Heavy Seas Dubbel Cannon
It hasn’t gotten an official review on this site, but one of my favorite, local IPAs is Heavy Seas Loose Cannon. It’s got a great hop profile, is easy drinking and is readily available at almost any shop I stop by. That said, this Belgian IPA was a non-brainer for me to pick up a sample of — it’s essentially Loose Cannon fermented with a Belgian yeast strain.
Dubbel Cannon is a much different beer than the one it’s modeled after. The hops, while still quite prevalent, aren’t as dominating which allow a wonderful fruity ester to shine through. My only regret is that I didn’t buy more of this when I had the opportunity.
Yar. This be a Belgian IPA.
Appearance
Dubbel Cannon pours much darker than the IPA it’s based on, sitting in the glass a copperish brown in color. The light tan head faded slowly to a patchy lacework on the surface.
Aroma
Right away you’re hit with a big, juicy and fruity hop presence that’s then quickly followed with a moderate level of candied sugars and spices. There’s a decent bready malt component as well, but it sits more in the background.
Taste
Compared to Loose Cannon, this Belgian variety doesn’t quite pack the same hop punch, but there’s nothing wrong with that. The toned down hop presence allows the Belgian yeast to step forward to co-mingle with the fruity hops and a lightly sweet, bready malt component. The hops complete the circle by reappearing in the lingering finish with a light bitterness. Hints of dark fruit and Belgian candied sugar make an appearance throughout the beer. The 7.5% ABV is hidden quite well.
Overall
I was really impressed with this beer. Based on my experience with Loose Cannon, I was expecting something a little more hop forward, but I’m glad it didn’t turn out that way — letting the malt and yest come forward like this really makes for an outstanding beer. It’s well balanced and easy to drink.
Rating: 4/5