SaintBrewis.com - Cathedral Square - Belgian-Style Abbey Ale

Justin:

Aroma - Smells like nail polish, banana, and dark fruits (mostly plum). It's interesting to say the least.

Score: 6/12

Appearance - Crystal clear. Very thin/watery looking.

Score: 2/3

Flavor - This beer as the overall spiciness you'd expect from a Belgian yeast along with banana esters. The thing is, it's got so much banana character, it's almost like a banana soda. If you're imagining that is a good thing, it may be for some, but not in a beer.

Score: 8/20

Mouthfeel - Very thin with low carbonation

Score: 2/5

Overall Impression - I found it very hard to pick out "beer flavors" from this one. I really do feel like this was a banana soda with low carbonation. Cathedral Square is known for their Belgian styles and I've had my share of their beers. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find one that I can solidly recommend. That doesn't mean you won't like it. That doesn't mean there isn't one that I won't like. That just means I gotta keep drinking beer. I'm okay with that.

Score: 5/10

Blake:

Aroma - Banana, prunes, and a slight hint of spice. Something is slightly off about

Score: 6/12

Appearance - Deep copper, white head with a bit of retention.

Score: 2/3

Flavor - Lots of banana from the Belgian yeast, with a fair bit of spice. Not much behind the banana, maybe a bit of caramel from the malt, but I might be reaching there.

Score: 8/20

Mouthfeel - Thin with just a bit of carbonation.

Score: 2/5

Overall Impression - Cathedral Square has some decent beers, their Holy Moly Imperial Stout comes to mind first and foremost, but the two we've reviewed so far haven't had the goods. I'm hoping that the next one we tackle from them gets a bit better reception. Suggestions are welcome!

Score: 5/10

Belgian-Style Abbey Ale Final Score

Aroma
Appearance
Flavor
Mouthfeel
Overall

2.5

User Rating: 1.3 (3 votes)

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Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis

Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

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Comments

Luke says

November 13, 2015 at 5:41 pm

These guys are waaaayyyyy off. Appearance clear/thin? On a double abbey ale? Tastes of bananas? Only if you are a monkey that can’t get the taste out of your mouth… This is a rich, full-flavored Belgian-style ale with a smooth mouth feel and pleasant finish. If I have any criticism it is that Cathedral Square doesn’t make session ales, so expect a buzz if you have more than one.

- Blake Fehl says
  
  November 13, 2015 at 5:52 pm
  
  We just call them like we see them. Not trashing the beer, just judging it along BJCP guidelines. Also, we aren’t the only ones who got banana from the Belgian yeast. We do tastings with multiple people, if you’d like to join us to see how we do it, you are more than welcome to join us sometime.
  
  Cheers!

Brewery:	Cathedral Square Brewery
Location	St. Louis, MO
Style	Dubbel
ABV	6.5%
IBUs	n/a

Cathedral Square – Belgian-Style Abbey Ale