Alewerks Jubilee VIII

One of the more well-regarded breweries local to the broader DMV area is a Virginia brewery by the name of Alewerks.  Despite living in the area for over two years I had never tried one of their beers, so I decided to change that.  I went all out: I bought a bottle of Jubilee VIII, a strong dark Belgian beer that some drinkers might call a quad.  Previous releases of Jubilee were aged in bourbon barrels; for this release they opted to use rum barrels.

Whether they are called strong dark ales or quads, Belgian beers of this sort generally fall somewhere between dark red and light brown hues with an aggressive carbonation.  Jubilee VIII is one of the darkest reds I have seen in a Belgian beer, almost brown.  The bubbles are quite fine and the head is quick to form, giving evidence to a robust carbonation.  However, the foam recedes quickly.

Jubilee exudes a candied aroma heavy on rum, Belgian invert sugar, dates, and grapes.  There is a light touch of apples buried underneath.  The overall picture is somewhat reminiscent of Cuvée Van De Keizer Blue, but with rum barrel.

A similar (and delicious) flavor profile awaits.  Sugar and grapes start off the show, with a second act of dates and apples.  Jubilee finishes with plenty of rum and some fig-like yeast esters.  As the beer warms up I detect a hint of plums.  The texture of the beer reenforces the sweetness but it is neither cloying nor thick.  The brewers manage not to fall into the syrupy trap many other American brewers do.  Only downside here is a slightly overly boozy finish, but it's easy to overlook.


There's a lot going on here and Alewerks does a commendable job keeping all the elements in check.  Jubilee is an impressive ale and I look forward to trying more from this brewery.