Time for #10 in the Unchained Series from Summit, this time tackling my favorite style (if I had to choose), Belgian Abbey Dubbel, which apparently brewer Nate Siats is not intimately familiar with. Well, I've got a preview bottle, and it's cracked and poured and I'm ready to go!
Clear and dark crimson, not quite the dusky brown I'd be looking for, under a long-lasting, cream-toned head, leaving some lace.
Aroma: soft, and gently sweet, with a good huff of the Belgian yeast funk. Yeah, this is promising. Some dark fruit, raisin, plum, but just a touch, with a little banana, ..pear?...slightly nutty. I like it, but it's not what I expected. On to drink.
Taste: Very clean. Malty. Nutty. Low hops, minor bitterness, if any. Some sweetness, here comes the fruit and here comes the funk. And now, the candi sugar, as the 8% ABV roars in, overcoming the less-than-full body. I like dubbels to be heartier than this one, but I do like the flavor. I like this well enough to want more than one in a row, and I definitely want a keg to tap, soon. I like the complexity, the richness, the smooth malt and the bewitching yeast. This will not unseat any of my all-time favorite dubbels, not by a long shot, but it's going to take up some fridge space this summer, that I can guarantee you. Not bad, as well as pretty good. Good stab at the style, although I want to see improvements, Summit. I want to wonder where my socks went.
Malts: Weyermann Pilsner, Weyermann Abbey, & Weyermann Melanoidin
Hops: German Tettnang & Czech Saaz
Special Additions: Belgian Amber Candi Sugar
Target Alcohol: 8.00% vol
Target IBU’s: 33 packaged
Color: 25 Lovibond, deep amber – rich mahogany
OG: 18 degrees plato
Yeast: Belgian Trappist Ale strain
Notable flavors: Sweet malt characteristics, raisins, prunes, pears, slight spicy notes; overall slightly sweet and fruity estery characteristics
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