Anderson Valley Brother David's Double (10/10)

Anderson Valley Brewing Company, located in California, produces Brother David's Double.  This is a double Belgian abbey style ale which was, quite deservedly, the winner of the 2011 Great American Beer Festival's Gold Medal.

It pours a deep reddish brown color, bordering on black. The tan head is reasonably thick and foamy.

The typical Belgian spiciness is a dominant flavor, along with rich caramel sweetness and virtually no hops bitterness.  The 9% alcohol content lends a warmth to it as it goes down.  For my taste, this is a nearly perfect beer.

The Beer Advocate folks completely disagree with me on this one, though.  The editors rate it a 78, or merely average.  The visitors are only slightly more generous, giving it an 81 or "good" rating. This is one of those cases where I respectfully disagree with them.

I tried this at The Winking Lizard Tavern on Bethel Road back in 2012, but haven't seen it for sale in Columbus yet.

ABV: 9%
IBU: 27
My rating: 10/10