Beer - #138 - Maredsous 8 Brune/Bruin

The second of a pair for this afternoon - a Maredsous 8 Brune/Bruin. Brewed by Duvel Moortgat in the style of a Abbey Dubbel Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium.

300ml of an 8% ABV beer - Bottle conditioned.

A brown or brune ale brewed under the supervision of the monastic community of Maredsous. Top fermented beer, brewed according to Benedictine tradition. Refermented in the bottle;, and conditioned for two months. Maredsous Brown should ideally be served at a temperature of 6-10 C

I'm really hoping for more malts and sweets in this and less alcohol note.

There is a fruit aroma, like sultana, and it's a very dark brown pour, with a magnificent fully head. The aroma settles to a rich malty note, but like the Tripel it carries a sourness about it.

There's nothing of anything in the palate for this, it's fairly soft, and unassuming. I could get why you loved this beer, it's not a challenge and it's fairly strong, you could impress your mates with it.

However when push comes to shove this is a struggle to get to the same 5 on the pdubyah-o-meter  that the Tripel did. This is a beer that's comes with a reputation, one that I might have even made up in my own head, but I was expecting something with a bang and got a whimper.

I can take that it's a beer brewed at commercial levels if it ended up being true to itself, but this isn't that, it seems to be brewed to be inoffensive and to maximise an audience. The dinky bottle and the indication that it should be special are just  not enough.