Allagash Dubbel Ale Review
by
Tara Nurin on Jun 13, 2011 in
Beer
I ran into Allagash’s Rob Tod at Jose Pistola’s on Thursday night, who told me, for the second time, how much he loves Philly. You can tell, too, because the man bolted between about 37 different events during beer week then had the good nature to show up for an unannounced appearance on “Late Night with Joe Gunn.” To reciprocate his appreciation of Philadelphia and beer, I’m reviewing his Dubbel this week, my second favorite American-brewed version of the style (the best, in my opinion, being Project Venus, an all-female collaboration brewed only once this past Spring).
It was noon on Friday when I opened the bottle of Allagash for review, and truth be told, I was grimacing at the prospect of more beer. My esophagus hurt from a straight week of “tasting” every novelty beer that poured in my direction during Beer Week, and I was definitely beginning to approach my limit.
But then I smelled my Allagash Dubbel Ale, and I smiled.
I smelled aromas of honey nectar flecked with hints of orange peel, or maybe the first droplets of sap to trickle forth from a maple tree in early fall. The color was a rich reddish copper that supported a delicate tan-ivory head, and the lacing it left behind was a solid thin ring above an intricate consortium of haphazard patterns.
The taste isn’t complex, but rather is supported by a healthy malty balance, the essence of fruity Belgian yeast and a supple mouthfeel. It tastes like dessert, with slight reminders of allspice or nutmeg -- something I’d want to eat with cake, or add to a cake mix. It finishes with an off-dry, almost bitter tingle, like a Brut or an Extra Sec sparkling wine. The brewery describes the finish as having “subtle hints of chocolate and nuts” but I don’t get that.
In my view, a Dubbel is a very feminine beer. It’s not that it appeals primarily to women or that guys look effeminate when they drink it. It’s that the medium body and the taste of baking spices lend it a light sugary flavor that reminds me of a warm breeze cascading through the leaves on a bright spring afternoon.
Tara Nurin is a veteran freelance journalist based in East Philadelphia, otherwise known as New Jersey. The former TV reporter specializes in craft beer, dining and destination coverage, and writes brew news for publications like All About Beer, Draft, Philly Beer Scene, and Philadelphia Weekly. She pens the “Athena’s Fermentables” column about women and beer for Ale Street News; co-hosts the Internet and cable show “Still Crazy After All These Beers” with Gary Monterosso; leads the Beer for Babes women-in-beer group in South Jersey; and is the weekly nightlife columnist for the Courier-Post newspaper. She also contributes regular beer reviews to DrinkPhilly.com.
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