Yirgacheffe Coffee Dubbel
Upslope Brewing Company - Lee Hill

 

 

From notes taken 04/01/17:

Rich and beautiful, spirit-like ruby-copper. Head is a heavy but delicate and lower-retention tannish mass of bubbles, leaving a longer lasting film after about a minute. Cheap cigarettes, light nuttiness and light banana on nose. It’s okay, need to pay close attention. The coffee flavor is strong and distinct, but is obviously not a stronger or roastier coffee. As aroma indicated, a little tobacco-like, sans too much smoke. It is present throughout, but there’s a fruitier tartness alongside it and then a more spirit-like spicy and chemical sweetness toward the finish. Think a less smooth Irish/Scotch/Canadian whiskey. I haven’t had too much experience with Scotch whiskey, but the finish here might be similar to an extra peaty batch, thanks to the coffee. The palate just approaches toast and caramel in the back, which is good and not out of place, but still easy to miss for the aforementioned stronger qualities. Slightly metallic/ferrous aftertaste. Overall, not really what I expect in a Dubbel, but that’s kind of the point. It’s not as bready or dessert-like, or banana-suggestive as most others, and as I said, toast and caramel qualities are covered by more aggressive, albeit related, notes. It is almost more of an extra boozy scotch ale than anything else, but it’s not quite there, either. Enjoyable, nonetheless, provided you don’t guzzle it. Lighter full-bodied brew, seems a little watery in smaller sips or before it has had a chance to fix up. Fine and abundant carbonation that goes back and forth between prickles and velvet. Way more alcoholic heat than would normally occur with such a relatively moderate ABV, but it tends to just burn the throat and slightly warm the rest of the palate instead of outright numbing everything, drinking at a moderate pace.

i had far higher hopes for this one, a belgian dubbel with coffee as part of their taproom series. first of all, the beer is only decent, not at all amazing, and secondly, because of that, this huge can is an absurd dose of it, more that i would ever want in one sitting, and definitely one to share. its super pretty in the glass, dark copper colored, crystal clear, and extremely heady, almost two inches of little bubbles rising up from a not particularly aggressive pour. very little coffee in the aroma, maybe its faded some since this was released. also a sweet but somewhat one dimensional malt base and a familiar belgian yeast strain, molasses, bran muffin, honey. the flavor is also lacking on the coffee side of things, i really wanted more of that here, coffee together with belgian dubbel sounds amazing, an uncommon combination, and unfortunately, even after drinking this beer, i still wonder what it would be like. almost no coffee at all, some roast and earthiness, even a little surprising acidity from it, but very little flavor. sweet bready desserty malt base, but lacking the complexity of better dubbels, slight red apple and raisin in here too. the yeast is lightly flavorful, belgian for sure, but not distinct in any meaningful way. its a little boozy and heavy too, for being a little lower in that measure. not a bad beer, i would have liked to have it when it first came out, but it absolutely needs more coffee character in it to accomplish its objective. i even think the simple nature of the base beer would be great with a nice java kick, maybe next time...

 

 

From a stovepipe can...

Crystal clear, deep mahogany colored body; very thin head that quickly fades to the barest wisp of foam. Gentle scent of coffee grounds and roasted malts. The flavor follows the smell with a more pronounced and sweet presence of crystal and caramel malt grains; trace of cherry. Heavy body; glassy smoothness; flat; some dryness yet with a sweet edge.

Well, not a bad beer at all yet very disappointed with the appearance and its lack of any substantial and lasting head. The taste is pleasant enough and delivers a fair balance of coffee and malt grain goodness. It's worth a try (or return visit) if only for the taste and warmth it offers.

Big ass can. Canned November 2nd 2016.

A clear copper colour with plenty of foam if you pour it right. I got 2 fingers.

The smell is of coffee, roasted malt, hints of some smoke.

Tastes like it smells. There's a lingering fruitiness in the finish that I didn't pick up at all in the smell. Tastes like dark fruits. Oh wait. ..it's a coffee Dubbel. Fruity and spicy notes start to abound. Nice.