“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.