Designations like “dubbel” and “tripel” appear on Belgian beers to describe the strength of the beer in relationship to the amount of malt used, which correlates to the alcohol content. Brewers labeled their barrels “X”, “XX”, or “XXX” so they’d remember what was inside. The Belgian style Dubbel was originally created by the Trappist Abbey of Westmalle in 1856 as an alternative to their sweet and light Witbier. They’re essentially strong brown ales, the kind of beer you want to sip slowly, their rich roasted malt and sweet raisiny flavors balanced with a touch of bitterness. This style tends to get overlooked, but we’re going to give it some love this week.
Our Bomber of the Week is Sierra Nevada’s first release in the Ovila series, Dubbel, which will be 20% off. We’ll also crack open some Belgian Dubbels for our Thursday tasting on September 1st from 5-7PM.
