Abbey Dubbel
Blackberry Farm Brewery

Big bottle poured into tulip at Schera’s in Elkader, IA. This place was quite the find! Interesting menu (both food and drinks). Beer soured a bit

 

2016 bottle to chalice.
The appearance was murky dark amber/mahogany murky color with a sheet of a small white foamy head that slid off fairly quick. Just a little bit of concave lace ran here and there.
The aroma had a very nice blend of red delicious apples, raisins, Belgian sweet breadiness, Belgian sugars, walnuts, Belgian chocolate and a touch of allspice.
The flavor leans towards the Belgian sweet side with some of the yeast pushing against the spices and apples. Light aftertaste of sweet Belgian bready/yeastiness, apples, raisins, banana and allspice.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sipping quality about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt fine. Little bit of a grainy sweet sticky finish with apples and raisins.
Overall, well, I thought it was a Dubbel but don't care about getting wrapped up in semantics. Whatever Belgian style one wants to call it, I believe most of can agree this is well brewed.

 

 

 

 

 

The beer pours a beautiful reddish brown. The head is a voluminous 4 fingers of creme colored foam. The nose is slightly disappointing. It consists of a mustiness overtone with hints of dark fruit and caramel sweetness beneath. The taste is initially dull, but opens up as it warms. There are dark fruits and a bit of alcohol. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium. The carbonation is surprisingly light and prickly considering the size of the head on pouring. I think this is correctly identified here as a Belgian strong Dark rather than a dubbel. Its pretty good as strong darks go, although there are certainly better examples readily available. I wouldn't seek it out, although I would have no problem drinking it again if available.

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a slightly hazy, medium to dark orange amber with a half finger khaki head that dissipated to patches, then built back up into a thick cap. Aroma of candi malt, orange, light stone fruit, Belgian yeast, hint of banana. Flavor is grainy malt, lemon and orange, apples, pears, mild caramel, saison style yeast. Finishes semi-dry with residual grain and light fruit. Medium bodied with sharp, peppery carbonation. A nice Belgian inspired ale, but not really much like a dubbel. Blackberry makes great saisons and the yeast here leans in that direction. The style is closer to a Belgian strong light ale, although the color is dark. The dry saison malt and yeast flavor combined with light fruit is quite nice, although tastes more like a saison / Belgian ale hybrid. Interesting that the aroma is nearly spot on for a dubbel, but the taste go in a drier direction. Nicely done, but not what I expected. I'm rating this to enjoyment, it would rate somewhat lower as a traditional dubbel.

 

Iced tea colored body with a fresh 2 finger head.

Sweet aromas and near perfect fermentation turn the yeast onto glazed pecans, cinnamon roll, light floral, then straight belgian yeast and malts, and faint melted butter - which may or may not be a flaw but fits in perfectly here.

Flavor is rich and decadent, with lots of buttery pecan, cinnamon roll, sweet kettle molasses, and hints of garden flower. Wow.

Feel is very appropriately carbonated with just enough pop to keep this going all the way down and enough creaminess to balance it out.

Overall, though $9.49 a bottle may be a bit steep, this is one AWESOME Dubbel worth seeking out.

From a 375 ml bottle (no date) to a chalice.

A-The beer pours with a fat finger of tan foam. The head fades quickly to a thin cap that hangs around for a while, but leaves no lacing. The beer underneath is murky and brown. Above average, but only by a hair.

S-The aroma is a pleasant mixture of traditional Belgian flavors, e.g., yeast and sweet alcohol, and a slightly odd, nutty note. I sniff some red grape, fig, hints of molasses, and raisin. Not overly intense, but nice smelling stuff.

T-The taste doesn't quite track the smell. It is more bitter and earthy with less fruit and more odd flavors creeping. I detect some dried apples, chocolate, and cocoa, as well as some medicinal alcohol.

M-The feel is a bit of letdown. Watery with milder levels of carbonation. Not what I am looking for in a dubbel.

O-I was excited by the aroma of this beer, but things kind-of went downhill from there. This is a hard style to do well because it relies on nuance instead of brute strength, and while I think Blackberry Farms had the right idea, the beer did not quite do it for me.

Blackberry Farm Brewery "Dubbel"
on tap @ Gnarly Barley, Orlando, FL on 22 Dec 2016
12 oz. / $6

Notes: Listed at 7% ABV. Typical appearance. Aroma is mild compared to the flavor; and displays some coconut which is unusual, and fruit. The coconut remains in the flavor, along with some cola, cardamom, raisin, a bit of alcohol (just enough to let you know it's got some strength), and a suggestion of chocolate that comes out in the finish. In the mouth it's medium-full in body and creamy with a fine-bubbled, seemingly natural carbonation. It's oddly "malty", but also light in malt at the same time - an interesting trick that leaves it more drinkable than it might be otherwise. Overall it's not what you expect from an Abbey Dubbel, it's really more of a strong Belgian ale, but it's still OK/within style.