Holgate Double Trouble
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
An Abbey Ale that’s in Double Trouble in more ways than one.
Holgate Brewhouse has created this beer to be a shining example of a Belgian Abbey Ale or Dubbel, but as I’ve found time and time again those crafty Belgian monks aren’t easily upstaged. A Dubbel style beer by definition usually will have an alcohol range somewhere between 6-8% ABV, be rich in malts and have a mild or understated hop bitterness. Double Trouble has all of the above and sits at the top end of the scale with 8% alcohol per volume and an IBU of 38. It is a limited release beer that only comes in 330ml bottles at the cost of around $5 a bottle.
Double Trouble has a big caramel malt aroma mixed with dark fruits like raisins. It is copper in appearance with a half inch off white head that unfortunately disappears to leave no lacing or beading. The bottle I opened seemed well under carbonated and almost flat which was disappointing to find. You can certainly taste an abundance of dark malts in this beer though it all comes through too alcohol like for me. The smell and taste of this beer both had an almost burning sensation like having a shot of whiskey. Holgate recommends trying this beer with sticky desserts or cheese platters.
In my opinion this beer has nothing on a real Belgian Dubbel like Westmalle Dubbel. Plus when you consider for an extra $2 you can pick up the real thing imported all the way from Belgium, why wouldn’t you! Please try Double Trouble for yourself and make your own mind up on whether the Aussies or Belgians do it better.
Rating (out of five):
Quick Facts: 8% alcohol – 330ml brown bottle – Pop Top
Category : Beer Reviews, Dubbel