Like the fru-eets of the Devil!

Brewery: Blue Mountain Brewery
Location: Afton, VA
Name: Evil 8 (there's also a degree symbol up there)
Type: Dubbel Ale
ABV: 7.7%
Purchased from: Wine Warehouse, Charlottesville, VA
Price: $2.20

Even in mid-March my air conditioner is on. Even as the temperature will reach 75 degrees several times this week. Drinking a good dubbel slakes all types of thirst. "Proudly brewed and bottled in the heart of Virginia," Evil 8 casts a menacing shadow once freed from its brown glass prison. Rich mahogany brownness that looks like it hung out with a ruby colored crayon produces a frothy, dirty white head that swells to about a finger and a half, watching it deflate was almost upsetting. The bouquet is a shade shy of really complex. There is a fair amount of spiciness to the nose that pairs well with the caramel and plum and fig aromas this beer carries. The sharp tang of yeast is easily noticeable and an earnest bread quality is present. I expected a little more of an alcohol quality to the bouquet but it's well hidden. This has to be one of the lightest medium bodied beers I've had. Yeah, that didn't really make sense to me either. I had hoped for something with a little more chew to it. There's a considerable amount of carbonation that lifts the body and thins it out some. The sharp tang of yeast is front and center. It's also a bit towards the middle. The plum and fig from the nose is lost in a wash of light brown sugar and crisp biscuit. There is a little bit of the spice that you got in the nose but it's not as impressive as it should be. The aftertaste is a touch too sour and it just kind of lingers in the back of the throat. I wanted Evil 8 to be better than it is. It had to be a little fuller in the body, a little more potent, and a little more...well, dubbel. I've said something like this several times before but this would be a nice way to get someone introduced to "Belgian" beers. And I use "Belgian" loosely because they are far better dubbels to offer (Ommegang and Chimay Red spring to mind). Again, not terribly but I don't see myself going out of the way to get my hands on another one of these if other options are available.

Rounding first and slides into second beating the tag. Barely a double.