Re-rate 3/7/12: Bottle sample at a tasting at Dagan’s place. Thanks zvikar. Hazy brown. Aroma of malt, brown sugar, dark fruits and vanilla hints. Sweet malty flavor, caramelly and fruity, with some yeast and a drier finish with light spiciness. Medium-bodied. 7/3/6/3/13=3.2

(11/6/08) Draught at The Drafting Room in Spring House. Thanks David T! Dark brown color. Aroma of plums, malt, some licorice. Sweet malty flavor with dark fruits, some candi sugar, licorice and a certain spiciness. 7/4/7/3/14=3.5

++++ Re Rate 29 January 2010 ++++
12 oz bottle given to me by my friend Brent. Poured into my Ename Abbaye chalice, served between 45-50 degrees. Pour is slight haze burgundy ruby brown with a one inch tan head that falls with noisy carbonation bubbles. Aroma is thick malt, with dried fruit (plum and cherry) sweetness. Behind the malt is a nice vanilla and spice yeast that fills out and softens the sweetness of the nose. The taste is sharply sweet (again the dried fruit) initially, then moving beyond that to more of an earthy straw maltiness. The yeast picks up in the back, and this time is strong on the spice - clove and cinnamon. The flavors lack amplitude, and really jut out in a number of directions. There really is none of the softness of the nose. Palate is medium bodied, mouth coating, which is lifted by active fine carbonation. As it warms, the heat of the alcohol becomes apparent. An OK take on an Abbey style, though lacks the integration of the classics. Thanks for leaving this behind, Brent. (8,4,6,3,14 - 3.5)

++++ Original Rating 28 December 2008 ++++
750 ml bottle shared by my friend Brent. Pour is mahogany, a bit more red than brown with a well formed 1 1/2 inch tan head. Aroma of bit maltiness, raisin fruit, clove, and spicy yeastiness. The taste mirrors the nose closely, with the big maltiness being the main component. The sweetness is nicely balanced to the malt, and there is some nice earthiness in the finish. Nice beer. (8,4,8,3,15 - 3.8)

.750l Poured deep red, like a Cape Red wine with a big fluffy beige head. Fruit, raisins and malty aroma. Flavour of malt, caramel, toffee. Big malt finish. This is a winner and one to sip and savour.

(Bottle) Reddish brown colour with frothy, beige head. Fruity, malty nose with toffee, caramel, dried fruit (figs, dates) and a touch of liquorice. Malty, fruity taste with notes of caramel, toffee, dark bread, dried figs and dates, cherries and blackberries. A touch of liquorice, followed by a spicy bitterness in the finish. Big and bold, not far away from a spicy, fruity and harsh oak aged red wine in flavour. Very nice, lots of taste. In short: dried fruit, toffee, liquorice and blackberries with spicy hops.

Bottle. Pours a cloudy dark amber color with a large frothy light tan head that lasts awhile. The aroma is a sweet fruity malt with licorice, raisin, and caramel. Good sticky lacing on the glass. The taste is a very dry malt that does not hide alcohol well, but still a very well done abbey dubbel from Ommegang.

Pours with a very large, rocky, light brown head covering a very deep brown body with reddish highlights. Great lacing. Aroma of currants, raisins, rotten apples, dates, prunes, chocolate, caramel and a bit of banana. Taste is banana, bubble gum, licorice, nutty malts and alcohol with a decently roasted backbone throughout. Lively bubbles with a water like mouthfeel. Tastes like the same or similar yeast to thier Belgian Stout (Chocolate Indulgence).

Brown bottle, 12 ounces, purchased at Beers of the world (Rochester), via Karl Probst on Elvis’s death 2008, savoured on Sepetember 24 2008; eye: copper, clear, average effervescence, voluminous beige head that falls and turns into a tiny ring; no lacing; nose: molasses, candied fruits, liquorice, alcohol, light smoke, malt; mouth: molasses, candied fruits, alcohol warmth, malt remains present throughout the sip, spices, hops makes a surprise appearance just prior to the finale, juniper, velvety finale in caramel malt with a good presence of molasses and juniper, medium-full body, lightly sweet and bitter, creamy, foamy; overall: quite likable FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 12 onces, achetée chez Beers of the world (Rochester), via Karl Probst à la mort d’Elvis 2008, savourée le 24 septembre 2008; œil : cuivrée, claire, effervescence moyenne, mousse beige abondante qui tombe et se transforme en un petit anneau, pas de dentelle; nez : mélasse, fruits confits, réglisse, alcool, léger fumé, malt; bouche : mélasse, fruits confits, chaleur d’alcool, malt demeure toujours présent durant toute la gorgée, épices, houblon fait une apparition surprise juste avant la finale, genièvre, finale velouté en malt caramel avec une bonne présence de mélasse et genièvre, corps moyen-corsé, légèrement sucrée et amère, crémeuse, mousseuse; en résumé : bien aimé

12 oz bottle. Pours crimson with a nice tan head. Aromas of dark fruit and tart apple and banana. Flavors are bready, yeasty, with elements of dark fruit and hops. Nice flavor, a little weak on the palate, but pretty good stuff.