Ommegang Abbey Ale (8.5% ABV / 20 IBUs)  – Most people know Cooperstown, NY as the home of America’s favorite sports pastime, but it is also the home of Ommegang Brewery.  Founded in 1997, Ommegang is a member of the Duvel Moortgat family of breweries and is a renowned brewing powerhouse of Belgian style beers (as well as beers themed from Game of Thrones).  Abbey Ale was Ommegang’s first beer and was styled after Dubbels produced by Belgian Trappist monks.  This beer won the 2010 World Beer Cup Gold Medal for Belgian Dubbel Ale beer style.  Abbey Ale uses several Belgian specialty malts (Pils, amber, Munich, and aroma) and spices (coriander, sweet orange peel, star anise, licorice root, and cumin) resulting in a very aromatic, flavorful beer. This beer pours a very dark red-brown color with thick tan foam head consisting of tiny bubbles.  Abbey Ale has a rich aroma of candied dark fruits and caramel malt.  This beer is full-bodied with rich peppery carbonation.  Flavors of dark fruits (figs and prunes) coat your tongue to start, followed by caramel malt and bread. Hints of clove, anise, and citrus peel are intricately interwoven into the complex flavor layers.  Abbey Ale has a wonderfully delicate, dry finish but also with a tantalizing sweetness and subtle hops bitterness.  This is a world-class Belgian monastery style Dubbel beer that delivers an out of the park home run!