Flat Earth Dubbel Agent

Flat Earth Dubbel Agent. Belgian-style abbey dubbel ale.
Saint Paul's Flat Earth Brewing Company, St. Paul, MN. 7.1% ABV.

So, there are times that I get samples from breweries that don't have the usual packaging designs. These are beers in the initial stages that haven't been pushed through production. Or, in this case, are beers that are at the taproom, or available for sale to bars, but won't be sent out to stores. Not yet. It's a better way to get a taste than taking a growler around to various accounts and giving everyone a couple of ounces. There are times that I share my notes on these, and this is one of them.

Clear, caramel-colored, slim whitish head.

In the nose: sweet, malty, dark fruit, fig and raisin, lightly spicy, delightful. Nice. I'm digging it.

In the mouth: more of the same. Dark fruits, spices, sweet-ish and malty. Has the telltale flavors of the Belgian dubbed, but lacks the depth. Medium-bodied, easy drinker for those into the style, like me.

Ultimately, I chose not to buy a keg of this because we already had a locally brewed Belgian dark ale on tap, and I didn't want to build up a collection of these beers. Them's the breaks.

By the way, I pronounce "dubbel" as "double", not, as I sometimes hear, "DOO-bell" or "Doo-Bull". I think I'm right and I'm sticking with it. The same people who say "dooB-Ull" also pronounce "triple" as "Trip-EL." Drives me nuts.