Brooding Soldier Barrel Aged Dubbel by Brewsters

The Hoppy Hippie Says: 

With a mouthful of a name like that I was expecting a tormented tall dark and handsome. It ended up being some of those.

I won’t bore you with my past love affair with Brewster’s again,(see our River City Raspberry Ale review for that) so I’ll just dive right into this Brooding Soldier.

It comes strong at 8% and pours a gorgeous dark reddish amber color. I love this color. I want a cozy blanket in this color. It’s translucent and with barely any head it looks as though it should be poured into a whisky glass not a pint glass. Rewind. No a wine glass. Cause crazy. This smells of red wine…a 40 year old port even…I immediately wondered if Michael Scott would think it has an oaky after birth.

I want to like this beer.

Torment though, because I don’t like this beer. I’m making a sour face. Not to be confused with a bass face. And there’s the oaky after birth.

I really do not like this beer. This is not a beer. Or should I ask how is this a beer? And while we’re at it…what’s a Dubbel? Does that stand for wine? I hope Alewife Anne lets us know.

I pour my cup over. I can’t finish it. There’s no joy here.

Alewife Anne Says: 

I saw The Brooding Soldier on the shelf, saw that it was by Brewsters and was immediately intrigued, because I couldn’t remember seeing this one on the menu. How had I missed it? Perhaps it was during one of those periods I avoided the bar, due to the assholery that often occurs there. After all, my capacity for good beer is endless, but I can only tolerate so much douchebaggery.

Anyway, the Brooding Soldier is a Belgian “dubbel” style. In the 1830s, these beers were produced by Trappist monks, although the dubbel is now made by secular breweries as well. Originally, the Trappist dubbel was a light, sweet brew with a fairly low alcohol content. Monks had a lot of work to do and needed to have their wits about them. After World War Two, the dubbel developed into a heavier, fruitier beer with more of a wallop. The Brooding Soldier, for example, is 8% apv.

It pours out a fine cinnamon red with a lazy white head. Aged in cabernet sauvignon barrels, it is not surprising that the nose is all red wine. Sipping it reveals a big Malbec fruitiness with a chewy mouthfeel and a dry oaky finish. 

I really, really like this beer.

Some of you may be thinking, “WTF? If you want wine, drink wine. Beer shouldn’t taste like wine!” What I love about this is how it underscores the complexity of beer. It easily has as many different flavours and nuances as wine does. Gone are the days when beer was just a pale pilsner. As much as I hate IPAs, at least they demonstrate a certain creativity and willingness to experiment with the established formula of malt, water, yeast and hops to create something unusual. There is a beer for every palette, and bottom line, this dubbel is unique and delicious.

Four hop cones out of five!