Noirish Belgian strong dark ale brings honeyed molasses malting to lightly coriander-spiced dried fruiting. Candi-sugared blood orange, white fig, caramelized apple, black plum, black cherry, peach and praline illusions serenade fruitcake midst. Sherry dots muddled brown-sugared mocha-fruited finish.

Musky monastic-styled Belgian dubbel, “brewed with raisins,” works sour dried fruiting into phenol hop coarsening and a sharp metallic sheen. Tempered raisin persuasion picks up light molasses-sapped caramel malting, but expectant candi-sugared sweetness lacks. Vinous green and yellow grape tannins bring mid-palate pucker to fig-dried banana breading. A hint of bourbon, almondine and chestnut found in deep recess.

Diverting Belgian strong ale stays light and fizzy on the tongue, but bitter and dry on the backend. Despite brown-sugared Belgian yeast influence, molasses tea caking, earthen grain pungency and dessicated fig-date-plum conflux seem closer to dewy English pale ale. Gingerbread, cinnamon and hazelnut make cameos.

Engaging 2011 limited edition tap-only strong ale pleats funky Belgian-styled candied yeast with creamy banana-pureed apricot-peach-pear fruiting and sweet clove-coriander spicing to contrast sharp peppery-hopped bitterness. Astringent alcohol acridity layered below expressive brown-sugared fruited spices.

On tap at Andy’s Corner Bar, softly creamed copper-toned Belgian dubbel (cask version) brings mild floral waft to receptive dried apricot, medicinal cherry and navel orange tones. Dainty pilsner malting underscores dehydrated fruiting.

In 1-pint 9-ounce bottle, ambitious collaboration between Sierra Nevada and the monks at New Clairaux Abbey layers Belgian chocolate-spiced caramel malts above black-peppered purple and red grape esters to musty basement-like yeast funk. Brown-sugared clove spicing trickles into ancillary fruitcake, raisin and prune illusions. On tap at Andy’s Corner Bar, sharp dried-fruited copper-toned Belgian-styled dubbel retained creamy brown-sugared dark-spiced tingle. Tannic grape skins cushion fig, raisin, and cherry fruiting. Recessive banana-clove sweetness contrasts peppery hop sop.

Rangy rust-hued Belgian dubbel ale may pass for chic sour ale. Unsweetened dry-smoked ‘Italian chestnut honey and jam’ overridden by tart orange-dried Courvoisier penchant, oaken cherry sourness, cider-y white wine sharpness, and fizzy carbolic pep. Mild herbal spell wavers through fruit-spiced Abbey-styled moderation.

Truly ‘uncommon’ Belgian-styled dubbel delicately combines spicy herbal fruits for amber-hazed curry-like extravaganza. One of the finest canned libations from the Left Coast, this unfiltered medium body piles plentiful peppery hops atop dry Kaffir lime zest, sour lemongrass tartness, and candi-sugared apple-watermelon sweetness. Coriander and Thai spice flitter through vanilla-butterscotch midst before alcohol-whirred fungi-like Belgian yeast strain commandeers muted orange-bruised anise-backed finish. Pour slowly to avoid risk of over-carbonation.

Admirable amber-browned Abbey ale in stubby, chubby brown bottle not as winey as most Belgians, relying instead on casual coffee bitterness, candi-sugared fig-date-cherry waver and cereal-grained carrot caking to frail rye-dried barleycorn spine. Mouthwateringly medicinal 8 % alcohol sway deepens caramel-spiced dried fruited finish.

Gummy yeast-thickened sienna-hued abbey ale gains lingered mocha sweetness by second passing. Subtle chocolate malt-soaked barleywine inertia gives dirty grain finish a fabulous kick.

Rich amber-hued fluffy-headed ale counters wonderful double-hopped bitterness with soft barleywine sweetness. Chewy rum-soaked chocolate malting increases caramel-cocoa creaminess above peppery hop resin. Prune-fig backdrop and nutty bottom punctuate mellow yeast flow.

Introduced in 2003 and renamed ‘dubbel’ thereafter, dark brownish amber ale places orange rind bitterness above coffee bean souring and rosebud-dandelion accent. Roasted hops firmly envelop moderate finish, deepening its floral-citric astringency.