Witkap Pater Dubbel by Brouwerij Slaghmuylder

The Witkapa Pater Dubbel comes in a tall, slender, 11.2 fl.oz. bottle. The label has a picture of a white hooded monk holding a large beer stein on a light cream colored background. It is unfiltered and bottle conditioned with 7% ABV.

The Dubbel is dark brown in color with purple hues and a thin light tan head. The sediment in the bottle pours out an extremely dark brown color, similar to coffee.

You can smell aromas of fruit, spices, and brown sugar. The taste is slightly sour (sour apples) and fruity (raisins and dark fruits) at first, but after a few sips, I also noticed caramel and brown sugar.

The combination of flavors along with a nice finish, make this well balanced Dubbel a very enjoyable drink. The Witkapa Pater Dubbel is good example of what a Belgian Dubbel can be.

Brewery website: http://www.witkap.be/witkap/Home.html

Prior 8 by St. Bernardus

The Prior 8 is a Belgian Abbey Ale brewed by St. Bernardus. Their Abt 12 is one of my all time favorites, and I’ve been looking forward to trying the Prior 8 for quite some time.

I love the label of this beer, an orange background with a large picture of a jolly old monk holding a glass of beer.

The Prior 8 is a thick, dark beer, that is somewhere between brown and amber in color. It pours with a large, thick, creamy head that seems to never dissipate. It is highly carbonated and 8% alc/vol.

For a highly carbonated, high alcohol per volume beer, this one goes down smooth. The Prior 8 is a complex beer loaded with malty, nutty and fruit flavors. The varieties of flavors perfectly complement one another and leave a very distinct aftertaste. About half way through the bottle, I realized that I was grinning from ear to ear, just like the jolly monk on the label.

Everything this brewery creates is amazing, and the Prior 8 does not stray from tradition. The Prior 8 was an absolute joy from the first sip to the last. Drink this beer and I guarantee you too will be smiling like the jolly old monk.

Brewery website: http://www.sintbernardus.be/