Affligem Dubbel | Brouwerij De Smedt / Brouwerij Affligem

3.66/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - the bottle pours a richly pleasing amber color hue into my goblet, forming a formidable head at the top; I say so because the color is actually a bit lighter at the bottom parts of the glass and get darker toward the top. there is nice retention of lacing and the head is coloured a light tan color.

S - had to wait a bit for her to warm up; I was getting nothing otherwise. I smell nothing of the alcohol that will make up the aftertaste, but instead fo faint zesty-ness that I shall align with that of citrus rind; that is the closest thing I can think of

T - these Benedictines sure make the alcohol go down smoothly! There is a very prominent aftertaste of booze, though not an impediment at all to the drinking or taste process. there is a bitterness on the back center of the tongue that is hard to identify, something that by the end of the bottle I am just going to identify with the carbonation and my own incompetence to identify the cause.

MD&D - very smooth and crisp, I would call this a good medium bodied (though it is most likely tipping the scales) beer

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3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a dark brown. huge frothy head. lots of lacing.

Smell: subtle. mild chocolate notes. hints of citrus underneath. some must/earthy notes as well.

Taste: chalky cocoa and light chocolate. semi sweet. some fig and raisin in the mix. dry towards the finish. some yeasty qualities as well.

Mouthfeel: very fresh and lively. lots of carbonation makes this one feel crisp.

Drinkability: i like this quite a bit. good complexity and great balance. not as sweet as some Dubbels which i liked.

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3.23/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Appearance – Giant, lasting head atop a gorgeous deep brownish-orange body. This was beautiful to stare at.

Smell – Nice, spicy aromas of cinnamon, coriander, pepper, and some clove with the fresh malt and bread scents. I would have liked to have seen things a little stronger, but the main components of a good Abbey Dubbel are there.

Taste – The first thing that struck me about this taste was the utter lack of carbonation, which I’ll talk about in the mouthfeel. But, for now, let’s say that the complexity of the nose did not translate into the taste. I caught some of the spices and the basic malt backbone, but the rest was absent.

Mouthfeel – Very flat for a Belgian Dubbel. I expected carbonation up the nose here but instead found an uninspiring character that bored the pallet.

Drinkability – This is an average Dubbel Ale. I had higher expectations after the pour, but it just didn’t deliver. Good though nevertheless, just not sensational.

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4/5  rDev +5.5%

4.11/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

bottle to branded chalice

look (3/5) - pours a near-prefect amber colour. Decent clarity. Some really nice garnet highlights when held to the light. It lost some points on head: it fell a bit too quickly and left no real lacing. I've had a few of these with some really gross clumps of what I assume is trub, but not in this one!

smell (4.5/5) - the nose is really quite nice. Some dark fruitiness from the grain bill, a lot of plums and prunes (so some melanoidins, but it was overly sweet). The malt is complimented by the yeast aromatics: black pepper, clove, vanilla, some floral notes, and a touch of black licorice tone. A good hint of alcohol on that nose as well, but it plays well with the spice.

flavor (4/5) - similar to the nose, but leaning a bot more to the malt side of things. The combination is somewhat reminiscent of raisins; I suspect that this is a combination of the melanoidins and the yeast. Some of the previous yeast character remains. A good bit less dry on the palate as well. Little or no bitterness or hop flavor. Some alcohol heat lasts into the finish.

feel (3.5/5) - medium-full body and lower carbonation levels give an impression of being syrupy. Some lasting alcohol warmth.

The overall impression is really good! I've had many a dubbel, and though my favorite is still probably the Chimay Red, this one really gives it a run for its money: complex and rich, with a great spicy phenol profile, and a much more substantial feeling body (less carbonation). Not a session brew, but a near perfect cold-night beer in my books.

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4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #32 (Sep 2009):

While the head does attract some attention with its lacing atop the tawny glow, the aroma clearly distracts with tones of biscuits and candied fruit. This is a malty beer with visions of dark bread and plum pudding. Smooth upon the first sip. Fluffy medium body rolls with that smoothness. Faint medicinal phenols grab onto the taste buds--this is where it becomes interesting. Alcohol does show some warmth (peppery and estery), but not so warm that it takes away from the malt base. There is some sweetness here, but in the end, it lands semidry. Nutty yeast and ripe fruit add to the complexities, and with each sip, more flavors unfold as the beer warms up a little bit more.

Very appealing without being overly complex, the dryness does more for this beer as it is able to separate itself from the sweeter Dubbels. A bit of an underdog within its style, and should be given at least a chance--we are glad we did.

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1/5  rDev -73.6%

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 750ml bottle poured into a goblet. Hazy orange/brown color with a thick white head that retained well. A fruity aroma, as well as a little caramel. Fruity taste, sweet, and somewhat yeasty. I enjoyed this beer quite a bit, and thought it was a bargain at $5.95 a bottle.

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4.25/5  rDev +12.1%

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml brown bottle with a freshness date.

A dubbel to pair with a nice home cooked meal, it might not be a top notch dubbel it is enjoyable to say the least.

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4.07/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Large bottle, caged and corked, opened with quite a bit of energy being released. Pours murky/cloudy and chocolate in color. Lifts a long lasty puffy, dark tan head and leaves nicely developed and long lasting lacing. Nose is chocolate, raisins and rum. Flavorful and enjoyable dubbel, notes of more chocolate, pleanty of rum raisins, cafe au lait, cloves, candi sugars etc, a very drinkable and moderatly complex dubbel. Widely available and well worth a try.

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4.42/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First review!!

Poured out of 750ml bottle into tulip glass.

Appearance - Very lively carbonation pours a nice white, one finger head. Dark ruby/brownish in color. Foam clings to my glass, and sticks around through the rest of the experience. Great looking beer!

Smell - Smells rich of ripe, dark fruit. Raisins and plums predominate, with faint toffee and caramel notes in the background. Enticing aroma.

Taste/Mouthfeel - Just what you would expect from the looks and aromas. A good balance of dark fruits and toffee. The carbonation is as lively in the mouthfeel as it looks and the alcohol leaves a warming sensation in the finish. Chewy, delicious. They suggest sipping it slow on the bottle but that is easier said than done!

Overall - A great beer that I feel rewarded to have chosen out of the many other great Belgian doubles on the shelf. Balanced, lively, full of flavor and easily drinkable for the abv. Nice work Affligem I will look for your name in the future.

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4/5  rDev +5.5%

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Single bottle from the LCBO. It's been a few years since I last had one of these - figured it was time to give it another go.

Poured into an oversized wine glass. Nice bright red in colour, with a thick sturdy inch and a half of head that recedes to a substantial layer. Loads of lacing sheets. A terrific looking brew.

Nose is decidedly understated - cherry, chocolate, caramel, fig. Quite pleasant, though not as potent as I remember.

Subtle again, nice and dry, with a mild acidic bitterness to the finish. A bit of cherry skin, chocolate and some other mixed bag fruits and spices provide mild character.

Mild bodied, higher carbonation, leaves a dry sensation on the tongue.

Nice dubbel, accessible, though not nearly as bold in the flavor department as I would like. Still, nice pickup - I'm going to age a couple bottles, see what happens.

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3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

300 ml bottle, B and M stores, Bristol - Pours dark brown with a large foamy white head. Medium carbonation. Nice lacing. Smell - sweet malty, yeasty. Taste - Sweet, light fruit with a malty finish. Nice ale.

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3.25/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

33cl bottle. Dark ruby with a tan head. Dried fruit, plum jam, dark chocolate, yeast and metal.

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4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

4.11/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From notes:

Appearance: thick head, very fine suds; amber colour heading to light brown; clear

Aroma: minimal; somewhat resinous? nothing really distinct

Taste & Mouthfeel: immediately reminds my why I love Belgian beer, just has that unique flavour; complex finish; more dry then I'm used to, lightly bitter; blackcurrants; fine carbonation make for a pleasant mouthfeel; some dark chocolate

Overall: an addictive beer - the taste is so interesting, and yet undefinable

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3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

4/5  rDev +5.5%

3.77/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cork date of 2/03. Medium dullish brown with translucent highlights and very light sedimentation. Head rises to 1/2 an inch, lays mostly flat with some small divits. Laces in large primary rings with some drips. Cherry aromas, slight allspice and raisin. Mouthfeel is lightish, higher than expected carbonation. Flavor impression is fairly ordinary, sweet pear juice, brief impression of cocoa, slight vegetal leafiness and a bit of fizziness that seems a little wrong. Lightly astringent at the close, lemony. This beer has a reputation of as being typical of the style, I think Steve Beaumont features it in his "Premium Beer Drinker's Guide", but to me, its not as satisfying as I was hoping when I picked it up (last Summer, I think).

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