Beer Experts Compare Wee Heavy vs Belgian Dubbel

In this episode, Advanced Cicerones Chris Cohen & Chris Crowe taste and discuss the differences between Belgian Dubbel & Scottish Wee Heavy. We've got BJCP approved commercial examples Chimay Dubbel (red label) vs. McEwan's Scotch Ale & Traquair House Scotch Ale.

These styles are amber, feature lots of toasty malt, and have moderate-high ABV levels. So how can you tell them apart? The main differences here will be found in their yeast profiles and levels of dryness, especially in their finish.

Belgian Dubbel is a very dry beer, like many Belgian ales that are made with candi sugar to dry them out. Even though Dubbels have a fairly high ABV, they are generally very dry. Dubbels will also feature that Belgian yeast character -- lots of fruity esters, dark dried fruits in particular, as well as spice-like phenols, such as black pepper or clove. Wee Heavy, on the other hand, will not be as dry, so it will have a denser body. Wee Heavy leans big on toasty malt flavor but will likely feature some similar fruity yeast esters to Dubbel, but Wee Heavies will NEVER feature spice-like esters. So, the big immediate difference is going to be the yeast character, particularly phenols.

Also, shout out to Fatty's & Skinny's, a great old beer bar that was in Tallahassee, FL back around 1998 to 2001 or thereabouts where Chris Cohen had some of his first interesting beers ever.

Remember, NEVER rely on visual cues in a blind tasting.

In the Beer Scholar "Classic Styles Side-By-Side" series, we compare similar classic styles, discuss them, & provide tips for how to pick them apart in a blind tasting. This is all about helping you pass the Certified & Advanced Cicerone exams. Tasting blind is HARD, we're here to help!

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