Double Overhead Abbey Ale

Thanks to bu11zeye for this hand-marked 750 mL bottle, #48. Hazy amber-orange body, thin creamy beige head. Strong canned pineapple aroma- this must be a house characteristic as I distinctly remember the same aroma in their SPF 45. Tart, sour, and funky, with butterscotch candies and spice. Tart body, with the same notes of pineapple juice, butterscotch, spice (ester-heavy), more sour than sweet, with a spicy finish. Crisp, medium-bodied. Unique interpretation, with a strong pineappley character that is probably a turn-off or turn-on depending on the taster.

(Bottle 65 cl) Hazy orangey golden with a small, off-white head. Lightly sour nose. Weak flavour of caramel malt on a surprisingly thin body. Weak acidity but otherwise nothing much. Hugely disappointing. 120805

A hazy orange beer with a thin off-white head. The aroma is sweet slighlty malty and slihgtly alcoholic. The flavor is very malty and slightly sour - as if it has been wildfermented, this gives it a hint of grapefruit, and a dry end. The mouthfeel is very carbonated. From drinking it I’d categorize it as a Flemish Sour, not a Belgian Ale.

Noogfest Hazy amber color with a small head. The aroma was musty and cheesy. The flavor was much better than the aroma and was nciely sour and pleasant. On the tongue, this had an oily feel and there was a bit of astringency in the finish.

Cloudy copper pour with minimal head, low carbonation - caramel, clove and spice in the aroma - flavor is very sour, with some grain and fruits way in the background- not sweetness at all - bitter, almost salty finish - something about this tastes off, perhaps it is infected, but it doesn’t quite taste like other infected beers I’ve had - something is just off, and I’m not sure if this beer is supposed to taste this way - I would advise the brewers to stop using green bottles.

2004 bottle many thanks, as always, to Eyedrinkale. Medium toned brown, slightly ruddy, with deep orange and copper highlights. Moderate off-white head, rather fizzy. Smells of light fruits (raspberry, cherry, apple blossoms, bananas) and some good sweet tones from the sugar. Flavor begins with a kick of good yeast, with some bubble gum and sugar notes, while the wheat is evident on the palate, drying the beer out somewhat. Light honey from the pils malt, a graininess from the aromatic and biscuit malt. All in all, lots of malt complexity here, the only problem is, there just isnt enough of it. The beer gets watery quickly, with light astringency and thin grainy flavors quickly evaporating from the palate. Touch of alcohol and hops bitterness, but it is not backed up by enough malt. Dry, nutty flavors on the finish, a dose of sour funk and a medium body. Would like to try a different vintage as you can tell something went slightly wrong with the amount of malt used, or the extraction.

Bottle #62. Amber brown color with an off-white head. Yeast and malt aroma, but nothing overpowering. Flavors are a little light - malt, yeast, some brown sugar and a touch of apple. Nice double but lacks depth to put it at very good. Easy to drink and smooth, but it has a little sourness to it.