Mar 4, 2008

Brother David’s Double Abbey Style Ale

One of the styles of beer that I am always on the look out for on any trip to a beer shop are those of the Belgian variety. Along with stouts, doubles, tripels, saisons and other styles all have a place near and dear to my liver heart. More importantly however, is that I also tend to be truly enamored with the American take on the various styles.

Whether it’s Ommegang, Victory or whoever, I always seem to grab at least one bottle representing the U.S. take on Belgian beers. The latest in that line of brewers is Anderson Valley. While this brew is far from new, it’s new to me, only recently being available at my local Total Wine. I’m a big fan of the company’s stouts and other brews so it was only natural for me to snag a bottle of their Brother David’s Double.

Beer Label: Anderson Valley Brewing

Appearance

This one pours a dark brown in color with a subtle garnet hue around the edges of the glass. The head was nearly non existent, but was off white in color.

Aroma

To put it simply, the Brother David’s Double smells damn good. Sugars and dark fruit dominate while a full caramel malt presence and spices dance in the background. There’s a slight alcohol tinge in the nose as well.

Taste

Dark fruits, sweet caramels and molasses dominate the front of the tongue as a drier, spicy finish lingers. This one is pretty good. It’s not one of the best doubles I’ve tasted, but still a fine representation of the style and a thoroughly drinkable brew. The carbonation on the finish is quite active and pushes the spices and alcohol around nicely.

Overall

I enjoyed this one. It’s an easy going brew that has an active finish that is a nice surprise, but can be off putting for those not expecting it. Personally, I enjoyed how the activity of the carbonation leaves you with a dry finish after the upfront caramels and sugars. I’m sure that I will pick up another bottle of it in the future.

Rating: 3.5/5

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