Westmalle 'Dubbel' (7%) is a dark red-brown beer with a rich, complex taste thanks to re-fermentation in the bottle. You pick up touches of caramel, malt and fruity esters reminiscent of ripe banana. The beer pearlises beneath a covering of dense, cream-coloured froth. A lovely lace pattern forms on the inside of the glass once emptied. The long, dry finish of this balanced, mild Trappist beer will stay with you.
In 1865 the monks of 'Westmalle' started brewing a dark Trappist beer in addition to their table beer. They adjusted the recipe in 1926, doubling the amounts of raw ingredients to produce a new, stronger beer. Dubbel is a logical name for this doubled beer, though it is more often simply called ‘Trappist’. To this day, the 1926 recipe is the basis for Westmalle Dubbel.
The beer matures in a different way when in a larger bottle, producing a noticeably milder finish. “In 1856 the monks started brewing a simple table beer. Later, as demand grew, they introduced a dark beer that was brewed with double the amount of raw ingredients. This is how a Dubbel got its name.”
