Brewery: Westmalle
Country: Belgium
Size: 33cl
ABV: 7%
Price: 25kr
Systembolaget: 1239
Some people don’t realise how much work it is selecting the beers for every beer club. I’m sure they think I randomly pull beer choices out of my arse but there is a massive amount of planning to get the right mix of styles, price and availability. I try to pick a lot of the beers that I think most people won’t have tried before so I can surprise the guests and they can find a new favourite. Sometimes though I pick a beer that I think deserves to be tried in the club because it is an absolute classic. The Westmalle Dubbel is such a beer. Anyone with an interest in beer has probably tried this at some stage in their life, but I wanted to have a dubbel in the strong beer tasting and so why not have THE dubbel?
It poured with a dark ruby-red to deep brown hue. It was extremely well carbonated, with a thick, creamy head forming when poured that held for a long time. It looked amazing quite frankly. very enticing. The complexity of this beer is not to be understated. It is a swirling aroma whirlwind of candy sugar, dark dried fruits, ripe banana, esters and a hint of metal all thrown together. The taste was similar to the smell, but with added raisins and figs caught in the blend. The aftertaste was surpringly short and dissipated rather quickly, which I would say was the only real downside of this beer. The alcohol is hidden so well, which is a sign of expert brewing technique in my eyes. It was reminiscent to a liquid christmas cake in a way: fruity, heavy and with a hint of alcohol. The mouthfeel was medium, not as thick as suggested by the beers properties.
This is a legend of a beer quite frankly. If you’re looking to try a dubbel, there is really only one place to start. Although this wont be to everyone’s tastes, you can’t knock the craftmanship that has gone into refining this beer. I would suggest it is more of a winter beer personally. Paired with some duck I think it would be tremendous. The price is great for what you get so next time you’re out looking for a beer, add one of these to the shopping basket if you want an excellent beer.