Maredsous Brune 8

Maredsous Brune is, I think, a dubbel. It comes from Maredsous Abbaye, a Benedictine monastery in Belgium. I had a glass on tap at a Toronto beer bar that specializes in Belgian and Belgian-style ales. The hazy, ruddy brown brew topped with a thick tan head was served to me in abeautiful branded chalice. It contained a hearty 8% alcohol.  According to the tap list at the chill little pub, this beer is brewed according to the Benedictine monks' original recipe.

Great bar, but dark.

I found it to have a really powerful tart fruit aroma that really cleared my sinuses out. In contrast to the sharp aroma, the flavour and mouthfeel were really quite mellow for a strong beer. It's highly malty and undeniably fruit-driven. There are notes of pear and raisin. The finish has a tiny bump of hops, but overall, the stuff leans firmly toward malt. There is a dusting of tartness to wrap things up.

This was a sweet and strong beer--one that I really enjoyed and am glad to have tried, but one I won't be going back to anytime soon.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.