Anderson Valley Brother David's Double Ale

Back in the day, I didn't care for beer. I thought it was all too bitter and not the least bit refreshing. I think it was Belgian-style beer that helped me change my mind. I've got a friend from Montreal who is a big fan of Unibroue which makes some of the best Belgian beers outside of Belgium. Several times we drank these big, strong ales that come in all colors and flavors, which helped me to get a better understanding of the variety of beer.

The day I went to BevMo for the Double Jack I also bought a bottle of Brother David's Double, from Anderson Valley Brewing Co. This brewery is in Boonville, CA, a couple hours' drive north of San Francisco. I haven't been there, but I'd love to make a little road trip and visit one day. I've tried a few of their beers before and enjoyed them. They don't specialize in Belgian beer, and I was interested to see what this one was like. The 22oz bottle was $7.39.

Turns out, it's a pretty tasty ale. It pours brown with amber highlights. Not much head. On the nose, I got citrus and banana, and it reminded me of a wheat beer. The taste is sweet from malt, and a little tangy. It doesn't taste like a wheat beer, but there's a understated spice that's similar. Cloves, maybe. It's easy to drink, which you've got to watch out for when it's a 9% beer.

It's not quite as good as some of the offerings from Unibroue, but it was plenty tasty. There was also a triple ale, and that would be a fun one to try as well.