Day 73: 03.14.10 Highland Seven Sisters Abby Ale

Highland Brewing Co.

Asheville, North Carolina


Seven Sisters Abby Ale


Style: Dubbel 
Availability: Seasonal - Spring
Format: 12oz - 6pk
ABV: 6.5%


Bottle text & Info:
"This Abbey Style Dubbel Ale earns its appellation by being brewed with double the normal grain bill and the addition of Belgian dark candi sugar. Fermenting with Trappist yeast creates dark fruit esters. Pilsner, Pale, Extra Special and Chocolate malts evoke classic Belgian Ale sweet aromas with a hint of nuttiness. Use of Hallertau, Hersbrucker and German Select hops enhance authenticity and provide a restrained bittering of 20 IBUs and a slight spicy aroma.


Tasting Notes:
Alright. A brand new seasonal from Highland. Interesting. Let's check it out. Pours a pale amber showing near golden around the edges. Surprisingly light for a dubbel. A somewhat aggressive pours yields a quarter inch white head that dissipates rather quickly leaving, light wisps on top. Yeast esters dominate the nose with loads of dark fruits up front with some noticeable candi sugar notes in the mix as well. Medium bodied mouthfeel with adequate smoothness. Taste follows the nose quite closely, just ratcheted up a few notches. Powerful sweet candi holds the front, middle, and finally gives way to some slight clove and noble hop spice. I don't know, a decent effort I guess. Nice to see Highland step out and do something that isn't a english style. This one's just too light in body and appearance and not malty enough for me to consider it a true dubbel. This guy actually drinks eerily similar to Delerium Tremens with a bit lower ABV. Despite, perhaps, a miscategorization in style, it's nice to see a local NC brewery take on a belgian yeast.

Day 51. 02.20.10 Van Twee (De Proef/Bell's Collaboration)

De Proef Brouwerij (bvba Andelot)
Municipality of Lochristi
Province of East Flanders
Region of Flemish


De Proef Brewmasters Collaboration Series.
Van Twee: A collaboration featuring John Mallet of Bell's Brewing Inc. (Kalamazoo, Michigan) and Dirk Naudts of De Proef Brouwerij


Style: Dark Belgian Ale
Availability: Limited - One Time Brew
Format: 750ml
ABV: 7.5%


Bottle text & Info

Tasting Notes: 
"Van Twee" is Flemish for "from two." just puttin' it out there. Pretty awesome collaboration here. Let's have a taste. Pours incredibly dark, nearly black with a billowing tan head. Shows good retention with big sticky lacing. Big earthy nose, with some oak and vinegar making way for dominant dark cherry. Growing up in the frozen tundra of Michigan and the cherry capital of the world - the smell is sweet sweet nostalgia. Mouthfeel is medium to full body with some interesting porter and flemish notes. Pretty accurate when the press-release described this as a mash up of porter and dubbel styles. Starts out with some tart cherry juice coupling with subtle bretts and vinegar followed by more cherry interlaced with some roasted barley/chocolate notes - finishing dry. An incredible pulling together of styles that is masterfully done. Key trademarks of Flemish sours, Belgian Dubbels and American Porters are all pulled together by tart dark cherry. A really awesome sipper and a true one-of-a-kind experience.