So it’s been almost two months since we were able to bottle and condition our Belgian-style Dubbel which we have dubbed Une Abbaye Brun, since it is the first (hopefully of many) collaborative homebrew efforts from me and Steve. The name may not be grammatically correct, but I’m more concerned with how it tastes than how it sounds.

Sunday we decided to crack our first bottle of it, about a week or so shy of its ‘official’ date to be opened. We figured at this point, it should be good to go. After doing the math, the abv on this one puts it around 9%. It poured a rich mahogany color with russet highlights, topped by two fingers of dense, khaki head. There was very active carbonation that also made for solid head retention, a good omen that elicited a sigh of relief from the two of us.

The beer had a full, robust nose with fig, banana, and prune, as well as some hints of allspice and cinnamon; this thing smelled absolutely delicious. Upon first sip, we noticed an overall sweetness that also had a particular bite to it, masking the alcohol content quite well. Allowing it to warm up made all the difference though, and the more nuanced fruit and spice flavors were able to come through to highlight the beer’s complexity. The caramel malt flavor and trace of hops are detected as everything blends well with the slight rise in temperature. It was fantastic when paired with some French country bread and a wedge of Beemster Gouda aged 26 months.

After having some siphoning issues when going from secondary to bottling bucket, we were concerned this would have a negative impact on the final product. Thus far, we can see no real off-flavors or oxidization issues from this batch. I’ve got to say, I’m surprised. With all the variables that go into brewing a good batch of beer, my original inclination was that something would happen that would make this batch not so tasty, one of those ‘live and learn’ experiences. As it stands, nothing of the sort has happened, and we’re very pleased with the end result. If I can upload any pictures, which is difficult for me at the moment, I will.

As the men’s Wimbledon final rolled on, through a start-and-stop progression due to rain delays, we then opened up a bottled of Super Baladin. I’ve enjoyed sipping this beer in the past, sans notes, but since it was a laid-back Sunday afternoon, I figured I’d do a little musing on the matter.

The Super Baladin poured a hazy copper hue, with a soapy whisp of bubbles laying on top. An orange-like citrus aroma was present, and a noticeable tartness made it resemble the ’sour apple’ scent of candy, including an underlying sweetness. A soft introduction opened up the beer on the tongue, which was immediately followed by a tart apple and orange sweetness that was full and juicy. The finish dried out but didn’t parch, which was skillfully done. The fruity notes ran rampant in this beer, and I loved it, yet again.

Taking a different tack, we popped the cork on an Allagash Black, hailing from that famed Belgophile Rob Tod in Maine. The pour was a deep black color that let no light through, which I was expecting, and it had a half-finger of ecru head that faded after a minute or two. The bouquet was of mocha and what smelled like charcoal, which were the most dominant, with a roasted coffee character that tempted the senses.

On the tongue, it was quite chocolatey and had that burnt malt profile which was pleasing. The carbonation was solid, which lent to a semi-slick texture in the middle, and then faded into a slightly drying finish. This beer was well-balanced and tasty, but probably not my favorite out of the Allagash line. Speaking of which, I need to keep an eye out for some of their fabled special releases coming up soon.

All in all, it was a great day to relax and enjoy some good beer, as I’d been going non-stop this holiday weekend. And hey, Rafa finally broke Federer at Wimbledon, so that was a plus. The evening was capped off with some Mexican cuisine and a glass of Dos Equis Amber, a strange but satisfying way to end an afternoon of tasting Belgian-inspired beer.