Rat Pack
Old Irving Brewing Co.

 

 

 

Who would of thunk that purveyors of IPAs would produce a dubbel this good for the table? Not me.
But, I'm glad that Rat Pack came my way.
This dubbel shows the character of the cocktail, the old-fashioned, made famous in the mid-1960s by the Rat Pack (you know, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr and Joey Bishop). While it does taste more like an old-fashioned (without the hard stuff) than it does a monk's dubbel, Belgian-inspired brewing can learn something from Rat Pack.

First of all, the flavors of orange and cherry can be less yeast driven and still be subtle if the brew sits in a barrel.
Second, Rat Pack goes well at the table with winter foods. I had a melange tonight and I want more Rat Pack to test against my next batch of leftovers.

As for my micro-review of Old Irving.... they are doing pretty good for a five year old. They didn't get the yeast quite right for this dubbel, but that takes monks generations. Like most North American shops, Old Irving is IPA heavy. And while their food menu would give me a heart attack, I definitely want more Rat Pack.

 

One of the best dubbels I've had.

This beer is outstanding. I know Dubbels aren't for everyone but as one of my favorite beer varieties I was excited to try this "old fashioned" inspired version. The look right off the bat in a tulip glass shows a dark red hue and the beer smells slightly sweet reminiscent of a maraschino cherry with a hint of oak. The taste is incredible, really great cherry and oak notes with some background spice and orange peel. Feels great going down, nice and smooth. Overall for someone who loves the Dubbel style, this is an A plus in my book.

Tasted in a tulip glass from draft at the Old Irving Brewing Company on August 15, 2017.

 

 

Draft at the brewery, described as an Old Fashioned-style Dubbel with orange peel, cherry, and bourbon soaked oak chips.
Dark brown with a thin surface skim, minor lacing. Aroma is ok, a little spicy for lack of a better word. Baking spice, bitter orange peel. Taste is bitter with a little bit of astringency from the oak chips. Comes off more as a spiced Dubbel than Old Fashioned, much less sweet than the cocktail. Light bodied, well carbonated. Worth a try, but not for me personally.