Brune
Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu

BruneBrune
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From:
Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu
 
Belgium
Style:
Dubbel
Ranked #17
ABV:
8%
Score:
90
Ranked #9,803
Avg:
4.02 | pDev: 9.7%
Reviews:
187
Ratings:
302
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 19, 2023
Added:
Jan 20, 2002
Wants:
  32
Gots:
  26
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by basica:
Photo of basica
Reviewed by basica from California

3.71/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I bought this brune dubbel from Brussel Sprouts the day before yesterday, to go. I like the label; it is this nice lake and a city on the backdrop. I served this dubbel in my Hoegaarden Forbidden
Fruit chalice. This beer pours out dark ruby brown with a thick creamy and durable head quite a looker; it smells grassy yeasty with some floral notes; quite different from many brune beers I have tried. The taste was kind of like the belgian blonds more than a typical brune; it was yeasty
but the yeast taste was not as strong and stinggy like many belgian blonds. Dark malts and very subtle sweetness in addition to a slight breadiness was detected as it moves into a grassy yeasty taste on the finish which is reminiscent of the initial smell; the finish was also very slightly bitter. I did not think I detected much of fruits in the taste but in the after taste I believe I pick up plums and grapes with some breadiness; a little fruity aroma on the nose as well. Beer was of a moderage body with a sufficiently high carbonation level; it was smooth but instead of creamy smooth which was what it looked to be; it was more of the watery smooth. It was a relatively refreshing compared to many of the belgian brunes as well. On the whole, I find that this beer was more like a blond than a brune though every inch of it looks like a brune. Quite interesting though I would have preferred it more like a brune.
Sep 12, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of beerwithmeIRL
Reviewed by beerwithmeIRL from Ireland

4.17/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
330ml bottle - Pours nut brown wit 2.5 finger off white foam head. Quite sweet the nose with caramel, brown sugar to the fore. Taste follows nose with added richness from notes of dark dried fruits and gentle hint of spice - in general nice & malty. Overall, a very nice dubbel.
Dec 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.13 by steverx8 from England

Jul 14, 2023
Photo of BucBasil
Reviewed by BucBasil from Rwanda

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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.
Sep 17, 2022
 
Rated: 4.2 by bf7 from Pennsylvania

Mar 25, 2022
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.92/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
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.
Jan 27, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by Surf_rock from Ukraine

May 10, 2021
 
Rated: 4.48 by EugenZ

May 02, 2021
 
Rated: 3.57 by DvdP from Netherlands

Nov 11, 2020
Photo of JonnoWillsteed
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England

3.23/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
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.
May 14, 2020
 
Rated: 4.51 by Catalinmunteanu from Romania

Oct 26, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Jul 25, 2019
 
Rated: 4.66 by Anacross from Oregon

Jul 05, 2019
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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.
Jun 16, 2019
Photo of OlaB
Reviewed by OlaB from Norway

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
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.
Mar 16, 2019
Photo of Tripel_Threat
Reviewed by Tripel_Threat from Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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.
Feb 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.03 by dukeufo from California

Feb 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by sdm9465 from Canada (NS)

Jan 11, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by freewill35 from Indiana

Sep 21, 2017
Photo of Cramshawbar
Reviewed by Cramshawbar from Canada (ON)

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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.
Sep 02, 2017
Brune from Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 302 ratings