“Green Muse 6.3% ABV Belgian Dubbel w/ Wormwood collab. with Beerfarm (WA) – Business in the front, party in the back…this brew takes a classic Belgian style offroad (with monster-truck tyres on the Ute). The fruity esters and sweet malts greet you as expected and then this beer throws a curveball. Wormwood, often used in absinth and other aperitifs sweeps through with a bold cleansing bitterness. All up the Green Muse presents on the drier side, and rewards many sips with complex flavourful refreshment.”

Glassware: Trappist Chalice.

Appearance: Pours an attractive deep ruby red with light mahogany hues. Just a short off white head comes together but dispersed just as quickly. Nice wavy lace as we imbibe.

Aroma: We wanted to review this literally coz we were fascinated at how the wormwood would be presented. We love Dubbels as well so we guess it wasn’t the sole reason! Classic semi rich malts meet the olfactories instantly followed by the rather savoury and sage-like herbals, peppery spice, earthy notes, subtle toffee and honeysuckle. It does have a kinda green tea character to it as well. Smells good.

Flavour: It comes on with a well tempered malt sweetness but it’s very short lived as the hallmark bitterness of the wormwood kicks into gear. First the peppery and earthy herbal flavours then the abrasive bitterness takes hold. Burnt toffee and toasty malts counteract a little but not enough as it surges into an extremely bitter finish with a delicate malt sweetness on the flank.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and sticky initially then dry and a little coarse in the swallow. Medium body, mild-moderate Co2. The 6.3% ABV is nicely poised.

Overall: Our only other experience with wormwood until today was with good old Absinthe so it’s safe to say the memories are fun (and a little hazy) but the palate wouldn’t say the same. In this case the sweet malts save it from a similar fate. The positive is we can say we’ve tried it.

“Augustijn Donker is the logical addition to the existing beers Augustijn Blonde and Augustijn Grand Cru and is a true beer of 8% alc. that appeals both the occasional as the seasoned beer lover! With the grand balance between aroma, taste and after taste, the Augustijn Donker is added value in this segment and ensures that the range of Augustijn beers reflects a delicious spectrum of tastes within the rich Belgian beer culture. The beer is not distinctly sweet, as many would expect from a dark specialty beer. It tastes rather lightly smoked with a touch of nuts and caramel.”

Glassware: Trappist Goblet.

Appearance: Somewhat deep mahogany pour with a thumb of tanned foam atop. The head slowly peels off but leaves a magnificent lace as it ebbs.

Aroma: First impressions are excellent…super rich and complex. Chock-full of dark fruit sweetness and burnt brown/Candi sugars but there’s a big toasty malt profile that comes right over the top. Decadent caramel and toffee, sourdough, yeasty spice i.e clove, nutmeg etc, milk chocolate and raw mixed nuts fill it out even further. Almost getting a touch of honeycomb as well. Next level stuff.

Flavour: Holy moly it’s got everything…rich, roasty, sweet, earthy, nutty, fruity. There isn’t really one stand out flavour it’s just a huge blend of sweet Candi sugars, roasted malt, dark fruits, caramel and toffee, earthy spice, apple/pear, crusty sourdough, chocolate and subtle hints of banana. The evolution of flavour is off the charts…even after a minute or so after the last sip it’s still morphing.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and a little sticky. Well carbed as a good Dubbel should be. Medium-full body. The 8% ABV is very well concealed.

Overall: An extremely well executed Dubbel. Wouldn’t expect anything less from an OG like Van Steenberge. We honestly can’t believe we hadn’t reviewed this beer before. Sensational drop!

“This brown ale has a marked ruby brown colour with a generous and lasting head. It has a distinctive aroma reflecting the wide range of ingredients used in its production. The fruitiness resulting from its fermentation blends harmoniously with a dominant liquorice and caramel flavour. The body is decidedly malty. The bitterness is the result of a complex alchemy between the fine hops and special malts used. These give St Feuillien Brune a typical dark chocolate appearance.”

Glassware: Trappist Chalice.

Appearance: Light brown with deep ruby red hues. A bit of a gusher…we had to pour straight away to avoid spilling it everywhere! It builds a huge four finger crown which retracts and settles to a bubbling egg shaped island. Laced very well.

Aroma: You just can’t beat a traditional Belgian brewed Dubbel. The balance they hit is incredible considering the amount of syrupy sweetness it offers. Caramel, toffee and butterscotch for days with the yeast esters (banana, clove, bubblegum) backing up. Kind of a dank herbal accent too…reminds us of spearmint or coriander. A bit of aniseed which introduces a hint of cola to the party as well. Gorgeous!

Flavour: Bang on point. Uber sweet caramels and toffee with a hint of earthy spice and candi sugars. A very faint touch of chocolate and toasted malt also balancing out. Dark fruits, yeast esters, brown bread and Noble hop-like herbals all band together and go on for an eternity.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and sticky yet well carbonated. Medium-full body. The 8.5% ABV is ridiculously well buried.

Overall: We haven’t had a Dubbel of this quality for yonks! The non-Belgian examples simply don’t have the depth and balance or character. We guess that’s what 900 years of perfecting your recipe will do. Brilliant.

“A Strong Belgian Ale, deep orange in colour with a lasting creamy head, spicy hop aroma from our own Hallertau and Tettnanger hop flowers, and a complex malty finish. Brewed with almost religious fervour with extra long maturation and dry hopped.”

Glassware: Trappist Chalice.

Appearance: Hazy burnished orange with a finely beaded two finger head perched up top. Excellent retention and lacing as we indulge.

Aroma: Belgian yeast galore – banana runts, clove, white bread crusts, pear/apple, coriander/parsley and a subtle lick of bubblegum. The only downside is this faint inkling of VB which we all know is a bit risky. There’s a lovely zesty-ness happening as well. One thing we dislike about non-Trappist Dubbels is that cloying sweetness but thankfully it’s not present here. Hooray!

Flavour: So we were just going on about non-Trappist Dubbels being too sweet…well, this isn’t sweet enough! Certainly getting the yeast components – banana bread, clove, spicy herbs and pear/apple) but that indulgent caramelised sweetness is MIA. Could also explain the lack in depth of colour. It carries through nicely and finishes with a classic Belgian yeast profile.

Mouthfeel: Dense yet foamy with a slightly lifted Co2. The 8.3% ABV is reasonably well concealed.

Overall: We’re not going to nit-pick coz we know full well this is a bloody difficult style to brew. We just feel the lack of malts (or the right malts) has let it down. The top rung Dubbels i.e Westmalle and Westvleteren have that syrupy caramel sweetness oozing out of them and we feel it’s a miss here. Still, not a bad attempt.

“The story of New Belgium begins with an abbey: Not only were Belgium’s monastic beers the inspiration behind our Colorado brewery, but Abbey, a Belgian-style dubbel, was one of the first beers we released way back in 1991. Since then, it’s become our most award-winning offering. Sip Abbey, and sip New Belgium’s tradition.”

Glassware: Trappist chalice.

Appearance: Mahogany with ruby red hues. We get a full gaze through the beer when held to the light. Minimal head settling to a halo with some patchy lace as we imbibe.

Aroma: Picking up a lot of the Belgian yeasty qualities such as banana runts, clove, pear/apple and peppery phenols. Moreish wafts of milk chocolate, caramel and dark fruits also getting amongst it. Maybe just a flutter of nutty malt, coffee and bubblegum as well. Love it…very conventional.

Flavour: It comes on with a fusion of Belgian yeasty notes and caramel/toffee sweetness. Dark fruits like raisin, plums, fig etc through the middle picking up a kind of banana split-like flavour as it rolls on. A little cameo of spice, chocolate and cocoa before a yeasty finish is dressed up with hints of toasty malt and coffee.

Mouthfeel: Pretty well rounded. Rather smooth and silky with medium body. Just the right amount of co2 to give it a lift. 7% AbV nicely tucked away.

Overall: That’s a pretty damn fine interpretation of the style. Lots of Belgian yeast character, caramel and dark fruit sweetness but also a nice roasty component as well. Solid offering.

“Drawing inspiration from the Abbey brewing tradition, we use Belgian Special B malt and a funky Belgian yeast, to create notes of raisins and sarsaparilla.”

Glassware: Trappist Chalice.

Appearance: Deep reddish-brown revealing mahogany hues when held to the light. The head is loose and rocky, eventually retreating to the rim. Healthy lace clings to the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: The first thing that hits the olfactory’s are these intense caramel and toffee overtones. Butterscotch and cocoa then morphing in to more yeast-driven notes of candied banana, honey, nutmeg, caramelized pears, raisin and prunes/dates. Getting an uber rich maple and or treacle sweetness from it once it settles…borderline cloying.

Flavour: That super rich sweetness transitions to the palate. There’s a hint of bitterness but it does little to stem the wave of caramel, toffee, honey and maple sweetness that follows. Very fine hints of toasty malt, cocoa and apple pie forming late as it finishes dry, fruity and spicy. Some good length on it though.

Mouthfeel: This is where it goes down hill a bit…it’s too thin for the style. It also feels kind of saturated from the low co2 and minimal balance.

Overall: Definitely not convinced but in saying that it’s still not a bad attempt. The big difference between this and something like a Westmalle or even our very own Mad Abbot is the balance. Even though it’s not really there it still isn’t a too bad a drop.

NO DESCRIPTION

Glassware: Trappist chalice.

Appearance: Pours a light brown with a wispy tanned overlay. Tight and fine bubbles which retain and work a healthy lace down the glass.

Aroma: Smells the goods. Layered with milk chocolate, hazelnut, plum, dates, yeasty spice and bubblegum. Once it warms we pick up hints of vanilla and coconut, toffee fudge and fairy floss. Every time we take a whiff there’s something new but we have to move on or it’ll become an essay!

Flavour: A lot less flamboyant than the aroma. Sort of takes more of a traditional approach with poignant yeasty spice and phenols, cocoa powder, dark fruits and rich burnt toffee. Doesn’t really shift far from this line with the aforementioned flavours carrying through to the extensive finish.

Mouthfeel: Nice and full. There’s a hint of co2 there with a promiscuous 8.5% AbV.

Overall: There’s a few firsts here. It’s our first crack at their range and it’s also our first crack at a German Dubbel. Furthermore it’s our first attempt at a “Baltic” Dubbel…although this could have more to do with the breweries geographical location. Being on an island surrounded by the Baltic sea and all!

“The term dubbel is rooted in a Belgian Trappist beer naming convention which can be traced back to 1856. This brown ale has been aged in Aquavit barrels to produce a complex beer.”

Glassware: Goblet.

Appearance: Muddy chestnut brown with a ring of loosely held bubble around the rim. Some soapy lace left behind as we go.

Aroma: Rich, sweet and chock-full of chewy caramels, toffee, Christmas cake, spice, carob, prunes, oregano and burnt oranges – the latter surely being products of the Aquavit barrels. It’s lovely how the aromas tie together though. Superb.

Flavour: Getting more yeasty notes…estery fruits i.e banana, pear and earthy clove-like spice. Loads of caramel and toffee sweetness, dark fruits and fennel set up for a nice and warming finish. Not overly boozy though, still showing plenty of spice and dark fruit on the back palate.

Mouthfeel: Smooth as silk, chewy almost port-like texture. Full in body with low co2. The 11% AbV is incredibly well masked.

Overall: There’s only a small handful of Aussie brewers who’ve been able to pull off a brilliant Trappist ale. Hawkers have now placed themselves among them. This is a cracking Dubbel, kudos Hawkers!

“Brugse Zot Dubbel is a dark brown beer, leaning towards ruby ​​red. Brewed with six special malts, the beer has a unique and rich aroma in which the scent of honey, almond, chocolate and even brown sugar can be discovered.”

Glassware: Trappist goblet.

Appearance: Big and billowing four finger head that surges up and over the rim of the glass. It sits atop a very deep chestnut/brown body with crazy amounts of lace as it ebbs. Very attractive beer.

Aroma: Oh wow, unexpectedly sweet and fruity with a heady scent of either blackcurrant or blackberry leading out. More dark fruits and candied berries as it warms. Sticky toffee and caramel, syrup, spicy phenols, subtle chocolate and timber also coming through. So juicy and sweet but it’s no way cloying. Superb aroma.

Flavour: It’s not coming on as strong as we’d like. Some dark fruit sweetness, brown sugar and faint yeasty notes that impart adjunct spices, Christmas cake and prunes. It starts to fall away mid-palate and finishes somewhat weak, bitter and slightly spicy.

Mouth feel: Creamy texture, nice and vibrant co2 with medium weight. Well masked 7.5% ABV.

Overall: A fairly decent dubbel but it has nothing on the Trappist breweries like La Trappe or Rochefort – it seems to lack that depth and complexity in flavour. Not bad but not great either.

“Grimbergen Double-Ambrée – dark-coloured ale with the bittersweet flavours of caramel and dried plums, made from double-fermented hops and malts.”

Glassware: Trappist tulip.

Appearance: Deep mahogany colour with a wispy head that peels back to a film. It laces extremely well considering the lack of retention.

Aroma: Dark, malty and yeasty with some bitter chocolate on the flank. Quite the hop profile cutting through – earthy and somewhat floral which is infrequent for Belgian dubbels….nice touch though. Getting that banana runt and clove as we begin to scratch the surface. Underpinned by notes of tobacco, white bread and fig. Very good.

Flavour: Super earthy. Tonnes of fig, tree bark and grains which embrace some of that spicy and slightly fruity Belgian yeast on entry. Picking up plums, brown sugar and raisin through the mid as it delivers a dry estery finish full of pear, apple pie and cocoa on the back end.

Mouth feel: Creamy texture and quite high in co2. Only 6.5% ABV so the booze certainly doesn’t dictate. Medium-full body. Very well structured.

Overall: An extremely well brewed dubbel. Although it lacks a lot of that typical sweetness it makes up for it in the form of this kind of raw and earthy character. It’s no Westmalle but it’s still a bloody decent offering.

“Made with a 100% Belgian Malt bill from Castle Malting creating a beer dark brown in colour with malt flavour of dark fruit and warming alcohol. Our own inhouse (former) chemist, brewer Ajay was in charge of brewing up our own Belgian candi sugar, caramelising the sugar into a rich dark caramel toffee, then cooling it back to a solid rock. This was used in the boil adding caramel, chocolate and nutty flavours and keeping the beer light in body and easy drinking, even at 7.3%”

Served in a Trappist tulip. It pours out a deep amber with a copper tint. It struggled to produce much head as it swells to a finger and immediately retracts to a ring with limited lace work as it ebbs.
The nose offers some nice and traditional Belgian dubbel aromas – caramel, toffee, fig, cocoa, banana, clove and candi sugars. There is one component we dislike though…that is the funky and slightly vinegary character that’s happening. Call us old school but funky, tart, sour notes should be reserved for just that…sours. Not a bad aroma it just left us wanting.
The flavour follows the nose with a good foundation of sweet Belgian dubbel flavours like caramel, toffee, banana, clove, earthy fig and truffle but again we find that slightly tart and vinegary flavour distracting. It’s light in the lead up to the finish and a bit short in the tail as well.
Pretty lean and light on in texture. Slightly lifted co2 with quite a well concealed 7.1% ABV. Pretty smooth overall feel in the mouth.
We absolutely love this brewery and with exception to one or maybe two their beers are top notch. This one though….it’s a bit 50/50. We froth over big, dense and super sweet Belgian dubbels but this one was lacking that rich malt, spicy yeast and bubblegum notes that make them so bloody good. Slightly disappointing.

“In the great tradition of the famous Belgian Breweries, our own special Christmas Ale is now available. This strong Belgian abbey styled ale is one of the brewery’s most highly awarded and requested. Deep orange in colour with a lasting creamy head. Spicy hop aroma from our own Hallertauer & Tettnanger hop flowers with a complex malty finish. Brewed with almost religious fervour, with extra long maturation and dry hopped in serving tanks . . . this one will continue to develop for a long time to come.”

Served in a Trappist chalice. It pours a deep apricot hue with a short lasting head. It gradually reduced to a collar with only scarce lace being managed.
The aroma is nice and yeasty, maybe lacking in the intensity that Belgian dubbels have but there’s still a good showing of rich caramel, toffee, plums, raisin, all spice and Christmas cake. Definitely something a little tangy in here…at times it’s a bit like cointreau but it’s more jaffa-like in its delivery. Just a suggestion of boozy warmth tickling the nostrils. Not a bad aroma by any means.
The mouth feel is dense with this kind of syrupy viscosity. Co2 is kept low with nice warming alcohols around the edges. Medium-full bodied.
The flavour offers a complex integration of spices, caramel sweetness and warming orange liqueur upfront. A dark fruit accent hinges on the boozy plum notes that carry forward in to the mid palate. The 8.3% ABV gradually intensifies as hints of cherries and a sweet bready malt lingers with toffee and caramelized pear on the back end.
We were slightly critical of this beer initially but it has more than come through, it’s quite different to a traditional Belgian dubbel and that’s much of the reason why. Kudos to the brewers for taking the courageous step away from tradition and pulling off an extremely tasty drop. Solid stuff.

“Westvleteren has the smallest output of the Trappist breweries, with only a small part of their production going very far into the world.”

Served in a Trappist chalice. She pours that gorgeous chestnut brown with a fizzy head that reduced to a collar. A nice wavy lace pattern is left clinging to the glass as we imbibe.
Superb aroma! It’s just oozing with thick syrupy caramel, toffee and butterscotch while decadent wafts of ripe banana, spice and prunes fill it out. So chewy, yeasty and sweet! Hot damn these guys are masters. Impeccable stuff here, easily one of the best aromas you’ll get from a traditional Belgian dubbel.
In the mouth there is a really nice consistency. Dense and creamy in texture, medium-full in body and mild-medium carbonation. Just a hint of bitterness in there to balance out the super silky malts. Again…So impressive.
The flavour profile literally takes every facet of the aroma and lays it on the tongue with such elegance that we’ve almost finished our beers with the review only half finished! This incredible progression of flavour from caramel and toffee to spice and subtle booze and then to punctuate on this estery, somewhat dry, sweet and spicy finish is simply divine! So thick and malty on the back end too.
Absolutely right on the money! In terms of traditional Belgian dubbel this is as close as one can get to the perfect example. The one downside, if we have to nitpick, is the fact that you will part with a good chunk of your weekly earnings to bag one but as the saying goes…”all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. You don’t want to be Jack in this situation.

“Our Pied-à-Terre Belgian Dubbel is all about its Belgian roots. The combination of this style’s yeast and malts make for a complex flavors. We often have people describing the orange, banana or clove we must have used making this beer. NOPE! These are all characters born from the yeast, malts and hops.”

Served in a Trappist tulip. Crimson red in appearance with a short head that quickly retreats to a ring with minimal lace left in its wake.
The nose is delicate, slightly vinegary and slightly tart. Not a good sign early on in this beer. A vigorous twirl does uncover some hidden traditional aromas like raisin, plums, fruit cake and esters and thank goodness for that because if it wasn’t for the latter this would almost be a drain pour. Pretty underwhelming nose to be honest.
The mouth feel is oily, a little thin and again tart and vinegary. Just a slight hint of acidity which, for us, is not welcome in a dubbel. Mild body and mild-moderate Co2. Average at best.
Unfortunately we’re seeing those somewhat tart vinegary flavours showing upfront. It is at least hitting its mark with the sweet plummy notes but there’s just not enough bottom end…where’s the chocolate? Where’s the spice and the sugary/malty caramelization? Hardly any convincing flavour in the finish either – flat, insipid and dull. What a shame.
We’ll concede that dubbels are a very difficult style to master but the overall aroma and flavor was way off. Who knows, it may not have travelled well or it may not have been stored properly. Either way it wasn’t up to scratch.

“Trappistes Rochefort 6 from Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy is a top fermentation beer with an alcohol content of 7.50%. Red-brown colour. Slightly spicy aroma and an intense taste of caramel, fruit, and hints of raisins.”

Served in a Trappist chalice. A copper/chestnut hue meets the eye. The pour generates a thumb of tightly held foam that trims off a smidge and settles to a fine sheet over the top. Not a great deal of lace but enough to decorate the glass as it ebbs.
We’d have to say this is the most unique-smelling Trappist Dubbel we’ve ever encountered. It’s pretty complex with this discernible blueberry/blackberry tartness on the nose. On one hand it offers floral scents of sandalwood, Jasmine and frangipani and on the other it’s sweet, slightly phenolic and plummy. It kind of has a sugary apricot scent to it as well. Smells like holidays! Exceptional stuff.
The mouth feel is seriously smooth with a creamy texture. It’s almost unfathomable that it’s 7.5% ABV, absolutely no indication as to its strength. Co2 is mild-moderate with a medium body. Classy stuff.
The front palate exhibits a distinctly sweet apricot and orange liqueur-like flavour. Really sugary as a more tangy and yeasty character evolves in the middle. Just a mild hint of dryness creeping in as sweet raisins and earthy notes of fig lead in to a dry, sweet and almost bourbon-esque finish.
Geez what did we just drink?! A glass of berry flavoured flowers with hints of sweet stone fruit and bourbon?! Incredible, and so far from your traditional Trappist Dubbel it isn’t funny. Very unexpected but a very fine offering.

“Since 1856 the monks have also been brewing a dark Trappist beer along with their table beer. Since the recipe was modified in 1926, they have been brewing slightly heavier beer. This is the foundation of today’s Dubbel.”

Served in a Duvel Trappist tulip. The murky brown pour is topped off by a finger of loosely held bubble that eventually settles to a halo with a reasonable lace left clinging to the glass.
Geez it’s hard to resist a traditional Belgian Trappist Dubbel and the aroma of this sexy beast shows exactly why. It starts with the hallmark scents of banana bread, clove, fruit esters and brown sugar but as it settles in the glass wafts of tobacco, banana split, bubblegum, Christmas cake and plum jam begin to develop. It’s a super complex concoction but it’s extremely addictive. Incredible.
In the mouth it’s full bodied with a creamy texture. Despite the richness and weight it still manages to glide over the tongue with minimal grip in the swallow. Maybe a slight hint of bitterness there in the tail as well.
Upfront we taste all of those yeasty fruit esters and sweet, sugary malts spiked with a mild warmth from the 7% ABV. As it progresses we begin to see the rich notes of banana bread, Christmas cake and cocoa mix it up with the spicy clove and pepper that delivers this complex and sweet yeasty finish.
That’s a really classy Dubbel. The question is where does it rate among some of the best Dubbels in the world? Personally, we think the Ommegang and the St.Bernardus Prior 8 are slightly better…..but not by much. Still a lot of great qualities to this Dubbel. Delicious.

“Brewed each year in Woodend as the leaves begin to fall from the trees, Double Trouble is a Holgate classic dating back to 2004. An homage to the Trappist monks of Belgium
who started brewing rich dark beers in around 1850, that would evolve into the beer style now known as dubbel. Using dark malts and rich caramelized candi sugar, the monks would formulate their own special recipe that would match the spicy fruity characteristics of their house yeast perfectly, to produce a rich and fantastically complex beer.”

Served in a wide rimmed tulip. At the centre she’s a solid dark brown working to a mahogany hue around the edges. Capping off is a finger and a bit of tanned foam that hastily collapses to a ring with some spotty lace left trailing behind. In true Dubbel fashion a big impression of dark fruit sweetness is the first to entertain the olfactory’s. We get hefty wafts of plums, raisin, dried figs, banana bread, clove and fruit cake leading out. Some mild fruit esters, toffee, white bread and jaffa are all subtle but certainly in here to fill it out. Maybe some boozy notes coming through as it comes up to room temperature as well. Quite a complex aroma. In the mouth it’s full bodied and rich but not overly heavy on the palate. A vibrant Co2 offers a slight lift while the 8% ABV presents with a bit of warmth. Surprisingly pleasant to drink. The flavour profile is extremely rich and decadent with a somewhat sharp sweetness that’s softened by chocolate, toasty malts and dates upfront. Hints of fruit esters and Belgian candy sugars flow across the mid as yeasty clove and banana bread lead in to a dry, earthy and somewhat dark fruity finish. Quite a few similarities to the 2014 Double Trouble. Yes we’ll concede the fact that there isn’t a whole lot of wriggle room when it comes to Belgian Abbey brewing, this is why we must take our hats off to any brewer that has the cojones to take on this intricate and centuries-old style of brewing. And to pull it off this well?? Respect.

“If you can bear the wait, this classic Dubbel will truly come into its own after 6 to 30 months of repose in a quiet, cool place to allow the already prominent plum, raisin notes to reconcile to perfection.”

We couldn’t even wait two weeks since the day we bought this bottle let alone lay it down for 6 months! Maybe another bottle is on the cards 😉 Moving on. We served this in a wide rimmed chalice. The dark brown pour just reveals a mahogany hue when held against the light. A wholesome three finger head is generated which retains well but eventually peels off and establishes a thin sheet that omits a wavy lace pattern down the walls of the glass. The term “pinning the tail on the donkey” comes to mind when summing up this aroma. They’ve absolutely nailed the basics. We get a nose-full of chocolate cake, licorice, tobacco, banana bread, clove and raisin that simply erupts out of the glass. We also get faint scents of fig and brown sugar creeping in too. Absolutely divine! In the mouth it’s held up well with a smooth and slightly sticky texture on the palate. The carbonation is low, the body medium-full and a considerably well contained ABV (7.5%) makes for a gracious swallow. Seriously drinkable. Upfront it’s malts-a-plenty. A delicious little plummy twang cuts in which opens up an approach for milk chocolate, licorice and ovaltine to sail through the mid and punctuate with a lightly roasted, somewhat sweet, chocolatey and figgy finish. Great duration on the back too, this lengthy and lustful drop just keeps getting better as it warms. Here’s another offering that this highly respected Kiwi brewery can add to its growing list of cracker beers. Another bottle of this to lay down is certainly on the cards, if it somehow gets better than this then we’re looking at a definite 10. Delicious!

“Abbey of the Dead perches on a mound of skulls above a river of blood, offering up candy to the lost souls. She is sweet, and beguiling, she is dainty and beautiful, but inside she is not cotton candy and rainbows. Brewed to celebrate Halloween and the Day of the Dead festival, Abbey of the Dead is our blood red Belgian ale brewed with sugar skull candies, spiced with marigolds and dried hibiscus flowers, and a hefty backbone of big Belgian malts to tie it all together. Spicy from 2 Belgian yeast strains, you’ll get cocoa and toffee on the nose, earthy marigolds and plummy, citrusy hibiscus notes. Light in body, but big in malt – and no pumpkin.”

Served in a snifter glass. The rich mahogany appearance caps off with a well retained three finger head that persists beautifully. Rings of thick, sudsy lacing are left clinging to the glass as it ebbs. Due to years of familiarising ourselves with this brewers beer we know he has the tendancy to sour or barrel age most of them. Let’s just say it works for certain styles and potentially ruins others. The Belgian Dubbel is one not to be soured and it perilously seems that is the case here. Offering malty scents of plum, raisin, fig, chocolate and pudding, this aroma flirts with scents of cherry, blueberry, phenols and currants. Although the base aromas are here the estery yeasts are coming through a bit too excessively. The mouth feel is soft and creamy but a subtle acidity that develops reinforces what we’re saying. Co2 is medium and a mild bitterness adds a little kick but this lip puckering sourness is a little untoward. The front palate is overbearingly sour with that vinegary phenol character that is simply not welcome in a Belgian Dubbel. Tart fruits like raspberry and pomegranate come forward as a restrained dark malt undertone tries to push through across the mid. The sour acidity lingers in to the finish and rounds out a slightly disappointing Dubbel. OK, there are beer lovers out there that enjoy sour beers. We don’t mind sour beer too but we truly think that some styles just aren’t meant to brett-fermented. A Belgian Dubbel is in the don’t sour category. Plenty of better beers from these guys, we aren’t fans of this one.