It’s a Trappist

Posted by Jim on Feb 4th, 2012
2012
Feb 4

Westmalle Trappist Dubbel

4.28/5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Since I don’t own a Westmalle glass, I’ve poured my cellar temperature 33cl bottle into a Chimay chalice.

The beer is nearly opaque. It has a brown color with ruby highlights. A decent amount of pinkish tan foam rests on top. Swirling the beer leaves a good amount lacing.

Smelling the beer reveals Belgian candi sugar and some dark fruits, like plum and fig. The Trappist yeast provides some spiciness, but it is mild.

Dark, complex malts characterize this beer. It’s earthy, nutty and like the aroma has some flavors of plum and fig. This bottle is labeled best by 27.05.12, so it’s close to two years old and I believe it may have become slightly oxidized. It is still quite tasty though.

The beer leaves behind decent coating that is very flavorful. Carbonation levels are average and it has a full body. My lips feel ever so slightly sticky.

I really like this beer a lot. It’s a fine example of a true Belgian Abbey dubbel. If you’ve never had this beer, you are missing out!

Not All Scotsmen are Bastards

Posted by Jim on Feb 1st, 2012
2012
Feb 1

Founders Backwoods Bastard
4.38/5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A bottle that’s been stored in my chilly basement is poured into a pint glass.

The beer is translucent and colored a dark, dull shade of ruby. It is nearly brown. A light brown foam head rests on top. It’s a thin head but it clings to the walls of the glass rather well.

There is a good amount of bourbon in the aroma. This scent compliments the peat, oak and roasted malts in the base beer. It is rounded out by s light sweetness. The bourbon may be a bit heavy, but overall its an appealing aroma.

Where the bourbon in the nose was strong, its more subtle when I taste the beer. Typical Wee Heavy flavors dominate. Toffee and plum provide some sweetness. Oak and peat are strong flavors. As I swallow, alcohol and bourbon are present, but it doesn’t burn. In fact, it isn’t even as warming as I expected the beer to be. Impressive.

This is a big beer with decent carbonation, but it isn’t very sticky. I can feel a slight film at the corners of my mouth, but that’s it for the lips. There isn’t so much of a coat in my mouth, more like a memory of the flavors.

This is a well done strong Scotch ale. Aging in bourbon barrels just makes it more impressive. Highly recommended to fans of the style or bourbon barrel aging…and everyone else.