Abbey
New Belgium Brewing Company

4.22/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Tawny appearance with a large beige head that faded quickly and left spotty lacing. Yeasty aroma of dark fruit and light spiciness. Residual sweetness in the flavor as the caramel malts show up. Spicy notes found in the aroma are still there along with a hint of tobacco. Faint herbal hop presence in the aftertaste. Creamy, medium bodied mouthfeel and a long lasting finish. A great bargain.

 392 characters

3.91/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. Scored/graded to STYLE, since I am not the hugest fan of Belgians, but still respect them.

A: Presentation on the bottle is neat and clean and inviting.

S: Belgian yeast and dark malt, sweetness. Hints of banana, spice, cocoa.

T: More of the same; hints of a chocolate character in the malty sweetness, impressions of some darker fruits like raisins. Banana and clove are discernible.

MF: Smooth as all get out and dangerous at 7%; darn near crushable.

O: A nice abbey ale, very approachable for the style. Not overly spicy, funky, or fruity. Nice balance.

 575 characters

3.52/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Nearly clear dark mahogany pour. 2 fingers of foamy white head. Great lacing... nice looking beer.

S: Caramel and malts. Not picking up a lot of yeast.... a bit of dark fruit, but mostly sweet grains and old toffee.

T.F: Just like it smells. Caramel and toasted grains. Faint fruit... maybe a bit of raisin, but mostly the malt character. Medium bodied... sticky on the tongue. Some earthy hops for balance.

O: A below average Dubbel, and doesn't hold a candle to a real Belgian. Still... not bad and easy drinking.

 585 characters

3.99/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear amber. White head. Good retention with streaky lacing.

Nose of sweet red apple and Maraschino cherry, banana bread, clove, and hay.

Following taste of caramel, brown bread, cherry, red apple, banana, hay, and clove. Sweet but dry and spicy on the finish.

Medium mouthfeel, well carbonated but not as effervescent as authentic Belgians. A residual sticky sweetness coats the palate.

A solid American dubbel. It's pretty obvious it's not quite on par with an actual Belgian dubbel but it is a serviceable and tasty beer.

 533 characters

4.14/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

(12 oz bottle-conditioned bottle, code 98/26 06OCT19 etc; purchased single off shelf... poured into far tulip)

L: ruby-colored liquid, bit of suspended sediment; dense, creamy, silky, off-white foam; bit of crystalline lace, not much

S: port, prune, moderately floral; subtle chewy jelly candy thread up the middle... anticipating rich, juicy-sweet malt, but with a cut dryness; not much booziness... sedate overall; floral aromatics dominant

T: raisin, blackberry jelly, but mellow sweetness; hint of singed wood, peppery herbal spice humming in aftertaste, as well as a mellow leather overtone... bit more malt and nutty wood in the second sip, maybe also a distant hint of dark chocolate (malt), later building in the finish... excellent overall expression; for its age, dry but not too much so

F: light-medium body, expansive reach via gassy carbonation; moderately dry finish, firm spicy warmth, delicate residual viscous drag (spice singes off its end)... smooth, oily, dry and spicy - heavenly

O: lovely malty depth found in few import Belgian examples (Chimay?); overall character perhaps most similar to Ommegang Abbey?... bro and I first had this end of summer, sharing a swill from bottle - was good enough to warrant grabbing another... not disappointed - one of the better domestic takes; would do a sixer (1575)

 1,330 characters

3.94/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Look: Pours a beautiful dark color with a dark ruby tint. A large foamy white head. SRM of 17-18. (3.75)

Smell: Aromas of roasted dark malts and Belgian yeast initially- mostly bittersweet chocolate and toffee. Then some classic banana and citrus. Some caramel, plum, and fig. Maybe a bitter, roasted espresso underneath. Hints of citrus hops. A strong banana aroma predominate eventually to define the style. (4.00)

Taste: Initial yeast pepperness that fades into strong malt flavors of toffee & caramel. Some bread and citrus. Even some sweet red cherry. Belgian yeast flavors of banana come forward too. Mild hops flavor and bitterness, but there is some citrus hops. Mild to moderately sweet. (4.00)

Feel: Body is medium. Minimally carbonated- Creamy and smooth. Not light, not oily. not resiny. Finishes clean on the palate. Balanced dryness and sweetness. (3.50)

Compared w/ Leffe: It has a touch lighter color. Very similar dark flavors of toffee and dark fruit. Hard to tell the difference. This one has more of a New Belgium yeast profile, whereas the Leffe's yeast is more authentic to Belgium. This one has more Belgian candied sweetness. Also a bit more citrus hops. Finishes a hint sweeter. Overall, they are extremely similar and difficult to differentiate.

Overall: A delicious Belgian beer that is malt-focused but not too sweet. More dark malt flavors of chocolate, plum, & fig than a tripel. Slightly less fruit. But Belgian yeast flavors of banana and and citrus come forward that define this style. Similar in flavor, but the less pale malts provide citrus and candifruit. More banana, cream, caramel, toffee and bread. A colder weather beer. However, the belgian yeast provides very similar flavors. I would describe this as a tiramasu mixed with a banana pudding or banoffee pie. (Final Rating: 3.94)

 1,831 characters

4.01/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into chalice. Brown with medium head and heavy lacing. Smells of dried fruits, prunes, dates, raisins.Very sweet. A bit of coffee and chocolate. Tastes of warm malt - like wort - and spice with a bit of booze. Hints of caramel and banana esters. Sharp carbonation bite. Medium bodied.

 297 characters

4.02/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours from a bottle into a tulip glass glass looking beautiful with a creamy head and nice lacing atop golden brown body.

Sweet fruity smell and taste. Classic candy and spice with a bit of earthiness. Nice smooth feel, quite enjoyable.

 237 characters

3.92/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into chalice
BB 9/30/18 was sitting in the cellar
Pours brown with red highlights,  with thin head
Figs, dates, pudding, raisins
Taste is obviously heavily malt forward, with dark bread notes, slight caramel, followed by plenty of yeast esters some might associate with bananas
The feel is medium bodied, has a thick feel without being full bodied
Overall the aroma is on point,  but the taste is unbalanced and dark fruit not as noticeable

 456 characters

3.89/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

L: Pours a dark purple brown with a small fluffy whitish head and thick lacing all around the glass.

S; Notes of caramel and toffee, a hint of cherry, and a light note of smoke

T: Notes of caramel and toffee, some sweetness, mixed with a light cherry note, a light bitterness. Subtle and not as forward as some dubbels but still good.

F: Medium to thicker body, maybe slightly watery.

O: A pretty solid dubbel.

 420 characters

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

Well lets start with ...i had this beer before and did not rate it, because I was not on BA yet...I wish I would have been at that time, because it has changed just like Fear4beer states in his review.
It is not what I remember, but still good...just not great like I remember.
There seems to be a little semi funk to this new recipe that has me puzzled, but still enjoying the adventure. It has the abbey and dubbel to it, but just a lil' off for me.
Will return to this again, and see if it is an off day for me and dubbs.

Well I have returned to it, and yes it was an off day for me and dubbs...it turns out to be a little more like I remember, and I have re-adjusted my rating.
The semi funk is gone, the taste has smoothed out for me and very enjoyable this time...The nose has gotten much sweeter with some caramel, banana, nad maybe some smoke.
The taste has also smoothed out with some mild sweetness of cherry with the mild smoke. All in all, very enjoyable this time and sorry for my rating the first or really the (second) time I had this brew...so please try it. It is a very nice Abbey Dubbel.

 1,110 characters

4.12/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes 2/13/12: Pours a dark amber/pale brown with a nice beige (with a faint grayish tint), lasting frothy head that leaves some clumpy lacing. Aroma is bubblegum (or banana and clove), a hint of dark fruit another fruity esters. Taste is very similar but more potent with stronger fruit notes especially sweet apple. A sweet start slowly gravitates to a slightly dry and bitter finish. A nice American craft Abbey Ale, slightly different but pleasant and very drinkable.

 476 characters

4.46/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Very complex. It’s difficult to describe this beer, many flavors, but no single flavor is overwhelming. An amazing beer the flavor and after taste is wonderful

 163 characters

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

A: Pours a nice finger head. Color is a deep red walnut.

S: Malt, chocolate, brown sugar, and some dark fruit that I can't quite make out.

T: Deep bitter maltiness, toffee, coriander, and cloves. The spices give this beer a unique flair while the maltiness gives it weight.

O: Fantastic interpretation of the style. Nice alternative to the stalwarts.

 353 characters

4.11/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a clear deep brown with purple tints. Good amount of tan head that has some staying power, nice lacing. Aroma is dark fruit. Flavor is sweet ripe dark fruits, raisins, plums and dates. Sweet caramel malts. Feel is rather thick and lightly carbonated. Over all a very drinkable ale.

 287 characters

3.73/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Look - Nice copper / dark amber color - really translucent, but not crystal clear. Only a 1 finger head from a 12 oz. Head dissipated rapidly and a ring of bubbles continued on. Hoped for more carbonation - My favorite Belgian Dubs have really large bubbles and are pretty frothy.

Smell - Some bubble gum and some odd aromas of chemicals and melting plastic. Not super aromatic, but some caramel and plum come through as well.

Taste - A quick taste of Bubble Gum - then you get a blast of Belgian yeast goodness and caramel sweetness. There may have been a quick Hop bite there at first, but drops off quickly. There is some plum/prune, tobacco, clove, and caramel. Very flavorful, but there are a few hints of that chemical smell that I mentioned earlier, in the taste as well. Some slight metallic hint here and there as well. It isn't overpowering, but subtly there.

Feel - Medium bodied - carbonation drops off way too soon - would have earned an extra point for me if it stayed bubbly.

Overall - I have know about this beer for years and just now tried it for the first time as a single. I live in Colorado and it's hard to believe this is my first. It is decent and I would buy it again.... it would take me a while to do a 6-pack though. I don't think I would drink a second one back to back.

 1,324 characters

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm updating my review.
Ughhhh. I originally reviewed this beer during its glory years. I was in love with this beer. It was my little secret. Best bang for the buck beer in America. Then they changed the recipe. It's like a completely different beer. I forgot what the original beer tasted like but I knew I liked it more. This beer to me tastes more like a Belgian dubbel than the original. But that's not in a good way. Read my original review below. There was a banana and bubble gum: two flavors known in Hefeweizens. Now this beer is prune/plum heavy what you normally taste in a traditional Belgium Dubbel. It's still a great beer but its not legendary anymore. This tastes more like an authentic Belgium dubbel made by belgium monks which is both a huge compliment and a negative to me. How about you guys at New Belgium offer the original recipe and offer this new recipe too. They are practically two different beers. I appreciate how this beer transformed into a very close representation of a classic Belgium Dubbel but the original recipe was so damn tasty. It was unique and delicious.

MY ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW:
An amazing American version of a Belgium beer. There is SO much that this beer gets right. The beer pours beautifully with at least a two finger head, it has a beautiful shade of redish brown liquid, and it has a GREAT mouth feel (it isn't watered down). It feels like an authentic Belgium beer (that costs about $6+ a bottle). This beer is priced perfectly, wow, so much bang for the buck! I can get it for $1.50 a bottle. It has 7% abv too! The alcohol is masked: you can feel the warmth of it but not really a taste of alcohol.

The taste is of malt, banana, bubble gum (you can taste it when you burp :-D ), pepper, and yeast.

This is one of the best bang for your buck beers in America. I'm in love with this stuff.

 1,849 characters

3.79/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle bb 2/17/19 poured into Westmalle goblet at fridge temp 7% ABV. The beer pours bright medium brown in color with blonde highlights and light khaki head. The head settles to a skim coating and pencil thin ring. The aroma is toasted bread, red grapes and herbal hops. The taste is dark, but not bitter, malt with red grapes and herbal hops. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied, highly carbonated and dry in the finish. There is some bitterness that keeps the beer from ever leaning sweet. Overall, good. Not sure it's a traditional dubbel after the recipe change, but enjoyable.

Update: I kept one from the six pack to re-evaluate at a later time. Consumed 4/16/19 (2 months past bb date). The beer (which was refrigerated the entire time) tastes worse, smells funky and finishes weird. I get a lot of burnt plastic yeast notes in the aroma and taste. Really doesn't resemble any dubbel I've tried. Don't attempt to age, it won't get better. Leaving the numbers the same since I am outside the manufacturer's bb date.

 1,045 characters

4.07/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From the 12 oz. bottle. Best By 27 Jan 2019. Sampled on September 8, 2018.

Attractive looking dark amber brown color under a slowly fading, foamy tan head. Some lacing.

Aroma of sweet Belgian malts, graham cracker, dark fruit, molasses, and a subtle earthy hop profile.

The mouthfeel falls into the medium range but it has a creamy texture.

Sweet malted taste coupled with a slight peppery bite toward the end. Lingering finish.

 436 characters

4.11/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz. bottle poured into a Chimay chalice.

L---Deep, dark reddish brown color. If it wasn't so dark, it would be clear. Thick, light brown head with moderate retention and very nice lacing.

S---Malts are obviously in the forefront. Sweet (dark fruits?).

T---Molasses. Dark fruits (cherry, fig, plum). Sweet & malty. No real hop presence.

F---Thinner than expected for the style and ABV. Still a coating drink. Very well carbonated.

O---A quality knock-off of a Belgian Dubbel. If I didn't know, I would have believed it was from Belgium.

 556 characters

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

It's good but a bit on the thin side as one could easily tell its not brewed in Belgium. But overall, a nice tasting dubbel that's easy to find, easy to drink and easy on the wallet. I've bought it before, and will buy it again.

 230 characters

4.14/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Oh boy it's good. Exceptional body, with solid yet balanced malts taking the fore. This excellent beer is hearty, and what I tend to see as unpleasantries with dubbels are toned down greatly. Wonderful beer from a company often on the line between good and great.

 263 characters

3.28/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

This used to be a highly rated beer for me and then a recent retry turned that around. I can only hope I got a bad bottle. Pours nicely into a chalice glass, great dark red body and the aroma is earthy, dark cherry. The taste is chocolate and raspberry but with a metallic tinge to it. Very off putting. Detracts from the original dubbel taste.

 348 characters

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

Bought a 6-pack $8.88 Don Quijote
Smells faintly like a tootsie roll
Dark clear amber color
Medium mouthfeel
Medium carbonation
Chocolate roasted malts flavors, spices
Overall a good beer at a decent price. Would buy again.

 224 characters

3.38/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

L: Pours a rich, brown-tinted amber that is clean but dense. I got about a finger of light tan head that dissipated quickly but leaves a fine film along the sides. Very active carbonation as well.

S: The aroma, unfortunately for me, is incredibly weak. I pick up malt like sweetness as well as some dark fruit, but I can't tell beyond that.

T: A vibrant taste that is a pleasure. Deep and sweet with malts, dark fruits and a nuttiness shining through. It's pretty sweet with just a hint of bitterness that comes through as it sits on your tongue.

F: It feels a little thin and watery at first, but there is a good amount of carbonation that fills the mouth. And well after you've taken your drink, there is a great dryness that lingers and invites you for more.

O: This is a solid Dubbel, but it is a little too blunt for me to consider it one of my favorites. The weak aroma was also disappointing. However, it has a great, evolving taste and wonderful feel while your drinking.

 984 characters