Rum & Raisin Dubbel Trubbel
Central City Brewers + Distillers

341 ml bottle poured into a tulip. A russet reddish brown brew with a half-finger of anemic beige head consisting of tiny tightly-packed bubbles.

Aroma recalls rum toffee, prune juice, bubble gum, banana peels, cinnamon, and berry jam with a spike of potent alcohol to potentiate the rum vibe. On the palate, the beer conveys tart fruit (ample plum and sweeter prune), more so than any real raisin character, a whisper of milk chocolate, brown sugar, banana chips, fresh pears, faint mutmeg or mace. One is struck by the sequence of sweet aroma, a sour/musty middle, and a renewed smooth sweetness/spicy character at the end. There is ample Belgian character although the beer tastes "young" somehow. Less boozy on the palate than on the nose, however. Body is classically middle of the road and correct for the style, carbonation is on the high side. Rather prickly. Develops a richer molasses note late.

This is a beer that grew on me over the course of a bottle, which is a highly positive attribute in my book. The featured ingredients (form and method unclear from the label) do not overpower. Could perhaps benefit from some aging although I have no clue whether this beer could age in a graceful fashion. I'd try if I had another bottle. Alas, this was a single from an advent calender.

 

This poured a reddish brown with a thin beige head that disappeared quite quickly leaving a ring around the glass. I was actually worried I poured into a dirty glass but did a beer clean test on another of the same batch of glasses and it was fine. The nose brought forward some malt and there was a hint of the rum, but more prune than raisin. The taste was okay, again that malty sweetness was there but was expecting that fruit and rum tones to come forward. The mouthfeel was a bit on the thin side as well. Not a bad beverage but I was hoping for something a bit more.

Dry. Plain. Lacking major flavours I would expect from a Dubbel or something described as "Run & Raisin"

Pours a nice head, thin ring of retention leaves some lace.

Rum and raisin are certainly in the aroma, along with some fusil.

The fusils really bring the booze forward for its weight, interesting take on the style, but not very drinkable.

Thin body could use some more bubbles.

341ml bottle, day 24 of the Parallel 49/Central City Mystery Gift Holiday Countdown. Two Euro-dolled up Betties on this label for all our Christmas Eve, and Advent calendar finale enjoyment.

This beer pours a murky, dark bronzed amber hue, with one skinny finger of puffy, weakly foamy, and mostly just bubbly off-white head, which leaves zilch in terms of lace anywhere in the vicinity of the glass as it quickly wisps away.

It smells of sugary, indistinct dark fruit, somewhat innocuous rum notes, yeasty bruised banana, soft earthy seasonal spices (maybe some cinnamon, maybe some nutmeg), and a tame green musty character. The taste is bready caramel malt, soaked, and kind of thin-seeming raisins, edgy rum flavouring (no way I'm believing that this was barrel-aged), tart black fruit - plums and cherries, mostly - earthy yeast, ethereal Christmas cake spices, and a niggling metallic alcohol measure.

The carbonation is adequate for the job at hand with its timid frothiness, and nothing more, the body a so-so medium weight, with a minor clammy slickness, which worsens as it warms. It finishes on the sweet side all around, though the plump raisin essence overrides any sort of purported rum character.

An agreeable enough dubbel, the sort that renders the given duo of guest ingredients superfluous at best. Yeah, I'm getting a whole schwack more rum notes from the various eggnog glasses around the table, and more raisin from my sisters' ode to our mom's butter tarts. Besides that, though, not a bad brew.

Minimal head that's gone after a few moments. Tastes of sour plum. Boozy. Banana bread, or maybe Bananas Foster. Thin mouthfeel.

341ml bottle poured into tulip 29/11/14

A murky maroon liquid, enough clarity to see a couple bubbles but not a whole lot for head and zero lace

S banana bread, brown sugar, raisins, yeasty, some spice I can't place, christmas cake, smells pretty good

T has a sour plum thing going on, soggy cereal and bread, still has some spice and brown sugar but its a big step back from the nose

M syrupy and slick, some bubbles but a little flat, almost slimy on the palate, just a little booze on the way down

O smells solid but couldn't quite follow through in other areas, maybe it needs a little age for everything to mesh together

OK attempt at a dubbel but there's room for improvement, I'm happy top see colabs and some styles beyond stouts and IPA's being attempted