DUINEN ABBEY ALES
by F. Sot Fitzgerald

Hooray for Merchant Du Vin for having the cajones to bring yet more Belgian beers to America.  The Seattle based import house apparently isn't particularly worried about the possibility of losing their shirts by taking a shot on more funky, foreign beers and working to build a market for them.

These Duinen ales are brewed at the Huyghe-Melle Brewery near Ghent, purportedly using the original recipes the monks cooked up in Abdij Ter Duinen (that's the abbey of Dunes, Jethro) some time after 1100 A.D.  As the press sheet merrily crows, "Duinen Dubbel and Duinen Tripel Abbey Ales, recently rated “Highly Recommended” by the prestigious World Beer Championships.  While we sampled each from 11.2 ounce bottles, Duinen ales also come in 25.4 ounce that have a cork in them.
Duinen Tripel, which you might imagine to be darker than Duinen Dubbel (aren't dunkel weisses darker than weisses?), is gold in color (not straw yellow, like Bud), and sports a nose and taste that is mildly yeasty, fruity, malty and slightly frothy.  I enjoyed Duinen Tripel and could well see it as an accompaniment to mild mussels, french fries (frites, for you Belgi-philes) or one you could knock back one or three of alone.  But be ready to be thrown for a loop, this beer packs 9% alcohol. 
(Rating ****)

 
 

Duinen Dubbel (8.0% alcohol) is a deep, reddish brown color.  It nose and tastes sweet, malty and sports a berry (raspberry?) notes and a toffee taste.  Though medium bodied, the taste is huge, and I actually found it a bit overwhelming, feeling a bit syrupy on the palate.  Trying to drink 11.2 ounces of this was a challenge, and I'm not one who gets weak tongued around heavy beers (e.g., I like the massive, sweet stout, Mackeson's XXX).  This beer was too much for me, though the bold of mouth among you may revel in it. (Rating **3/4)