Greg has reminded us to remind him to remind me that the day of the dubbels is coming a week Friday. I also rooted around in the cellar and found a bottle from a north-east US brewer that I bought a while ago, have never tried and forgot about so that should be an interesting taste.
Still, I am quite aware of my ignorance in this area. Checking out Stan's book Brew Like a Monk, he lists Westmalle Dubbel, New Belgium Abbey, Ommegang, Flying Fish Dubbel, Chimay Red and Maredsous 8 as examples of the style. I popped a Chimay this evening and glad to see that Maredsous 8 is in there, too, as one lurks in the bowels of the stash. You know, I've never been real clear on the whole "6" or "8" or "10" thing and how they differ from the large format Belgian brown ale thing and those Pater or Prior ones. Some days I find myself all a flutter as to what is a dubbel and what isn't. Like what's a Corsendonk anyway?
That is why we need the session. To find out what it's all about.
Comments
Craig Hartinger - March 29, 2007 12:39 pm
At least in the case of Rochefort, "6" "8" and "10" come from a old scale of measuring wort OG - "Belgian degrees." Apparently, this measuring standard is not used often any more, even in Belgium, but it lives on in the beer names.
(I work for Rochefort's US importer, Merchant du Vin.)
Alan - March 29, 2007 2:27 pm
Hey Craig! That is great. I kinda knew that and I think I understand that the "8" would roughtly correspond with the dubbel. But I am still unclear on when or if a "brown" is always the equivalent of an "8" or a dubbel.
Stan Hieronymus - April 1, 2007 6:46 pm
To add to Craig explanation:
Until the early 1990s, Belgian brewers measured gravity in Belgian degrees. This can be calculated by subtracting 1 from a beer's specific gravity and multiplying by 100. Thus a 1.060 beer would be 6 degrees.
Because Belgians are style adverse it is hard to decide what to call a beer that isn't labeled a "dubbel" when it is at least similar in color and alcoholic strength. So although Maredsous 8 is a bit strong for the style it is brewed (by Duvel) for an operating abbey.
On the other hand, Westvleteren 8 and Rochefort 8 or both well attenuated enough that their strength makes them to "big" to be called a dubbel.
These are the beers listed as examples of the style by the BJCP:
Westmalle Dubbel, La Trappe Dubbel, Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale, Grimbergen Double, Affligem Dubbel, Chimay Premiere (Red), Duinen Dubbel, St. Feuillien Brune, New Belgium Abbey Belgian Style Ale, Stoudts Abbey Double Ale
I would but Rochefort 6 in there (7.8% abv), maybe at the top of the list.