Westmalle Trappist Dubbel

So, I didn’t get much done tonight. I was planning on bottling some beer today, but that just didn’t happen. I’m thinking that I’ll get a chance to do it next week. There was a crazy storm here tonight too. Anyways, nothing else going on…time to pop open a beer.

ABV: 7%

Style: Dubbel

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Westmalle Dubbel is a dark, reddish-brown Trappist beer with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The creamy head has the fragrance of special malt and leaves an attractive lace pattern in the glass. The flavour is rich and complex, herby and fruity with a fresh-bitter finish. It is a balanced quality beer with a soft feel in the mouth and a long, dry aftertaste. The Dubbel contains 7% alcohol. 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.”

Random: I still have this Belgian craving lately. I don’t know what it is.

This one opened angrily with some of the head coming out of the top of the bottle. I gently poured into my tulip glass and got a huge three finger head (due to some technical difficulties, I took the picture a few minutes after the pour) that was a light brown. It dissipated slowly and left some lacing on the glass. The body was a deep mahogany color with visible floaties throughout. I let this one warm for about five minutes before sampling. On my first sniff, I got lots of dark fruit, specifically raisin and plum. After a couple of other sniffs, I got some candi sugar, cola, yeast and currants. The nose was really complex and exactly what I love about a dubbel. The taste was just as good. The raisin wasn’t as pronounced in the taste, but definite cola, candi sugar, plum and figs to it. There was a hint of booze on the brew as well. The body was decently thick with pronounced carbonation. The finish was long with a hint of warming and caramelized sugar. This was just an amazingly complex dubbel that was a dream to drink. I’ll definitely be having this one again.

Untappd Rating: 5.0/5.0

Westmalle Trappist Tripel

Today was a pretty good day. I had a good day at work and then hit the gym afterwards. So, my second workout of 2012 is in the books. I ran a few errands and now I’m watching a little bit of tv, so definitely a great time to review a brew.

ABV: 9.5%

Style: Tripel

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Westmalle Tripel is a clear, golden yellow Trappist beer that undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle (9.5% alcohol). It is a complex beer with a fruity aroma and a nice nuanced hop scent. It is soft and creamy in the mouth, with a bitter touch carried by the fruity aroma. An exceptional beer, with a great deal of finesse and elegance. And with a splendid long aftertaste. The Westmalle Tripel is indeed called the ‘mother of all tripels.’ This type of beer was first brewed in Westmalle abbey in 1934 when the new brewing hall came into use. The current formula has stayed practically unchanged since 1956, thus more than 50 years. This beer is generally served in 33 cl bottles, precisely the volume of the accompanying glass goblet. The bottles are sold individually, in handy packs of six or in crates of 24 bottles. And of course this beer is served in the better horeca outlets.”

Random: I haven’t had a Belgian in a long while.

This beer poured with a two finger, pure white head that hung around forever and left lots of lacing on the glass. The body was a cloudy light orange with lots of visible carbonation. The nose had a lots of different aspects to it. I got some yeast, lemon, spice and a hint of booze. On the taste, the first thing that hit me was pepper. Then, I got a bit of green apple, bread, yeast and a bit of warming booze at the end. After a few sips, I also got a bit of lemon and apricot. The body was medium with a decent amount of carbonation. The finish lasted for awhile with a decent amount of white pepper that I got in the taste. After not having a Belgian, this one was world-class. I would definitely have this one again.

Untappd Rating: 5.0/5.0