Here’s our first look at the new Achel brand and beers. Achel was one of he six Belgian Trappist Monasteries to have the ‘Authentic Trappist Product’ endorsement, but they lost this in late 2020 when the last residents Monks moved out to join the Westmalle Monastery.
The brewing activities were taken over by Westmalle, though they were actively seeking a buyer which they found in January 2023 when the monastery estate and brewery were sold to local industrial entrepreneur Jan Tormans.
He bought the monastery with a view to preserving this piece of history and create a profitable business. And importantly, to keep brewing the Achel beers!
So, the beer then….
It pours a lovely nut brown colour and has a heavy aroma of caramel malts and dark dried fruits. The sweetness is also present in the taste, with a smooth caramel malt body with figs, raisins and brown sugar. Behind that is a herbal character and a late spicy prickly from the yeast.
Nice to see the Achel beers still being brewed, and making good beers if our first example is anything to go by.
A classic Belgian dubbel brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Dubbel style beer brewed with 6 different malts and Saaz hops for a unique bitterness.
by Brouwerij Corsendonk (at Brasserie Du Bocq)
A classic Belgian dubbel style ale, ticking all the boxes as a perfect example of the style.
by Brouwerij Emelisse/Slot-Oostende
Emelisse's take on the classic Belgian Dubbel style
A typical Belgian dubbel style beer, from a label with an interesting history
A big dubbel that doesn't just copy the Belgian style
La Debauche presents their interpretation of the classic Belgian Dubbel style
A typically taste Belgian Dubbel or Brune/Bruin with a sweet fruity and malty body, balanced by an earthy, spicy and slightly citrus hop bite
by Mokke Bier
A Belgian Dubbel with a rich malty body and a few subtle hints of something a little different
A deliciously malty Begian Dubbel made using 6 different specialty malts
A tasty Belgian Dubbel from an old abbey label, now owned by the might of Heineken
The baby of the Rochefort range; an amber brown dubbed style ale with all the elegance of a classic Trappist ale
The Pater 6 from St Bernardus is in the Belgian dubbel style
by Brouwerij Palm (Swinkels Family Brewers)
From the Palm Brewery portfolio comes the Steenbrugge Bruin
A traditional style Belgian dubbel from a little brewery in the village of Damme, just outside Bruges
