You can pretty much find anything you need to know about anything with a carefully crafted search term on Google. For example, when I type in “Dubbel,” all the information I need to write the blog post I promised I’d write today pops up, most of it in the first link!
Let’s take a look at the Dubbel, starting with the name. Pretty simple, it refers to the ABV. Belgians are around 3.5, Dubbels are about 7-8%, Tripels are around 9-10%. It’s a style that originated in Trappist breweries, the first one said to be from Westmalle in 1926 (modified from an earlier recipe without the high ABV).
Dubbels and Tripels are marked by bottle fermentation, where some yeast is left in the bottle for further flavor development. Beers that secondarily ferment usually have a cork and a wire setup at the top, you’ll be easily able to see the sediment at the bottom. You can age these, but there is no set number of years to mature a beer for. Some age well in a few months and some age over the course of a few years. You’ll want to store your bottle upright. This is not contradictory to what you’ve heard about wine storage since it’s a different animal. The main reason you store wine on it’s side is to not let the cork dry out, but that happens over a longer time than you’ll likely be storing the beer. Also, you’ll want any sediment to collect at the bottom of the bottle; you’re not going to drink that.
That wasn’t so hard, and I learned about beer in the process!
Just The Facts
Appearance: Red-Brown, significant head
Smell: Dr. Pepper
Taste: Sour raisins
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied
Drinkability: This bottle is meant to be shared. Grab a friend!
If you like this, you might like:
Scotch Ale, Tripels
Where to find them online
