1001 Beers

Beer No: 71
Page No: 736
Category: Dark

Day three of the 330ml strange bottle journey leads us to Maredsous 8.  A "Certified Belgian Abbey Beer," this Dubbel is actually brewed by mega-brewer Duvel which then pays royalties to monastic institutions to certify it.  However, according to 1001 Beers, unlike many other large breweries that just pay the royalties for the "Certified" stamp, Maredsous is actually brewed in a small Flemish town and does derive from the original brews from the Benedictine abbey at Maredsous.

Following up on the malty beers I had just tasted in both Gulden Draak and Piraat, I had hoped for something a little hoppier, though, I knew it being a 'dubbel' it would be fairly malted.  And boy was it.  The aroma is very malty - sweet, fruity, sugary.  The taste manages to one-up the aroma though with a sweet complexity that features candi, plums, raisins, and nuts.  It's definitely a very malty beverage with very little hop balance to it, but I found Maredsous much better than the Gulden Draak which it would compare closer to (while the Maredsous 10 is closer to the Piraat).  Even though it's from a larger brewer in Duvel, it maintains its humble roots and complexities.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Maredsous 8 by Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat

Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 14/20

Rating: 3.6 / 5.0

Had from 330ml bottle from BevMo. Pours dark brown with slight tan head and good lacing. Aroma is very sweet - candi, raisins, alcohol. Taste is better than aroma - again sweet, but complex. More sugars, plums, raisins, nuts, and caramel. Finishes sweet, lingers nicely with a bit of sticky, syrup texture. Had in succession with Gulden Draak and found this one much more palatable and complex.