Steenbrugge Dubbel Bruin - Brouwerij Palm NV

beerpirates

Belgium

1.81/5  rDev -46.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.75

too light, watery & thin, some malt, metalic flavor , dark fruits and a hint of spices & herbal at the end, too thinly stretched, almost watered down, boring , i don't understand why people make these kind of beers , it's just not good enough , o well ...

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 17:05:33 | More by beerpirates

FLima

Brazil

3.44/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brown color with a three finger hear with medium retention.
Light aroma of slightly toasted malts and hints of wood, prunes and earthy hops.
Relatively malty and yeasty with a refreshing taste from earth hops, notes of dark fruits. Dry and mild bitter aftertaste.
Light body with medium carbonation.
This seemed to be a lighter Belgian dubbel, more thin and not as heavy in the condiments. On the other hand it seemed a bit more hoppy and less sweet than average. Not bad, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 02:55:42 | More by FLima

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.28/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This cask version is a special brew for the 2012 Wetherspoons Beer Festival and is 0.5% less in ABV, so only 6.0%.

Hand-pulled pint in the Wetherspoons pub, Bridgnorth, Shropshire on 26th Oct 2012.

Interesting slant on a Belgian Brown and not really like the bottled one I had years ago.

This beer had a dull, murky brown body, on top a creamy foam head.

The nose was both yeasty and malty: with an off-ish, musty, moldy hint (not as off putting as it sounds).

The taste was malty and slightly yeasty but not sour or spicy. It was OK but not great, a bit thin and watery for what I was expecting.

Serving type: cask

11-02-2012 10:58:03 | More by BlackHaddock

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750 ml caged and corked bottle, stamp on bottom of bottle says best before 17/09/12. Served in a DFH Signature glass, the beer pours a reddish/brown color with about an inch light tan head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. Aroma is nice but a bit light, it smells like dark fruit (raisins, plums), toffee, bready malt, and some nuts. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also the addition of some cinnamon, candy sugar, and some herbs. Mouthfeel/body is light/medium, it seems a bit thin for the style. But it is smooth with good carbonation. I think it's an OK dubbel. Not great, but not bad either. $8.99 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 22:48:23 | More by bluejacket74

atlason

New York

3.98/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into tulip.

A: Pours a brown color with generous head. Leaves very little lacing.

S: Dark raisin, slight roast, foamy yeast. Dried figs. Candied fruit.

T: Dry chocolate, mild belgian yeast, slightly chalky with some dark dried fruit. Hops are fairly subdued except for background bitterness. Has that certain je ne sais quoi yeast character of a proper dubbel. Aftertaste is pretty long lived and consistent.

M: Relatively light sugar fermentation body with medium carbonation. Feels very correct on the tongue.

O: This is a correct dubbel, slightly on the dry side.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 03:44:07 | More by atlason

merc7186

New York

3.4/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer poured from a bottle into a tasting glass.

The beer poured decently with reddish/brown hue to it, a nice foamy off white head, and some lacing on the glass. The beer smelled average as it had subtle hints of light malts and dark fruit (raisin and plum). The beer tasted decent with a good taste up front of dark fruits, light sugar, and a malty finish. The mouthfeel is decent with the beer being well carbonated, medium bodied, and leaving you somewhat dry and crisp. Overall, a decent dubble with a nice blended taste...it was nice to try but wouldnt go out of my way to seek this out again.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 14:44:36 | More by merc7186

BYOFB

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Krust for sharing this one.

Pours brown with a nice tan head. Goood lacing.

Fruity, malty, bready aroma with dark fruits.

Taste follows aroma with malt and dark fruits coming through. A bit on the sweeter side. Enjoyable.

Medium mouthfeel. A hair light here.

Overall, very enjoyable and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 23:53:59 | More by BYOFB

51mmz0rz

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a Westmalle chalice.

A: Clear medium brown body. Head is off white with okay retention, and a nice fine bubble.

S: Mild stinky fruitiness mixed with caramel malt aroma.

T: Quite bland honestly. There is a bit of nuttiness, but not much else going on here.

M: A little light and watery.

D: Pretty highly drinkable, but I am getting a very slight metallic taste that is somewhat bothersome.

Overall, a pretty forgettable beer...you're not missing anything by never drinking this.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 00:05:49 | More by 51mmz0rz

avalon07

South Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Poured from a bottle to a goblet. Had a brown color and a clear texture. Head was two inches, foamy, tan-colored, and fairly long-lasting. Average lacing.

S: An incredibly subdued aroma of malt and a little bit of fruit.

T: Tasted of malt, fruity esters, a nutty quality and some alcohol. This is a pretty thin flavor - at least in terms of the style. There's simply not that much going on.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a smooth and dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This beer does have a couple of good attributes, but it's ultimately pretty forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 12:05:58 | More by avalon07

rvdoorn

Netherlands

4.22/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Look: the beer pours brown color with a small light-brown head
Smell: Roasted malts, dark fruits, caramel and yeast. Light nose.
Taste: The taste is not as sweet as the nose suggest. Malts, light caramel, grains, dark fruits, spicy hops and clove. Some spicy hop bitterness in aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Medium-light body and medium carbonation
Overall: Good beer, will drink this more often

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2011 23:06:08 | More by rvdoorn

bristei

Rhode Island

2.98/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 750mL bottle into a mug

A: Hazy rich amber color, almost caramel, lasting head, slightly apparent carbonation

S: Hints of molasses and chocolate syrup but not in an overpowering way. Distinct from, say, a chocolate porter but the scent is there nonetheless

T: Earthy, some hint of sweetness but again farrr from in your face about it, slight awareness of the elevated alcohol levels, hard to place my finger on the subtle flavors but I can tell they are there. Not bland.

M: Thin in the mouth, not much of a finish, but you can feel the slightly elevated alcohol

O: This is OK for a Dubbel. Pretty straightfoward, but it didn't seem like the brewer was trying to do much with it though. I would have liked a little fuller mouthfeel and some more distinct flavor profiles. Not bad, but not that great either.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

07-13-2011 23:21:53 | More by bristei

rinhaak

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle poured into goblet.

Pours a dark purple/red, similar to a rich grape juice. Very little head: although some bubbles form at the top of the beer immediately after the pour, these dissipate quite quickly.

The nose is a little mild even after warming. Raisins, plums, and yeast aromas are present.

The mouth is pleasant, though not extraordinary. Cloves, ginger, gingerbread, and hints of cinnamon.

As I began drinking this beer, I enjoyed it, but counter to most dubbels, as it warmed I enjoyed it less. It became a little syrupy and cloyingly sweet. I certainly noticed the absence of hops: having now tasted gruut in several different Belgian beers, I can say I appreciate their historical significance, but I really like hops.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 14:28:11 | More by rinhaak

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A typical Belgian Bruin. It had a dark brown color and a nice little head on it for a little while. The flavors were of dark fruits and roasted malts. The carbonation could have been amped up just a bit. Overall this brew wasn't too bad. There are better Belgian Dark ales around out there, but don't hesitate to try it if around.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 02:32:27 | More by Knapp85

Gehrig

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

25.4 oz. bottle.

Two pillowy fingers of slightly tan froth atop an amber-ruby body; nice duration and lacing. Decent fruit aromas, especially cherry and grape, with ample bready malt, and dashes of spice such as ginger and a touch of clove.

fruity, sweet taste, but thin in malt flavor as well as texture. It is also really straightforward, lacking the complexity of a good Dubbel. The more I drink of this, the less enamored I am with it. The mouthfeel does it no favors, lacking effervescence and beefy malt texture.

This is not an impressive Dubbel, and certainly wasn't worth the $6.99 price tag. Steenbrugge comes nowhere near top flight Dubbels, and I plan to come nowhere near another of these; not at the somewhat exorbitant--or any--price.

Mediocre, and avoidable.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 01:30:20 | More by Gehrig

jrallen34

Illinois

2.45/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap in Antwerp into a goblet...A medium brown with hints of ruby that is way too clear. A very light tan head with retention, no lacing...The aroma is dead and boring, light waif of alcohol and prunes...The taste is even worse, alcohol and chalk. A terribly light feel.

This is a horrible dubbel that you shouldn't even consider getting.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2010 04:15:36 | More by jrallen34

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Steen brugge Dubbel. Brewed in Belgium. With Gruut. (Huh?) Dubbel Bruin Ale.

Clear dusky brown appearance, crimson edges, thick long-lasting creamy, cocoa-toned head.

Warm, malty aromatics, sweet and bready, dark fruits, ginger, clove, cinnamon, cookie dough. soft, spicy, lovely.

Taste: sweet fruit again, spice, and deep, bready malt. But not as deep and dark as I'd like from a dubbel worth it's malt. A lighter, table-ready version, for sure. Chocolate and fruit, yeasty goodness, well-rounded and balanced in the mouth.
Medium-bodied, light finish. Very tasty, even if it utterly lacks the dense complexity I expect, no, demand, from a good dubbel. Tasty, but simple. Don't think I'll return to this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 02:30:52 | More by feloniousmonk

Jason

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

33cl brown bottle with a best before freshness date.

Typically great tan head with great retention, dark mahogany color with a good clarity. Faint husky malt, dried fruit and a hint of yeast ... not much there in the nose. Dry and smooth with a lighter body. Fruity, spicy with a quick kick of light estery alcohol. Quick note of phenolics ... bubble gum and herbs. Bone dry finish with not much lingering about.

Sinamar? Or does the sugar have coloring in it as the color does not match the flavor for the most part. Decent, not all that exciting for a Dubbel IMO.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2010 01:14:06 | More by Jason

flagmantho

Washington

3.9/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 750mL bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: rich amber-brown hue with moderate haze and three fingers of rocky light tan foam. Head doesn't have great retention, but it's not too bad.

Smell: light aroma with a mostly fruity character. Starts of with apples and then segues into a more bready aroma with hints of darker, mustier plums and cherries. Not too bad, but as I said, it's pretty light in intensity.

Taste: much like the aroma, the flavor is somewhat light. Very malty with a lot of sweetness and more apples and plums. Aftertaste is more peary. This beer isn't rated terribly high, but I'm finding I rather like it.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body, lighter than I like in the style. Carbonation is pretty intense and well-integrated, though, so creaminess is pretty good. With just a little more body this would just about be perfect.

Drinkability: this beer has a good but light and not overpowering flavor. It has a nice fruitiness and isn't terribly heavy, so it's quite drinkable indeed. Steenbrugge Dubble has turned into a rather nice surprise for me; I'd have this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 04:01:27 | More by flagmantho

bruachan

Rhode Island

2.53/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

big bottle

great froth to start. well reinforced and well lacey. clear, mostly red mahogany color

honestly, doesn't smell like much. a touch of funky hop

well, flavors are subtle. hops come to tongue first: spicy and herbal. some chalky caramel and faint toast

this is the blandest belgian-made brew i've ever tasted. i'd like to think that this beer is subtle, but i really can't connect with it. some yeast character

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 01:52:27 | More by bruachan

jwc215

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 ml foil-wrapped cage-corked bottle, poured into glass chalice:

Pours ruby to brown with a creamy tan head that slowly thins and stays. Trailing lace slides down the glass with some stickage.

The smell is grassy/herbal. It is not strong, but not much else is going on behind it, other than a touch of dark cherry and steely caramel. Not an aroma typical of a dubbel, and one that leans too medicinal/herbal.

The taste is herbal/medicinal with a cola-like sweetness. There is a touch of sour. Lacks the malt complexities that are associated with the style, though some roasted, a bit steely, caramel is under the herbs. Finishes somewhat abruptly, and with a tingle.

Light-to-medium bodied, the carbonation is more prickly than effervescent.

Worth trying to see if you like the "gruut" aspect. (According to the label, it is the mysterious medieval herbs added to the beer). It does make it different, I suppose. As for me, I'll pass on buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 15:15:35 | More by jwc215

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.03/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750ml corked and caged bottle. Best before date is completely undecipherable.

Pours into my tulip a reddish brown with a big foamy off white head that recedes to no lacing.

The smell is ultra fruity and sugary, with raisins and candi sugar. There is something sort of off to it.

The flavor is rather pedestrian, with some fruity and sugar flavors, not very complex just dark, fruity sugar.

It is merely average.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2010 05:33:25 | More by crossovert

Jesstyr

Virginia

3.1/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

As a favorite style, I was particularly disappointed with this beer.

A: Burgundy/red color with light thin head that dissipates quickly. A little unimpressive, but not bad.

S: Light floral elements, with pear and apple. There is a subtle sourness to it.

T: My biggest concern was the lack of any discernable flavor - this beer was mild and bland for a style that is anything but. Slight undertones of the aforementioned apple/pear, but nothing special.

M/D: Thin, with light carbonation. This has the feel of a mass produced beer, and I know that it isnt.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2010 02:35:52 | More by Jesstyr

Jeffo

Netherlands

2.58/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Picked this up at the bottle shop on my street.

Into a chalice

APPEARANCE: Pours a two finger medium-thin off-white head that quickly fizzes away. Color is a sangria red, is partially clear with minimum carbonation. Head quickly fizzes down to a thin bubbly film. Some splotchy patches remain but leaves no lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Mild nose of dark fruits, raisins and plumbs, caramel malt and some yeasty nose. A touch of brown sugar as well. Average strength but a little less than complex enough.

TASTE: Subdued taste as well; muted. Some dark fruits, caramel malt and brown sugar notes. A hint of spiciness, but the yeast is very muted in this one. A slight bitterness at the end. Mild and short lived aftertaste. A little blah.

PALATE: Thinner body, airy with lots of carbonation, but surprisingly creamy at the same time. A odd combo. It blew up into some creamy balloon in my mouth. Goes down smooth and finishes slightly sticky on the palate. A bit cloying at the end. This one is airy and give me the burps, but the creaminess and blow-up effect is definitely entertaining. Balance the score out to average.

OVERALL: Odd one. Didn't put me off in any way, but certainly didn't impress either. Unfortunately this one just wasn't bold enough to even get it up to an average score. Not nearly as enjoyable as their tripel. I'd pass on this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2009 08:10:32 | More by Jeffo

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

2.6/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Presentation: 750ml brown bottle, corked and caged, clearly dated on bottom, with really nice label

Appearance: Dark burnt orange/copper beer with a fluffy/soapy ivory cap with decent retention.

Smell: A bit disappointing, actually; this is almost macro-lager like; there are very general cereal grains present, it's sweet, sugary, and not much of anything going on...letting this warm doesn't help

Taste: Macro lager-like sweetness, just the barest touch of caramel malts; there is VERY little going on here...medium hop bitterness on the finish...this is quite disappointing

Mouthfeel: Medium-light

Drinkability: I guess it's ok? But why?

Conclusion: I was deeply disappointed with this; I was excited (as a medievalist) to try a beer flavored with gruut (as these are kind of hard to find anymore)...this was just dull, boring, and completely one-dimensional...will not seek this out again, it's like a slightly more flavorful AB Amber Bock.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2009 23:41:38 | More by BedetheVenerable

PapaEugene

Netherlands

4.05/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought this bottle at Drankhandel Verheyen in Poppel. Poored it into my Achel glass.

A: Great ruby/brown color. Cream colored head that leaves a nice lacing throughout the drinking.

S: Smell is impressive. Strawberries, banana roasted malts. Some spice that's hard for me to pin down.

T: Malts, red fruits, sweet banana again that spice. Light bitterness.

M: Medium carbonation, a light body.

D: I was a little sceptic about this one. Low alcohol for a dubbel. But it made quiet an impression on me. Will surely drink this again. I expected similarities with Jopen Koyt because of the herbs added, but didn't find it.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 09:32:24 | More by PapaEugene