Westmalle Trappist Ale is a Dubbel from the Brouwerij Westmalle of Belgium. This is a Trappist ale, one of only seven in the world. I bought the large, corked bottle this time around as I was expecting a great beer. I was not disappointed. This beer pours a medium brown with a tan foamy head. I notice dark fruits, caramel and alcohol in the nose. The alcohol content is 7% and warming. There are tons of flavors going on here with this brew. Up front I taste dark fruits, malt, and a hint of chocolate. The beer finishes off with some mildly bitter hops and a slightly spicy kick. From the pour, I expected a creamier, fuller body – but there is ample carbonation, and combined with the spice provides a lot of action on your tongue. Great beer overall. I’ll definitely buy this one again.
This is a ‘Belgian Strong Dark Ale’ out of the Brasserie de Rochefort (Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy) brewery in Belgium. It pours a dark, cloudy brown with a healthy light tan head. Noticeable scents were the alcohol, dark fruits, and caramel. The taste is dominated by fruits, malt, and caramel and finishes off with a spicy/alcohol kick. The alcohol level is high at 9.2%. This is probably the best example of this beer style, edging out the Chimay Grande Reserve.
This Belgian Dark Ale comes from one of only six Trappist breweries in the world (Brouwerij de Achelse Kluis). It pours as a dark brown with hints of mahogany and a thick tan head. The alcohol content of this beer is steep at 9.5%, but it is not very noticeable in the scent or taste. After allowing the beer to warm-up a bit, I noticed scents of bread, malt, caramel, and dark fruits (plums included). The taste is nearly as complex as the scent and goes down quite smoothly. This is a great beer which, when compared to other Trappists I’ve sampled, would rank above Chimay Ale but below Rochefort. The only thing prohibiting me from trying this one again anytime soon is the pricetag: $15.00 for a 750mL bottle. (Side note: this beer made an excellent complement to my homemade lasagna.)
Another Belgian ‘quadrupel’ that I sampled this weekend. This one pours a dark brown color with a creamy, tan head. I could smell hints of chocolate and a strong alcohol scent (11.3%). Fortunately, the alcohol level is hidden in the taste. This is a very nice beer, but takes a backseat to the St. Bernardus in the quadrupel style.
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