Stoudt's Abbey Double Ale
thanks to zrrbrrt for including this in my ba anniv. package. Appreciate the opportunity. Vintage 04 champagne bottle, capped. Pours a dark hazy plum color with hints of brown. A thin one finger off white colored head holds nicely towards the edges of the glass leaving a hole in the middle. Bubbles sticking to the sides of the glass are making me think this one is a bit carbonated. We'll see. Deep dark fruits. Figs and juicy purple grapes laced with thick molasses and caramel. Real sweet malt. Figs and prune drenched in caramel. Burnt brown sugar notes are quite hefty. Slight nuttiness underneath the sugar notes. Belgian esters are there, but are a secondary part of the mouthfeel. Mouthfeel takes on a yeasty bready characteristic that adds to the thickness of the body. Dry and a tad chalky towards the back of the mouth. Slight nestle cocoa powder taste on the tongue also. Thick and too sweet for my taste buds. I'd rather just suck on some rock candy.