Brune
Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu

 

Poured from the 330ml bottle into a mug. The beer is a deep red color, hazy and bubbly, with a large rocky light an head.

Smell is fruity with lots of dark fruit and some berry with hints of Belgian yeast, brown sugar, and some caramel.

Taste is balanced; nicely malty with fruits and brown sugar throughout. Yeast and candied fruit.

Really solid drinkable beer that is more than the sum of its parts. Great.

 

330 ml bottle, from Voldby Købmandsgård, Denmark. ABV is 8%. Brown colour, large off-white head. Strong sweetish malty aroma, notes of caramel and brown kandij sugar, hints of dark fruits and chocolate. The flavour is also malty with notes of caramel - sweet, but not too much. Also notes of brown kandij sugar, and a very moderate spiciness in the finish. Very moderate hops. Smooth and pleasant to drink.

 

 

 

L- Pretty dark chestnut amber, quite cloudy with much sediment left in the bottle. Pours with 1.5Cm pillowy pale tan head (ps/10mins later = holding very well)
S- Seems pretty mild to me, just some light roasted grains.
T- It's quite pungent - rich, dark+roasty, a hint of sweet, then an ABV% zing brushes my palate.
F- It's quite pungent with typically deep flavours for a Brune, but also typical is that it's richness just strays a bit too far (for my liking) into outright sweetness. Carbonation in the mouth is very good.
O- Something I'm fast learning with my latest order of 100-odd different beers from Belgium is that their Brunes don't really suit me too well. Some are good, but I've had too many now that I'm surprised/disappointed by their leaning towards outright sweetness. And to be clear I mean sugary sweet and not rich/deep/malty/pungent etc.
I'd suggest you have to be cool with sweet facets to enjoy this one.
Lable redesigned, now very simple and really elegant. 330ml bottle BB: 09/07/2021. Bought from BelgiumInABox in Antwerp/BE for home delivery to me in London/UK.

 

 

 

11.2oz bottle bb 4/12/13 poured into a chalice at fridge temp 8% ABV. The beer pours super chunky (it was purchased last week at room temperature and I didn't check the date). The color is medium brown and the head is a very light brown. The head recedes to a thin ring and island. The aroma is fairly strong for the style with big brown sugar and dark fruits. The taste is fairly oxidized burnt sugar with a strong alcohol presence for 8%. The dry finish offers just less than medium bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with just above average carbonation. Overall, too old and degraded to score. The beer shows promise if I see it fresher and would have to age well under the right conditions. Scored to the current average, but will actively seeking out again for an update.

Pours a murky dark-brown color with a big top of white head that dissolves slowly and leaves some sticky lacings.
Aroma is dark malts, bread, caramel, tofee, chocolate, plums, raisins, brown sugar and spices.
The taste starts of sweet with notes of dark and dried fruits and brown sugar, with strong malty tones of bread and caramel in the back. Then finish has a slight bitterness and some good spicy notes. The aftertaste has a good lenght. Mouthfeel is soft and creamy, but maybe slightly weak. Medium carbonation with a medium body.
A very good example of a dubbel.

Poured from bottle to 10 oz serving glass. Dark brown colored liquid with a finger of foam. Nice aromas of dark fruits and powdered cocoa. Flavor is much more complex than the aroma. The dark fruit is there, and prominent, so lots of fig and plummy notes but there's also something tart like cherries. Under that is a caramel/cocoa flavor tying it all together. Got this one as a "mystery bottle" at a brewery and was quite pleased.

 

 

 

In the Maredsous school of Belgian beer, this is a nice go to Belgian that is not outstanding but will more than suffice.
Claims mocha (not really there) and a tad sweet, this will still leave you satisfied, but just know that there is even better out there.

 

Intense dark brown color with orange gold highlights. Light tan cap and lacing.

Strong aroma of dark ripe figs and molasses accented with ripe dark cherries.

Wow, pretty complex and sophisticated flavors here. On entry the flavors present all together yet there is a high solo voice of Dry Oloroso Sherry richness that hints at but doesn't achieve sweetness. It's as if someone swirled caramel and honey in a bowl, poured it out then filled the bowl with the ripe fruits mention above. Finish brings dark barley notes of chocolate and unsweetened cocoa. I know, those two sound alike but they're not the same.

Full texture with balancing carbonation.

Another roasty, toasty hearty brown that does credit to Belgian brewing tradition.