Westmalle Black and Tan

Anyone ever done a black and tan with Westmalle Dubbel and Tripel? I saw a couple of the smaller bottles being grabbed out of a cooler at the same time, and thought that might be interesting.

....maybe not good, but interesting. Anyone else ever done this? Should I be the guinea pig?

 

Ha you're all dicks. "We're all glad you're going to do this for us, and figure out if we should do it after you taste the divine and/or puke your guts out."

 

I'm really fascinated to hear from people who've had it, then! I can't imagine it won't be delicious.

 

Yes! Yes!!!

I am definitely going to try this as soon as I get a couple of the smaller bottles (I think a 750ml black and tan might kill me....).

Thank you for posting your results!

 

OK, it may have taken me almost a year to get around to this, but I finally did it.


Westmalle Tripel (2014) and Dubbel (2013)



I tasted them separately just for quality control. You know...for science. Despite the Dubbel being a year past its "Enjoy By" date, both taste fine separately. It's important to make sure; otherwise the finished product wouldn't be proving the intended point.




I did not get the hazy near-stratification that @cookiequiz managed; my pours were probably impatient, and my spoon inadequate for the task at hand. I poured two glasses: one with the Tripel on bottom, and one with the Dubbel on bottom. (I have plenty of beer on hand, so why not?)

The Tripel-bottom version came out the prettiest, in my opinion, with a burnished copper look favoring golden hues. The Dubbel-bottom version came out darker and closer to a garnet-infused brown. I think I managed to keep the proportions roughly equal, so I'm guessing there was more mixing in one (likely the latter).

The flavor is quite tasty: Westmalle yeast, Belgian candi sugar, prunes, and cola. All the dry, spicy flavors associated with Westmalle's signature yeast are present, and each beer brings its own touch of fruit - prunes and raisins from the Dubbel, and pears and bananas from the Tripel. Perhaps due to the age, the yeast has even more of a presence than normal; or perhaps it's just been too long since I've had these brews, and my palate is having trouble adjusting from its normal steady diet of IPAs and stouts.

Would I recommend this mixture? No, not really. I think the sum is lesser than its parts, in this case. Additionally, while I personally find Westmalle's Tripel to be the archetype of the style, I think their Dubbel, while quite good, ranks noticeably below Chimay and Rochefort. Mixing the two dulls the impressiveness of the former, without significantly adding to the latter's profile.

But it was fun. I encourage everyone to find something fun and unusual, and just try it. You never know!

Cheers, Beer Advocates!

 

Don't forget delicious.