Green's Endeavour Dubbel Dark Ale (Gluten Free)

Dubbel is a dark beer that originated from those most fastidious of beer makers: Belgian monks. Flavorful and rich, Dubbel’s name comes from the word for “double” — this was due to it being a stronger version of a brown beer the monks brewed in 1856 in Westmalle Abbey. Dubbel was the beer the monks began selling to the public in 1861. The beer has a medium hoppiness and a malty sweetness to its profile, and it has a fruity profile thanks to esters generated by yeast.

Dubbel’s main notes are a sweet maltiness blended with caramel, cocoa and other fine aromas. Its bitter hoppiness lies between medium-low and medium levels — just enough to give the perfect balance to the sweetness. Fruity esters generated from yeast add more complexity to Dubbel, often adding the flavor of banana or other fruits. When you drink Dubbel, you may notice the slight yeast flavor (and you may see it in the light haze, too).

Dubbel is a brown ale with an alcohol by volume (ABV) concentration between 6% and 8%, making it fairly strong as far as ales go. Its mild bitterness mixes well with its warm alcohol and fruity cereal character, which come from malt, hops and yeast-generated fruit esters. Dubbel also has a mildly heavy body that gives it a filling, hearty profile.

Historically, Dubbel is not gluten-free. However, you can now enjoy a gluten-free version of Dubbel with Green’s Endeavour Dubbel, which is made without barley and hence contains all gluten-free ingredients. With an ABV of 7.0%, this beer has a dark, malty body with pleasing effervescence. Originally from Belgium, Dubbel came about as a stronger version of the beer drunk by monks in their abbey — the word meaning “double,” or twice as strong.

Dubbel is a brown ale. Ales are made using top-fermenting yeast, which do their work in warm temperatures between 60°F and 70°F. By contrast, lagers are made using bottom-fermenting yeast in cold temperatures between 35°F and 50°F. As a result, ales like Dubbel tend to have a fuller body with fruitier, sweeter flavors. Lagers are generally crisper and cleaner, though hops and malts are often added to insert additional flavor.

A 12 oz. serving of Dubbel carries around 210 calories and 18 grams of carbohydrates. For comparison, a regular beer tends to carry about 150 calories and 13 grams of carbs. And although Dubbel has slightly higher calorie and carb counts, it has a lot of complexity and flavor to deliver. Its fruity, malty sweetness is balanced by a medium-low hoppy bitterness and its full body is filling and supremely satisfying.