Big Beers & Beyond

Brewer: New Belgium Brewing Co.

Selection: Abbey

Style: Belgian Style Dubbel



Over the weekend, I decided to revisit a brew of historical importance ... in my life, anyway. It was the second microbrew to entirely change my thinking about beer -- New Belgium's Abbey. The first was Odell's 90 Shilling. You can read all about that experience at my other blog.

As a mid-'90s graduate of Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, I was privy to some great options, and none at the time reigned more supreme than New Belgium. Sure, after the Odell's 90 Schilling, I went on to try Fat Tire, both beers remaining favorites of mine for many years. And while I raved about Fat Tire like the rest of us, it didn't have the profound effect on me that Abbey had.

Abbey was so different than anything I had ever tried at that point. Granted, I was young and inexperienced in the ways of beer, so perhaps this isn't saying much. But anyone who has tried Abbey or Belgian ales in general knows how distinct the taste is, so Abbey certainly took me by surprise at first sip. I'll be honest with you and say I wasn't quite sure what to make of it at the time. It's not that I wasn't ready for the volume or complexity, but let's be realistic here -- I was 21 and likely more interested in quantity than the intangible qualities of beer. Case in point, I likely would have regarded the live yeast at the bottom as a defect.

Fast forward to today when I have a better (albeit not expert) understanding of different styles and tastes, I can clearly say that Abbey has stood up well over the years. Its rich, deep color speaks to the flavors that await, and by comparison there's more character in this one than other dubbels I've sampled. I'll remain partial to the trippels, courtesy of the unassuming color that belies the broad palate they evoke, but Abbey is most definitely the type of brew one can keep in regular rotation. It's one of only a handful of six-pack beers I'll give the time of day.

Here's what the fine folks at New Belgium have to say about Abbey:

The color of just-polished mahogany crowned with a tightly laced, mousse-like head, our Abbey Belgian Ale raises eyebrows just on sight alone. An ethereal swirl of banana, spice and smoky aromas compels further study. Cross the liquid threshold and discover flavors evoking ripe fig, caramel, coffee and clove. Settle into the solace of Abbey’s other-worldly finish. This is ale consecration.

Abbey, the biggest medal collector in the New Belgium portfolio, is categorized as a Belgian style “dubbel” or “Double Ale.” This complex ale, along with Trippel, is very true to style of the beers brewed in Belgium where the monks produce beers to support their abbey. Dubbels tend to be darker, with a heavier malt profile. Bottle conditioning produces esters that manifest as earthy or floral tones.

Though excellent when paired with savory dishes, Abbey inevitably finds itself paired with dessert at dinners given by our brewery. As well, our restaurant friends are finding Abbey to be an appealing addition to their lists of ports, brandies and single malts. Abbey is worthy of being furnished as a stand alone liquid dessert, a euphoric palate enhancer in the cigar humidor, a stairway to heaven companion to chocolate, or a pleasing brain twister when served with espresso.

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