Beer: Dubbel Reserve
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Dubbel
ABV: 7.0%
Serving Style: Bottle
Glassware: Wine glass
Drinking Establishment: Ally’s sister’s abode
Primary Consumer: Ally
Consumption Companion(s): The Fant Family
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OVERALL RATING:
Sight: Dull, opaque amber, with about 3/4-inch creamy tan head that leaves a noticeable lacing on the glass.
Scent: A sort of nondescript sweetness, most closely reminiscent of caramel.
Flavor: Butterscotch/caramel notes blended with citrus zest (you know, the slightly bitter peel, not the sweet juicy part), with a hoppy aftertaste. Very mild flavor overall.
Feel: Not too thick or creamy; more so crisp, with a moderate amount of carbonation.
Now as a sort of forewarning, I’ll say straight off: I love Belgian beers. So overall, even a bad Belgian is going to rank slightly higher than most in my book. However, as far as Belgians go, this award-winning brew (it has won both gold and silver medals at the World Beer Cup in years past) from Portland, Maine’s Allagash isn’t so award-worthy to me. It has your classic Belgian sweet-fruity flavor, but the taste is mild, even weak–in essence, nothing special. It’s still a fine drink that I’d choose hands-down over, say, a Blue Moon, but it’s not as flavorfully exciting as I would’ve hoped.
And yes, I know, “flavorfully” is not a word.
Concluding remarks: In my own personal Beer Cup, it’d reach the podium, but would only get a bronze.
The Year in Beer 