Feb 13, 2015

Weyerbacher Althea

Weyerbacher’s Althea is a Belgian-style dubbel brewed with the sole purpose of raising money for those diagnosed with breast cancer. For every sale of the 7.7% ABV, the brewery will donate $1 to The Pink Ribbon Fund — an effort that saw the company raise $16,851 in 2014. Why not help out by buying a couple of bottles, myself?

The program was original started in October of 2013, but this particular bottle was brewed September 12, 2014. It was seven months old by the time I got around to popping it open and, other than a bit too much sweetness, Althea is a pretty darn good brew. It carries a good bit of dark fruit, malt and surprisingly easy drinking nature.

Appearance

The beer pours a slightly murky brown in color with a growing crown of beige foam.

Weyerbacher Althea photo

Aroma

Dark fruits (fig, plum), a moderate sweetness, yeast and caramel fill the nose wonderfully.

Taste

The brew is quite tasty. It follows the aroma to a tee, but with more of a plummy character and, perhaps, a bit too much sweetness. The finish is gently warming and long lasting. It’s not the most complex beer, but it tastes good and goes down easy for the style.

Overall

Althea is a pretty straightforward take on a dubbel. It’s got a good bit of malt richness and fruit presence, but a bit too much sweetness for my liking. That said, I happily drank it all — the second bottle lasted maybe another 24 hours.

Rating: 3.75/5

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