Robin Shepard
A Belgian golden strong is a nice addition to your Thanksgiving spread. It’s a great starter because of its bright color, yeasty sweetness and hints of dry spice. Lucette Brewing’s Double Dawn is a big hardy version with a distinctive hoppy take on the style.
What is it? Double Dawn from Lucette Brewing of Menomonie.
Style: The Belgian golden strong ale is a light- to medium-bodied beer; golden, as its name indicates, with lots of effervescence. The style offers a complex blend of fruity and yeasty esters. Belgian style guides often describe it as having subdued, clean hoppiness. One of the most well-known beers in the style is Duvel, made with a distinctive combination of hops and Belgian yeast, which lend hints of pepper and dryness. The style will often range from 7.5% to 10.5% ABV. The Belgian golden strong is also known for names that reference the devil, perhaps a reminder of its deceptive strength.
Background: Lucette Brewing has been making beer in Menomonie since 2010. The brewery self-distributes in the Madison market, making the trip every couple of weeks with 16-ounce cans of its Ride Again (American pale ale), Farmer’s Daughter (spiced blonde ale) and Slow Hand (American stout). In Lucette’s limited line of Belgian-inspired beers, Double Dawn is the big sister of Shining Dawn; both Belgian goldens are sold in 750 mL bottles sealed with wire-wrapped corks.
Double Down is a bigger, bolder, imperial version of Shining Dawn. It’s made with more of everything, resulting in a strong beer at 8.5% ABV. “Its biggest difference from other Belgian goldens that it uses only Columbus hops,” says brewery founder Mike Wilson. That hop choice makes it distinctive from Duvel, the beer that many craft enthusiasts consider the reference point for the style. Duvel is made with a special Belgian yeast and Styrian Goldings and Saaz hops, which create its crisp dry appeal. Double Dawn’s Columbus hops, when combined with Belgian yeast, produce a more assertive blend of earthy-musty, herbal and citrus flavors.
The large 750 mL bottles tend to stratify the beer’s content; i.e., the yeast settles to the bottom. That means you may want to carefully “roust” the bottle by gently swirling it as you pour to ensure you get a mixture of the yeastiness along with its assertive Columbus hops. That rousting will improve the blend of flavors.
Double Dawn sells for around $9/bottle; Shining Dawn can be found for around $8.
Tasting notes:
Aroma: A combination of light musty-yeastiness and hints of herbal hoppiness. There’s also a touch of spicy clove character from the yeast.
Appearance: Orange-copper color and a thick, soft, white head.
Texture: Medium-bodied and bubbly.
Taste: A light yeast earthiness and hints of floral sweetness. The Columbus hops come in fairly early and stay around throughout.
Finish/Aftertaste: Resiny herbal tones with light citrus notes. There’s also dryness in the finish. And as the beer warms the flavors soften and blend nicely, with a hint of spicy clove and alcoholic warmth.
Glassware: A chalice or the tulip glass is a nice way to show off this beer’s golden color.
Pairs well with: I like this beer on its own, especially as a pre-meal beer. A buttery Camembert is a nice match, too.
The Verdict: For those who enjoy picking out specific hop contributions, this is really an interesting beer due to the Columbus hops, which distinguish it from other Belgian goldens. It’s for that reason I’m putting this on my Thanksgiving table as an appetizer beer. Some Belgian purists and/or fans of Duvel may have mixed feelings, because the hops are so prominent. Columbus hops have herbal qualities somewhat like what Duvel gets from Saaz and Styrian Goldings. However, Columbus is more assertive, and I found that when they combine with earthy and spicy notes of the Belgian yeast, the herbal-grassy and mustiness emerges even more. Don’t dwell too much on comparisons with Duvel. Double Dawn is its own take on an imperial Belgian golden, with a unique American hop twist on the style.
