Trappist Westmalle Trappist Dubbel

Today’s review started as an idea from Mechent DuVin sending me a few Belgian beer glasses. Two Westmalle and Trappist Rocheford. Thank you again to Mechent DuVin for sending them. This beer is Westmalle Trappist Dubbel. This Dubbel is 7% ABV, from Malle, Belgium. I have reviewed Westmalle Extra and Trippel. You can use this blog search feature to find them. This beer brewed by Trappist monks pours a deep brown color with lighter brown edges and a two-finger thick beige head. That head slowly dissipates. The aroma is malty, sweet, and strong. The taste is malty, dark, sweet, smooth, and strong. The flavor is stronger than the aroma. This has an almost full feeling in the mouth. This beer has a sweet/smooth, malty finish with a little boozy note. Then you find a malty, sweet, smooth aftertaste that lingers briefly. This is a delicious beer that is well deserving of an A. I think this is as good as Chimay Blue if not the same. I highly recommend Westmalle Trappist Dubbel. But if you want the best experience of this beer, then drink one at Westmalle restaurant. You can beat freshness. This is still as good. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Trappist Westvleteren 8

This beer is an Abby Dubbel from Trappist Westvleteren, St. Sixuth Abby. They call this beer Trappist Westvleteren 8. This Belgian is 8% abv, from Westvleteren, Belgium. This and their other three beers are nearly impossible to find outside the brewery, let alone in the US. I bought three six-packs while on the Belgian Beer Me Trappist tour. They also make a blond, and a Quad, which is the 12. These are highly rated and sought-after beers. I tried them all at their restaurant. This Dubbel pours a deep brown with a thick and creamy beige head. The head never seems to dissipate. The aroma is dark, and malty, and has a light scent of dark fruit. The flavor is smooth, rich, dark sweet, and malty. This has a fuller mouthfeel. Then it has a smooth dark and malted finish. The aftertaste is rich, and creamy, with a lighter malt note. This beer does have yeast still in the bottle. That is because its last fermentation is in the bottle. You can either pour that bit of yeast into the beer or not. I usually do. This beer was delicious and flavorful, but I don’t think it lives up to the hype in my book. It is hyped up because it is hard to get and delicious. With that said I give this an A+. This is a good beer with a meat dish, like a good steak (like I did last night) chicken, or pork. Well, this Westvleteren and any of their beers are hard to recommend, due to availability, but if you’re there in Westvleteren then have this beer. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly. Cheers!

Destihl Brewery Abby’s Single

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Destihl Brewery In Bloomington Illinois brews Abby’s Single, 5.5% BVV with 22 IBUs which is classified as a Belgian Pale Ale or a beer that was brewed by the monks for everyday consumption. Abby’s Single pours a somewhat orange color with a one and a half finger white head that fades into a little halo with a spicy phenolics noted aroma with a faint note of yeast that pulls you to a semi-sweet yet spicy phenolic and yeasted note with faint fruit flavor that has a very faint and weak bitter note on the end and finishes with a slight spicy yeast note and an aftertaste of  some fruit that is a bit on the faint side with a light mouthfeel. This was not the best Abby Single I’ve had but it was not bad, it’s a B-. Not bold enough flavors on this to push it to a great A+ beer, but it was good and tasty enough. I would recommend trying Destihl BreweryAbby’s Single it’s worth a try I think. Cheers! please enjoy responsibly! 

Left Hand Brewing Company Study Abroad Belgian-Style Single Ale

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Belgian beer and pretty good and predictable (the good predictable). This Left Hand Brewing Company Study Abroad Belgian-Style Single Ale, 4.5% ABV out of Longmont Colorado an American example of a Belgian-Style single ale. This is a fall seasonal release that pours an orange color with a slight haze to it and a one and a half finger fizzing white head that is gone as soon as it appears. Study Abroad gives you an aroma of spicy notes with slight mild fruits such as faint orange, that leads to somewhat mild spiced notes with the same mild fruit and a bit of yeast. Nothing to write home about here. Study Abroad finish with a little spiced not and faint yeasted fruit with a mild aftertaste of the same fruited spice that is gone in an instant all with a somewhat medium mouthfeel. I find this style of beer to be a good one, but Left Hand Brewing Company Study Abroad Belgian-Style Single Ale is just close to boring, it’s C+. I thought it had a slight IPA orange flavor it that was least bit odd but not so bad. I do like Left Hand Brewing Company’s beer, they make a fabulous Milk Stout and Nitro Milk Stout, Overall I might go Study Abroad again but not anytime soon! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly! 

River Rat Brewery Moncks Corner Abby Ale

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I have another beer from a Brewbpulik delivery, River Rat Brewery Moncks Corner Abby Ale, 7.2% ABV. This beer from Columbia, South Carolina is a Belgian Style Dubbel. Moncks Corner Abby Ale pours a brown/deep dark red color with a one finger beige head that fades quickly into a little halo, but give off big banana notes with some plum, slight fig, and raisin aromas. There is a faint alcoholic note on the nose as well. Moncks Corner Abby Ale has a big slightly bitter banana flavor up front that flows into a boozy raisin and fig note in the middle and then a little burn of alcohol towards the back of the mouth. This Dubbel finish slightly harsh with little notes of fig yeast and raisin with a warm dark fruit aftertaste. This wasn’t such a Belgian style Dubbel, it’s borderline C/C-. When this beer warms the alcoholic notes come through and the whole beer tastes stronger than it really is. I don’t think I’d go back to River Rat Brewery Moncks Corner Abby Ale. There are better Belgian Style Dubbel out there. Sugar Creek Brewing Company makes one for example. This was a little on the harsh side, and it wasn’t really as flavorful and/or smooth. So don’t have this one! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!