Maredsous - Brune 8

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Maredsous Brune (Bruin) 8

Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat

Abbaye-Abdij

Breendonkdorp 58
Breendonk-Puurs, 2870 Belgium

Est. 1871
www.maredsousbieres.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 11.2 

Postmortem Brew Review

Dark brown pour.
Malty sweetness and dark fruits on the nose.

Light brown head that produces one and a half fingers of head. Sticks around a while.

Draped lacing on glass.

Roasted malts and caramel with some dark frutiness. Tastes consistent with the aromas.

Lightly carbonated. Thin drinking quality with dry malt aftertaste.

Medium bodied. Alcohol is nicely masked.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Maredsous is brewed under the Duvel Moortgat family of beers. The tradition of monastic brewing goes back to the 6th century, where St. Benedict encouraged monks to contribute to the local communities and their brewing processes were used. Because of disease and other epidemics, the practice of boiling water had become common and was used in the production of their beer. Yes, the Reaper was on hand during those difficult plague ridden times. Ah those were the days. But I digress...don't hate the player...after all, they learned to survive on beer making practices. So there you have it. The Reaper was the impetus behind beer's ability to flourish. Winning!

At that time, these beers were likely to be low in alcohol as a result and reserved for fasting monks that often made their entire diet on these brews. More enjoyably for us now, they are available in higher ABV percentages.

Be sure to also visit the Abbaye's webpage for Maredsous. Beautiful ale with a beautiful website, as a bonus. As if we need a bonus beyond the beer.

Chimay Premiere (Red)

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Chimay Premiere (Red)
Bieres de Chimay S.A.
Route Charlemagne, 8
6464 Baileux (CHIMAY) Belgium
Est. 1862
www.chimay.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 7.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 11.2 

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper in color with a slight haze.
Belgian yeast nose with fruity apricot scents.
Off-white creamy head. Lacing coats the glass.
Head simmers to a wisp leaving yeasty residues.
Mouth feel is silky. Apricot flavored taste; slight bitterness in finish.
Smooth, medium body.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
Trappist Monks make perfection inside the walls of their monasteries as well as inside the walls of brown bottles. Here's one that is a simply sensational, take-your-time-why-don't-you kind of ale.  Sit back, enjoy the day, have a cigar if you prefer. Or maybe some great cheese or fruits. It's up to you; it's your day. So do with it what you wish.

Celebrate the day! Stop and smell the roses with any Chimay and you'll see the world through a different lens. Consistently fine crafted ales from this house. Re-fermented in the bottle, as you would expect from the Belgians.

He'Brew Rejewvenator

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
He'Brew Rejewvenator - Year of the Grape 2010
Shmaltz Brewing
New York, USA
Est. 1996 (5757 Hebrew Metonic Cycle)
www.shmaltzbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep brown and murky.
Mostly concord grape juice smell; slight sweetness.
Very little head or lacing.
Fruit flavors like plum or raisin in the background.
Concord grape juice flavors and a bit of maltiness for the taste.
Easy carbonation.
Medium in body and light in mouthfeel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Concord grapes and beer. Who'd a thunk it? He'Brew, that's who. Celebrating the "Sacred Species No.3" of this brew, they have embraced their Jewish and biblical roots to create a beer from their traditional drink.  What they've come up with a crazy but interesting concoction. It does make for a easy to drink beer and it has some interesting flavor components. Celebrate life and try some.

Jeremy Cowan calls it "shtick ", but the beer business is a serious business. Glad to see you can still have some fun with it. L'Chaim!

Allagash - Dubbel Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Dubbel Ale
Allagash Brewing Company
50 Industrial Way
Portland, ME USA 
Est.1994
www.allagash.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 7.0% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark amber color.
Malty and slightly sweet nose with touch of yeast and some dark fruit.
Tall, tan head with great draped lacing..
Lots of mixed malt taste and a crisp dry finish.
Medium amount of carbonation.
Medium body. Complex taste.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
Allagash Dubbel Ale was the right call at the end of a busy day. Holiday shopping completed, a reward was in order to celebrate. A recent dip in the temps also helped set  the tone for this 7% dubbel. This beer finishes very clean and leaves you wanting more. And how I wish there were more.

Seven malts go into making Dubbel Ale along with a Belgian yeast strain. It's tasty and a solid ale that can be easily sessioned. While it isn't the absolute best dubbel I've sampled, I would get this again and again. Smooth, malty sweet and delicious.

That does it...going on a hunt for more, soon.

St. Bernardus - Prior 8 Abbey Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

St. Bernardus Prior 8 Abbey Ale
Brouwerij St. Bernard NV
Trappisenweg, Watou, Belgium
Est.1985

www.sintbernardus.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 11.2  

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep brown in color with slight cloudiness.
Fruity aroma with some caramel.
Creamy, tall, frothy off white head.
Figs, plums and other fruits along with a bit of molasses taste.
Even amount of carbonation. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
There's that grinning monk again.  Last time I had some St. Bernardus was a couple of years ago.  Why did I wait so long?

The date on the back of the bottle is good until 2014.  This ale was tremendous now as new and would have most likely been better if cellared for a year or two.  Worth stashing a few of these away for future tasting, to be dug out later.

A mighty fine dubbel of an Abbey Ale.  Get some.

Ommegang Abbey Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Ommegang Abbey Ale
Brewery Ommegang
656 County Highway 33

Cooperstown, NY USA 
Est. 1997
www.omegang.com  

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.5 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Deep ruby color with cloudiness.
Sweet esters of plum and banana and clove aromas.
Two fingered caramel head that lasts . Frothy head. Great lacing.

Complex fruit, yeast, with sweet taste of malt and brown sugars.
A bit more malty than yeasty.
Medium bodied with full flavor.  Alcohol bite is slightly detectable.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another hit from Cooperstown.  Ommegang Abbey Ale reaffirms my joy over Belgian style ales.  This Dubbel is more like a home run.  I know, another droll pun...

Though they are thousands of miles from the Trappist Monks of Belgium, their ales are crafted in the same careful traditions.  We can dispense with the rumor that only good Belgian style beer comes from Belgium.  This one can hold its own in that arena.  Just quash that idea the next time it comes up in discussion.  Ommegang is one serious brewer, making some seriously good ale.

Corsendonk Brown Abbey Pater Dubbel

Taps for a Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Corsendonk Brown Abbey Pater Dubbel
Brouwerij Corsendonk Nv
Slachthuisstraat 27
B-2300 Turnhout
Oud-Turnhout, Belgium
Est. 1909
corsendonk.apluz.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 7.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 (On Tap) 

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep reddish brown; mahogany color.
Yeast and fruity tones; almost a tartness to the smell.
It leaves a small head all the way down the glass. 
Minimal coating of spotty lacing clings to the sides.
Fruity and deep complex taste.  Some nuttiness at the end.
Full mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Although it's a crude thought, the delicious quality of this 'brown' is making me say "Badonkadonk" instead of Corsendonk. Drive on down to the store and put some of this "junk" in your trunk.  No hate mail, please.  It is intended as a high compliment.  Just have a look at some of those definitions and you'll get my drift.

In a tulip gl---ass, you get the curves.  The juicy taste makes you want more. Awwww....forget it!  Try some and see if you aren't mesmerized by this curvaceous, luscious, sweaty beauty.  She'll make your head spin.

Pater Dubbel? Hell yeah, you'll want to tap that!

Trappist Westvleteren 8 (blue cap)

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Westvleteren 8
The Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren
Donkerstraat 12
8640 Westvleteren, Flanders, Belgium 
Est. 1838
www.sintsixtus.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 3.0 (sample)

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark brown, near black color.
Plum/grape/prune notes. Also shows a bit of oak.
Not much alcohol in smell.
Large bubbles; caramel colored, one-finger head.
Caramel bodied and deep smell of plum.
Fizzy carbonation.
Very tasty and complex on tongue.
Slight sweet aftertaste with slight alcohol presence. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
Ohuhmmmm! Ohuhmmmm! No, that's not what the Trappist monks are saying, but you will.  Mere mortals are not worthy to drink Westvleteren's ultimate brews.

My good friend Dean has done it again, procuring some of the rarest ale in the world.  This beer is only intended to be purchased at the monastery for personal consumption.  The monks do not ship this beer and it has been a time honored tradition not to do so.  In fact, here's what they say about it, "Westvleteren Trappist is sold only to individual customers. Every customer agrees not to re-sell the beer to any third party." 

Formerly known as 'Extra', here we have the "blue cap" ringing in at 8% ABV. While delicious and complex in flavors, I found just a little bit something missing from the experience.  Don't get me wrong, it is exceptionally smooth and full bodied, but something was amiss for my liking.  But don't worry, I found out what I wanted when we opened the 12 ABV (yellow cap).

This is so easy to drink, you need to keep in mind that it is at 8%.  A bit dangerous I'd say.  It is bottle conditioned and will keep a long time if stored properly.  With its nondescript brown bottle, store it carefully, lest someone mistake it for a bottle of floor polish and toss it out!

Lucky to have sampled this ale.  Mind you mortals, it's very rare!

Smuttynose - Winter Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Smuttynose - Winter Ale
Smuttynose Brewing Company
Portsmouth, NH USA
Est.1994
www.smuttynose.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.8 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazy amber orange color.
Fruity, touch of yeast and other inviting complex aromas.
Soft warming feel and fruity, soft spice flavor.
One finger head with minimal lacing.
Medium mouth feel and carbonation.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Being greeted by man's best friend (the dog and the beer) is a truly wonderful way to end your day.  This winter ale hit the spot with big flavor and minimal ABV.  Here's one you could sit back and relax with on a cold winter's 'eve.  One after another after another. 

This is a terrific Belgian Dubbel style everyone will appreciate.  I must get acquainted with the other Smuttynose litter mates soon.  Good dog!  Good beer!