Brouwerij Westmalle Westmalle Trappist Dubbel
What the brewers say
“The creamy head’s aroma is of special malt and leaves an attractive lace pattern. The flavor is rich and fruity with a fresh-bitter finish. The beer has a soft mouthfeel and a long, dry aftertaste.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Light spicy phenolic notes blend with rich fruity esters that lean toward tropical (banana and pineapple), but with some cherry, plum, and grape. Some dark sweet malt in the background grows more assertive as the beer breathes. ¡Tequila! Notes of pure tequila añejo on the nose, but there’s also some yeast fruitiness and caramel. Not much in the way of hops.”
Flavor: “Sweet malt (caramel, toffee, and raisins) up front. Very fruity with notes of cherry mixed with a moderate alcohol note. Slight spicy hops note lingers into the aftertaste. Moderate carbonation creates a slight carbonic bite. More tequila in the flavor as well, plus black pepper and Szechuan peppercorn.”
Overall: “A very likable beer, even though it falls beyond classic dubbel territory (if such can be said to exist). Pepper and spice complement the yeast fruitiness and marry well with the dark (but not too dark) malt backbone. ¡Ole!”
