Brouwerij Corsendonk (Brasserie du Bocq) - Corsendonk Pater Dubbel

Corsendonk's dubbel is considered by many to be a classic – an archetype of the style – and we're very excited to bring it to you this month. On the pour, it certainly looks the part as it presents a rich mahogany brown color capped by the voluminous head that Belgian bottle-conditioned beers are known for. This is definitely another one of those beers that just has to be poured into a glass in order for it to deliver its full, and impressive, potential. Pouring it gently will allow you to leave behind any yeast sediment that's in the bottle, and it gives the carbonation a chance to release and stabilize at a proper level. On the nose, look for aromas of various fruits including plum, fig, and raisin, with hints of apple and cherry. Brown sugar notes are apparent, and roasted malts deliver some dark chocolate notes. Hops are mild but contribute an herbal touch amidst yeasty spice and clove-like notes. On the palate, the fruit and spice notes vie for center stage upon a moderately sweet malt backbone while the lively but incredibly fine carbonation contributes to a wonderfully smooth body. The blend of fragrant fruit and spice flavors, herbal (and somewhat floral) hop and phenolic notes, brown sugar, caramel, chocolate, and mild roastiness weaves the kind of complex tapestry that has made Belgian beers so famous around the world. A wonderful beer to pair with roasted pork or beef dishes, Corsdendonk's Pater Dubbel also makes an excellent nightcap or digestif. Cheers!

Like most Belgian abbey-style beers, the roots of Corsendonk go way back. The Priory of Corsendonk was founded in the mid 1390s by the daughter of John III, Duke of Brabant in the Flemish town of Oud-Turnhaut, and the monks of this monastery brewed beer as was customary throughout Flanders and Europe in general. The monastery, and its beer, flourished for almost 400 years until it was closed by Austrian emperor Joseph II in 1785. In the wake of the French Revolution in 1789, the monastery and all its property was seized and sold off. The monastery saw new life when its buildings were restored in 1968, evolving into a conference center, hotel, and restaurant complex over next several years.

Similarly, the priory's beer has experienced a restoration as well. A new breath of life came to Oud-Turnhaut and its brewing tradition when Sir Henricus Keersmaekers founded a new brewery there in 1906, and he kept the abbey beer tradition alive. But, when the family brewery closed in 1953 it appeared the beer would again be lost to history, and indeed it was for almost three decades until Henricus' grandson, Jef Keersmaekers, revived the brand yet again in 1982. Because the family no longer owned a brewery, Jef partnered with another family brewery, Brasserie du Bocq, to brew the Corsendonk beer.

Brasserie du Bocq was founded by Martin Belot in 1858 in the tiny town of Purnode in the Walloon province of Namur. Originally brewing was a winter hobby while his farm was not producing and his workers idle, but due in no small part to the outstanding well water found on the farm, the beer was commercially successful. The brewery is still 100% owned by the family to this day, being run now by the sixth generation. A traditional Belgian brewery, all of du Bocq's beers are bottle-conditioned, experiencing a secondary fermentation in the bottle to naturally carbonate the beer.