Dubbel
South Street Brewery

 

Served on draft at the brewpub... they're descriptive sheet says it is lighter than what they have brewed in the past, but at 4.8%, it is quite tiny... more like "the framework of a dubbel?"

A: A pleasant deep bronze / mahogany colour, with a shortish offwhite head. Retention is ignorable, really, and not much for lacing.

S: A mellow maltiness and dark fruit scent. A hint of spiciness. A reasonably nice aroma, albeit a bit faint... and not so much like what I'd expect in a dubbel.

T + M: Flavours are fairly pleasant, but seem to be rather watered down - though the body doesn't really feel that way. It makes for a rather unusual pairing of the two. Fruity flavours are kinda muted, but there. Raisin stands out, but quite sweet - almost like the sugar-coated Raisin Bran kind of taste. A little bit of a peppery spiciness, though it would certainly need to be more from the yeast than the alcohol.

D: If it weren't for the somewhat watery flavour, it could go places. I kinda question the style classification when comparing it to others of the style, but I suppose it's the closest thing in regards to the brewing methods and choice of ingredients. Not too shabby, but not a showstopper, by any means.

4.6% abv, 18 IBUs, on tap at South Street Brewery (as most South Street Brewery beers tend to be). Served in a traditional pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a filtered ruby, a very attractive color, vibrant yet subtle, with a solid one-finger tan head. Retention isn't the best in the world, but it does stick around for a while, and leaves a nice fluffy ring of bubbles, though not much lace.

Aroma: Very faint, this beer's worst aspect, though I do get faint flourishes of sweet roastiness and bananas.

Taste: The yeast strain contributes a lot to this one, and it almost tastes more like a sweet dunkelweizen than a dubbel - though maybe that's what a dubbel is? Lots of candi sugar sweetness, faint darker malt notes, but tons of yeast notes - bananas, light fruity esters (apple skins, particularly in the finish), and clove and clove-esque spices.

Mouthfeel: Devilishly smooth and even, very mellow. Carbonation is low to moderate, the body is of a medium thickness. Overall, pretty solid, though a little strange for the style - I expect a little more of a prickle, or perhaps a slightly thinner, dryer body.

Drinkability: Incredibly low-abv%ed for a dubbel, though kudos to South Street for attempting the style - it hits many of the right notes, even if it is a little simplistic and relies slightly too heavily on the yeast to produce most of the enjoyable flavor notes.