One of the neatest presents that I got
this Christmas was a bottle of Rhinoel Dubbel Belgian Style Ale from
Ashburn, Virginia’s Lost Rhino Brewing Company. Lost Rhino is located on
Redrum Road, which will probably only mean anything to you if you’ve see or
read The Shining. Anyway, A friend and I swapped beer for Christmas,
and I was delighted to see a 750 ML bottle of this brew among my haul. The
brown glass 750 ML bottle, shaped like a stubby Belgian bottle and corked
under the cap, was almost as cool as the brew inside. Rhinoel, of course, is the Christmas
brew for Lost Rhino. I love dark malty dubbels and doppelbocks any time of
year, but they are especially pleasing at Christmas time. Rhinoel is made
with caramel and pilsner malts and Belgian-style dark candi sugar. The beer
is bottle conditioned and has an alcohol content appropriate to the style at
7.5% by volume. I prepared to pour my bottle into a
one-liter dimpled Maas, and so I popped the cap and pulled out the
cork. The cork itself is pretty neat, too, and has the brewery logo
emblazoned upon it; you can actually see it through the brown glass of the
bottle neck. Lost Rhino Rhinoel Dubbel
pours to a murky dark mahogany-chestnut color with a towering head of creamy
tan foam and a funky Belgian yeasty nose. Taking a sip, I get a decidedly
Belgian-style drinking experience. Dark fruity raisin, caramel, vanilla,
toasted nuts, chocolate, banana, and funky Belgian yeast notes really come
through in the palate. In the finish, there’s just a hint of alcohol warmth
and some gentle bitter hops to balance., but only a bit as would be expected
for a Dubbel. I allowed my bottle to warm slightly
before drinking, enjoying it cool but not cold. This allowed all of the dark
nutty malt notes and soft fruity esters to really shine through. This is a
beer that I would certainly enjoy regularly if it was sold in my area (and
maybe it will be eventually). It should age nicely as well, so pick up a few
bottles and lay them down for later imbibing, perhaps during Christmas in
July.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft