Jeffrey McElfresh Homebrew Drinking Week. Ahem. Part II. Today, the napkin tells me we are drinking McElfresh Dubbel, which pours a brilliant toffee with amber and garnet highlights—lush and rich with a thick creamy eggshell head that laces the glass and while still maintaining the bright carbonation in the glass. Ah, heaven. The nose is toffee and caramel malt along with some breadiness and smaller amounts of fruit including raisin and cherry—very malt forward. There might be a touch of spiciness in the nose as well, and/or a subtle perfumy character, but it low and buried in the back under a bunch of other things. Flavors in the beer match the 
nose; there is caramel and toffee malt in the front, lighter raisin and cherry fruit flavors in the middle, and some brown sugar sweetness before a finish that is clean and drier than I expected via the carbonation. Smooth, creamy, and rich mouthfeel with bright carbonation that balances the beer and lightens the body. There is no discernable alcohol warmth or flavor, although there might be a slight hop bitterness that emerges as the beer warms. This is a well-made beer, but the flavor profile is not as complex as 
I expected—for some reason it strikes as a bit of a lighter version of a dubbel, be it via the brighter carbonation or a lighter body. It may also be a bit young—three or four months may allow some of the fruit flavors to further develop across the palate. While it is my least favorite of the three thus far in this version of JMHDW, it is still a solid beer. And that creamy luscious head! It didn’t diminish the throughout the entire drinking of the whole 22 bottle. Damn!P.S. That MGD 64 t-shirt is hot, Captain SexElfresh. Tighter! I want it tighter!
(2/9/2011)
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