Maredsous 8: Dubbel

This beer cost me 3 cents and a tv. In order to pay for this beer, my financially strapped, withered, post-collegiate soul had to sell a tv to Pawn X-Change on Lake City way. There I was, prying 5 bucks from the girl behind the x-change counter while the couple to my right received two hundred bucks for a handful of jewelry and the dude on my left, with crusty eyes because he mistook a bong for a cup of coffee this morning, sold his 29 years worth of video games for a minor fortune. The girl behind the counter, feeling munificent, handed me my cash and I promptly headed 4 doors down to the beer store...

Dubbels as I've come to learn, are a belgian style of brown beer with a high alcohol content, this one being no exception.

The color was a deep mahogany, reminiscent of a well aged brown leather wallet and the head poured a good, two fingers with a delicate froth that lasted through the end of the beer.

As I stuck my nose into the glass, I wasn't struck with a strong aroma. On this particular Dubbel it was fairly soft with a hint of raisin which followed through into the palette. The raisins are accompanied by dark fruits and roasted chocolate tones.

The trophy of Maredsous is its body. A fantastic balance between syrup and water, a good two percent milk that washes away and leaves a hint of flavor and a cerevisaphile saying, "what was that?... I need more."