Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Lazy Boy Brewing, Everett
Style: Trappist Ale
Stats: 9.6 percent ABV
Available: On tap at the brewery
My thoughts: For its 10th anniversary, Everett’s Lazy Boy Brewing is brewing a different beer each month of 2016. In January, head brewer Shawn Loring whipped up a triple IPA for the Hop Mob Roadshow, while last month he began three straight months of experimenting in the Belgian-family of beers with a Belgian Golden Ale.
This month, he’s unveiling one of my favorite styles: Belgian dark beers. Dubbels and Quadrupels are typically strong and roasty beers that have a sweet underlayer. The sweetness is courtesy the estery characters in the Belgian yeast used to make the beers. Lazy Boy’s Belgian Dark Strong Ale may not have the depth of the brilliant beers from the motherland — that’s a tall order — but it’s quite good.
Loring was kind enough to give me a sample of both the regular version of the Belgian Dark Strong Ale and the coffee-infused version earlier this week. (A version infused with cocoa nibs and orange peel should be on tap soon.)
I enjoyed the base ale best. It was smooth and had a nice balance, what you look for in Belgians. These are not for the timid, though. Weighing in at close to 10 percent, this beer puts the “strong” in Belgian Dark Strong Ale. The coffee version was also good. I’m not always a huge fan of coffee beers. That said, the coffee, courtesy Everett’s Red Door Coffee, gave the beer added complexity. I’m just not sure a strong quadrupel needs more complexity.
I’ll be sure to stop in next month, when Loring unveils his Belgian Oatmeal Pale Ale. The coffee-infused Belgian Dark Strong Ale is on tap now and the base beer should be going on soon.
For reference, the other beers Loring has planned for 2016 include: Single Hop El Dorado (May), Blueberry Kolsch (June), Summer IPA (July), Gose Wheat Beer (August), Fresh Hop (September), Imperial Scotch Rye (October), Imperial Russian Milk Stout (November) and Barleywine (December).
From the brewery: A rich and bold flavored Trappist ale. Versions include infused with coffee, and cocoa nibs and orange peel.
— Aaron Swaney
For the Herald
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
