January 15th 2010: Abita Abbey Ale

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3 | Feel: 3 | Drinkability: 3.5

I haven't had a beer in over a week thanks to a case of Pneumonia. The smell of this one has re-awakened my love for good beer. I want to savor this moment for as long as possible.

Poured this from a $4 bomber which is extremely cheap and almost unheard of here in Western PA. It pours a somewhat hazy reddish brown with a vigorous and frothy cream colored head that left a thick film and thicker ring. The smell is everything I would expect from a Dubbel which is one of the styles I have loved for awhile now. There are dark fruits, belgian sugar with hints of strawberries coming out in the end. Not much spice and definitely sweet smelling. The taste is a little harsh with some spice and alcohol burn but finishes nicely with the sweet dark fruits and the strawberry is there again. Its a little bland for a dubbel and the sweetness almost seems forced. The spiciness almost fights with the sweetness instead of playing off of it. The mouthfeel is a little thin but still somewhat creamy. A little bit of a dry finish but it attacks the tongue too much for me. The drinkability is a little low because of the mouthfeel and harshness but for the price I couldn't pass this up if I saw it again.

Serving type: bottle

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