Bornem Dubbel

Here’s an abbey beer from the Van Steenberge group for damp Thursday.

It’s wonderfully dark, and it has an absurdly thick head -- you could build a wall out of it. The taste is burnt oak and “sour molasses”. The 8% alcohol doesn’t overwhelm.

Overall, however, I’d say it’s not complex enough. A beer this dark with a head this thick promises more flavour than this brew delivers. I was hoping for something deeper and richer.

It’s drinkable, of course, but I probably wouldn’t buy this one again. Maybe no beer can brighten up a damp Thursday.

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