Dubbel Overtime

Belgian-style Strong Brown Ale Belgian dubbels are a surprisingly hard beer style to produce. Our attempts here at CBC over the years have been all over the map, though they’ve all turned out to be pretty tasty! Our latest was actually heavily influenced by the strong “Scotch” ales of the Northern British Isles. [wpex more="Read more" less="Read less"] There are striking similarities between the two beers when one analyses malt varieties and use of caramelized sugars as an adjunct to lighten the body while increasing flavor complexity. The real difference comes from the yeast strained used for fermentation – Scotch ales are super-clean, with the emphasis on malt and caramel flavors, while those characteristics are augmented by spicy/phenolic yeast notes in Belgian dubbels. Dubbel Overtime was brewed with dark caramelized Belgian candi sugar, plus a touch of molasses, to closely replicate the recipe for our famous Bannatyne’s Scotch Ale (coming soon, don’t worry!). It was fermented at very high temperatures by our proprietary Belgian yeast strain, which left a very full, malty palate but a well-attenuated, dry finish. We think this is just the balance we’ve been looking for. Additionally this beer was “spiced” not with hops, but with an herb called “sweet gale,” a member of the myrtle family long used in the production of gruit (herbal) beers. You’ll notice a very subtle herbal spice note in the finish of the beer, upon close investigation. The sweet gale was hand-picked from a secret, privately-owned wetlands spot in Lincoln, MA, where we planted a number of gruit herbs one year ago. Tulip $5[/wpex]

Original Gravity
1.084/21*P

Final Gravity
1.014/3.5*P

Alcohol By Volume
9.2%