Dubbel
Bastone Brewery

 

 

 

 

This beer was served on tap at Bastone in Royal Oak, Michigan. It arrived, without warning, in the largest chalice we’ve ever encountered out at a beer bar. This thing honestly probably weighed ten pounds dry, and was thicker than bone. The color sat near the auburn shade of the spectrum, offset only by a half finger tall worth of sand colored foam. No real lacing, haze, or sediment was appreciated, and carbonation appeared to be mild. The aroma was simple, giving your typical notes of hearty and warming Belgian yeast, dark and dank fruitiness of red cherries and plums, soy sauce, moderately roasted crystal and caramel malts, raw white rice, and a floral perfumed quality. The taste followed appropriately, giving a blend of pale, amber, and caramel Belgian maltiness, potpourri florals, astringent and metallic European yeastiness, sweet toffee sugars, fig syrup, black cherry pulp, Graham crackers, wildflower honey, aluminum, graphite, ceramic tile, lemon cleaner, and vinous strawberry fruitiness. The body was thin and watered, even at warmth, and carbonation was on the low side of medium. Cream, slurp, smack, and froth were minimal, with the mouth left lightly dried and astringent. The abv was appropriate, and drinkability was as a rather slow sipper.

Overall, this was an almost comical beer to consume. To no fault of the actual beverage itself, the glassware was outrageous and exaggerated. Although it didn’t really hinder the aromatics or flavors by being an “improper” shape for the style, it did make it hard to physically consume, especially considering that fifty percent of TheBrewo is a petite young woman. Again, this was funnier than anything else. Otherwise, the beer left us a little confused. On the one hand, when at the chilled temperature of their draft system, the flavoring was subdued, and the feel was a bit more sludgy. As the beer warmed, however, the opposite of each was true. The flavoring opened up to show much more spice and fruit of those true dubbel notes, while the mouthfeel fell off into thinned oblivion. After discussing it at great length, we feel that the worst culprit here is the lack of body, and pin that as our least favorite thing about this beer. Every other aspect of it is rather standard.