Falling short

You may not have heard of the Huyghe brewery but if you're into your beer you've probably tried, if not at least heard of Delirum Tremens. Who could resist the ceramic style bottle and those quirky pink elephants? Ok maybe you hate them - it's your choice. I personally think, whilst also being an excellent (and unique) beer, it's a perfect example of how you can position yourself ahead of others in the market. They're out to sell beers after all. What's the harm in trying to charm a few people along the way?

This post, however, is about St Idesbald Dubbel, a different family of beers from the Huyghe cupboard, which couldn't be more traditionally presented. It's clear that they're keen to serve all corners of the market; they bought this 'brand' in 1992, along with 'Campus'. This beer, along with its Blonde, Tripel and Rousse siblings have not a sight of a pink elephant anywhere upon them; a crest with a latin motto enables them to cover the Abbey beer market without rocking any boats.

So how does it match up to its step-sister, the mighty Delirium? Well, it's a mixed bag...

Despite being sat in my fridge for well over 24 hours there was nothing short of an eruption when opened, with both bottles I had. Even when prepared for the second bottle I lost a load of beer, such was the fervent frothing. It was so prevalent that once I'd managed to pour the glass there was still 2 inches of foam left in the bottle. I'm not one to practise my cocktail shaking with bottles before opening so perhaps they added too much priming sugar in this particular batch (sugar added when bottling feeds the small quantity of yeast left in the beer and by-product is carbon gas, i.e. head), but who's to know? Not a great start, though.

Then, in the glass, once again, (i feel like a bloody broken record) the scent is ruined by iron presence in the nose, though not as badly as other previous culprits. However, to stain the aroma so much so soon robs you of one of the simplest pleasures. Yes, it's there to be drunk but a good old whiff whets the appetite beautifully. What's worrying is that I've noticed it's really prevalent in Belgian beers. For a country which I hold in the highest esteem I'm starting to worry if enough breweries have control over their beer. I can't imagine it's anything to do with being out of date because pretty much every example has been a Dubbel, a beer which you would usually associate with improving as it ages.

This is all a bit of a shame really, because St Idesbald is a hidden gem. It has one of the most balanced flavours I've tasted in a while, for a Dubbel. It's pleasingly gritty with sediment simply piled up at the bottom of the glass. The texture is wonderfully light (what do you expect with all that foam) and the finish is lovely and sweet, with just a hint of spice. It gives you something to chew on between sips. On winter nights, it's a charming little late night beer to warm yourself, without being obviously spiced or seasonal.

There are others who do it better (Petrus Dubbel Bruin is a shining example) but after drinking LOTS of Dubbels over the last few months this really is a tasty example, which after initial failings, is a very solid example of how a simple Dubbel can stick to task and still be very enjoyable to drink. Lets hope the iron and foam was just in this batch...

St Idesbald Dubbel - 8.5/6.5 (batch dependant?)

http://www.delirium.be/bier/4/0/st._idesbald.html