Rhinoel, of course, is the Christmas brew for Lost Rhino. I love dark malty dubbels and doppelbocks any time of year, but they are especially pleasing at Christmas time. Rhinoel is made with caramel and pilsner malts and Belgian-style dark candi sugar. The beer is bottle conditioned and has an alcohol content appropriate to the style at 7.5% by volume.

I prepared to pour my bottle into a one-liter dimpled Maas, and so I popped the cap and pulled out the cork. The cork itself is pretty neat, too, and has the brewery logo emblazoned upon it; you can actually see it through the brown glass of the bottle neck.

Lost Rhino Rhinoel Dubbel pours to a murky dark mahogany-chestnut color with a towering head of creamy tan foam and a funky Belgian yeasty nose. Taking a sip, I get a decidedly Belgian-style drinking experience. Dark fruity raisin, caramel, vanilla, toasted nuts, chocolate, banana, and funky Belgian yeast notes really come through in the palate. In the finish, there’s just a hint of alcohol warmth and some gentle bitter hops to balance., but only a bit as would be expected for a Dubbel.

I allowed my bottle to warm slightly before drinking, enjoying it cool but not cold. This allowed all of the dark nutty malt notes and soft fruity esters to really shine through.  This is a beer that I would certainly enjoy regularly if it was sold in my area (and maybe it will be eventually). It should age nicely as well, so pick up a few bottles and lay them down for later imbibing, perhaps during Christmas in July.