Palm Dobbel
Brouwerij Palm NV

 

 

The Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody has really belched forth one from the past this time! My late Pops, who died on 28 July 2001, was an avid bicyclist & requested that some of his ashes be scattered at the foot of both The Arc de Triomphe & The Eiffel Tower so that he could be present for the finish of The Tour de France every year. It fell to me as the estate executor to carry out his wishes & since it was post-9/11, air fares were dirt cheap. I flew into DeGaulle, scattered the ashes, visited the Normandy beachhead again & went on to Brussels for a few day before flying home out of Schiephol in Amsterdam. This bottle, as well as a massive assortment, came home with me & have been in The Beerfrigerator ever since. I figure that as I approach the 16th anniversary of Pops' passing that I will delve into that stash.

From the bottle: "For more than 5 years, the Palm Brewery has been brewing not only its Speciale Palm, but also for the festive season, its Dobbel Palm. This high fermentation amber beer with its own special aroma and taste brings warmth into your glass. Enjoy the festive season and ... cheers!"

I Pop!ped the cap & began an incredibly gentle pour into an awaiting chalice. Once sufficiently decanted, an in-glass swirl raised a brief finger of light-tan head that quickly reverted to wisps. Color was Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was quite sweet, clearly malt-driven, with notes of both bread and caramel, almost like rising dough. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was very bready with hints of caramel and dried Mediterranean fruits, like dates and figs. It was kind of like a liquefied fig newton. Finish was semi-sweet with the yeast having continued to help the beer ferment in the bottle & drying it out from what was probably originally a sugary malt bomb. There was still a good deal of sweetness to it.

 

 

The foam small, decreases quickly, slightly "dirts" the glass. Malt and fruity aroma, mainly dark fruits, fried plum like in the jam.
Taste sweet and delicate sour. Smooth texture. Medium to high saturation. Watery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance is amber with a small white head leaving very light lace.

Smell is sweet, kind of dirty dishwater, ethanol.

Taste is generic, a little sweet, and heavy phenols.

Mouthfeel is lighter, a little sticky.

Drinkability is easy in that there is nothing too it. On the other hand, it's generic cheap ale. The label had snow on it, I thought it would be more of a winter warmer, and perhaps that is the intent, but it's way to thin and generic.