "bread" description for beer. Mouthfeel heavy in a good way. Maybe substantial instead of heavy, you know it's there but it isn't a burden. I picked up some nuttyness, brown suger and some alchol. I got this one on a whim with no expectations. I'll get it with malice of fore thought next time.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 01:43:12 | More by Cyrano41

DmanGTR

New York

4/5  rDev -0.5%

02-04-2013 18:36:51 | More by DmanGTR

Loveyourbeer

Virginia

4/5  rDev -0.5%

01-26-2013 20:33:10 | More by Loveyourbeer

2GOOFY

California

4/5  rDev -0.5%

01-12-2013 22:12:54 | More by 2GOOFY

sendbeer

Georgia

1.75/5  rDev -56.5%

01-05-2013 06:04:29 | More by sendbeer

babaracas

Florida

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy brownish dark red with one finger thick cream colored head. Settles to a thin ring, with a few thick rings left down the glass. Smell: brown bread, baker's chocolate, cooked red apple with a brown sugar and cinnamon dusting. Taste: upfront it's ripe pear and toasted brown bread with a slight alcohol note, then into powdery unsweet chocolate, red apple skin, cinnamon and (very mild) anise. Mid sip there's some balance from a mild earthy hopping. Medium bodied with fluffy carbonation, juicy towards the end of the sip before a semi-dry, spice accompanied finish. Nice dessert compliment or dessert itself. Cork stamped 10/12.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 05:17:34 | More by babaracas

jmathis

Florida

3/5  rDev -25.4%

12-27-2012 21:43:15 | More by jmathis

Theshooster

Korea (South)

4/5  rDev -0.5%

12-10-2012 05:25:11 | More by Theshooster

brutalist

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

11-25-2012 03:35:44 | More by brutalist

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev -0.5%

11-11-2012 14:47:38 | More by t0rin0

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

33cl stubby brown bottle into a matching Val-Dieu goblet. Again, an example of the best by date being already surpassed (7/7/11) yet I have no gripes about this brew being over the hill by any regards. The brew appears a dark mahogany color with seriously clarity when held to the light. A finger and a half of mildly tanned cap sits atop and slowly fades leaving a full wall of lacing effect on the glass.

The aroma is straight blackstrap molasses coupled with notes of brown sugar, raisins, dates and dark belgian candy sugar/syrup. There is a hint of something root beer or cola-like across the middle of the nose before going on to something more like fruity to floral hops with a hint of earth. Across the back, as this brew warms up there is a hint of something almost dusty or musty about the grain inclusion.

The taste is similar to the aroma in that molasses is a very solid inclusion to the flavor profile. Hints of brown sugar, raisins, dates and belgian candy sugar all support in a formulation to add to the complexity of the sweetness in this brew. However, there is a solid contrast of citrus to fruity and floral hop elements with enough alcohol inclusion to keep things in check. Whereas the aroma led on to this being somewhat oxidized and dusty, the flavor profile is rich, luscious, inviting and very much fresh.

This is a medium bodied brew with a slick, modest amount of carbonation that was perfect for the style. Overall it was a decent take on the style with the aroma being a bit underwhelming but the flavor really picking things up. My only gripe is that the flavor and residual malt character almost had a bit of piercing sweetness that stung the back of the throat. Having dried this out just a little bit would have helped to increase the overall enjoyable and drink-ability. As-is I almost feel guilty like I should go take a shot of insulin to counteract the sweetness of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 03:43:17 | More by stakem

superspak

Michigan

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

750 ml bottle into chalice, 02/09 cork dating. Pours lightly hazy dark reddish brown color with a nice 1-2 finger light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big raisin, prune, caramel, toffee, toast, chocolate, molasses, herbal, earth, clove, pepper, and yeast spices. Damn excellent aromas with great balance and complexity. Taste of raisin, prune, toffee, toast, bread, molasses, chocolate, herbal, earth, clove, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of dark fruit, molasses, caramel, toffee, toast, biscuit, nuttiness, earth, and clove on the finish for a good bit. Nice balance and complexity of flavors; no cloying sweetness at all on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed well after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent Dubbel! Great flavor complexity and balance; and very smooth to sip on. Highly enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 03:29:02 | More by superspak

mscudder

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a snifter. Really love Belgium browns so here we go!

EDIT: Located on the cork was "Val-Dieu 2/11" Assuming this is the bottle date it may account for my dissatisfaction.

A - A deep dark brown which I would nearly define as black. Poured no head whatsoever, thus leading to no lace nor retention.

S - Some dark fruits, toasted malts, caramel and spicy hops. Nice!

T - Fairly large beer with roasted flavors with a complimentary sweetness almost completely throughout. Finishes with a bit of warmth from the ABV and some hop bitterness. I cannot seem to identify a bottle date but it tastes as if it may be a bit beyond age, leading a loss of balance.

M -A nice full-medium bodied brown. As fore-mentioned, there is a bit of bitterness on the back end, against my liking.

O - This is a fair brown that was below what I anticipated. It may just be the bottle I received, but this is far from the better Dubbel's I have come across.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 04:11:40 | More by mscudder

ajs4bd

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

07-11-2012 02:36:44 | More by ajs4bd

Josiah2729

Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

06-12-2012 14:00:07 | More by Josiah2729

stevoj

Germany

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-16-2012 19:42:53 | More by stevoj

DeezGunz14

California

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-16-2012 05:40:43 | More by DeezGunz14

Aethien

Netherlands

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with a small cream coloured head that stays with you and leaves an almost solid lacing around the glass, I don't think I've ever seen a beer leave this much lacing, my entire glass is covered with lacing, pretty cool.
The first things I smell are sweet malts and dark fruit (cherries, plums) followed by bread, caramel and a little alcohol as well.
The taste follows the nose but is a little sweeter and occasionally reminiscent of a stout, quite unexpected but a nice surprise. A tingly alcohol, roasted malts and raising flavour lingers for a while on the tongue. The tastes are all well balanced, subtle and smooth. And smooth is what it feels like. Silky smooth and very heavy, definitely a sipper.

Overall I was positively surprised, this is a beer to take your time with and it doesn't give you much of a choice in the matter either. It was surprisingly stoutlike at times yet always smooth and subtle.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 19:32:33 | More by Aethien

macrosmatic

Florida

4/5  rDev -0.5%

04-15-2012 16:44:44 | More by macrosmatic