“Petrus Double Brown Ale is a top-fermented dark beer. Brewed with pure spring water and carefully selected hops and malts. The dark beer with its subtle and slightly caramelized flavour is preferably served cool.”
We’re liking this label, with a picture of God holding a key in one hand and a chalice in the other with the cheeky quip that reads “the key to heaven”. Obviously the almighty doesn’t mind a Belgian Dubbel now and again. Served in a beer tulip with quite an interesting appearance. Against a dark background a deep mahogany brown is offered but when held to the light a bright strawberry red hue is revealed. A modest finger of khaki foam is knocked up which retains well and releases nice, artistic patterns of lace as it ebbs. Oh wow! The aroma is delicious, we wish we could just eat it. This rich and caramelised toffee scent emanating is simply divine! Plenty of yeasty notes are coming through, bringing with it a strange, almost medicinal aroma, although it’s subtle and could easily be mistaken for the slightly phenolic cherry character. Not bad. In the mouth it’s creamy and luscious with an excellent smoothness to it. Carbonation is moderate and the body is about mild-medium. No alcohol burn at all, so the 6.5% ABV is well masked. Very sweet on the front-palate. Raisins, plum and brown sugar come to mind as an earthy fig character works to balance it out. Hints of stewed pears and candied apple appear in the mid before it descends in to sweet, chewy toffee finish. This sweet, fleshy fruit flavour reappears again on the back end displaying it’s good legs. Not bad but a little too sweet to be brilliant though. The delicious presence of cocoa and chocolate weren’t as pronounced as other top shelf Dubbels are. Tasty and very enjoyable, just not convincing enough to be great.