Welcome, my friends, to my review of a tasty malty treat from yet another new Georgia brewer (they’re popping up left and right, and that’s a good thing): Reformation Brewery Cadence Dubbel. First, though, a little background on this brewery and why I don’t contribute to kickstarter projects or fundraisers for breweries.

Reformation Brewery didn’t have a kickstarter, as far as I know. They did ask for contributions on their website, though, and at various levels you got certain rewards. All well and good you see, and it seems lots of breweries do that sort of thing these days. Contributing is not for me, not because I don’t want to see them succeed, quite the contrary. I just feel if you want to open a brewery you should find your own funding, and then if the beer is good, I’ll certainly be supporting you buying beer.

In the case of Reformation, that theory of mine hit home, and quite literally, in a way you might not expect. You see, reformation’s original plan was to build a brewery (a brewpub as I recall) right here in good old Canton Georgia, in the downtown area. That was their intention, anyway; they ended up migrating ten miles or so south to Woodstock.

Let’s be fair to Reformation: archaic thinking by the city government of Canton and outmoded notions about alcohol placed roadblocks in the way of Reformation that kept them from opening a brewpub downtown, a brewpub that would have helped revitalize the downtown area. Woodstock, more modern in its thinking, offered no such impediments, and thus became the home of Reformation. All that said, I think had I pledged money for a Canton brewery and not seen that happen, I would have felt a bit ill-used.

Ironically, the Canton city government later approved the opening of a growler shop in downtown Canton, Stout’s Growlers, and this is where I bought my very first Reformation beer” Cadence Dubbel. This is one of only three beers the brewery offers, and at a very small number of locations.

Reformation says of Cadence Dubbel:

Cadence is a beer created to acknowledge that indeed there is a rhythm to life and that every day deserves a moment to give thanks and to enjoy the good gifts of life. Cadence anchors Reformation Brewery’s line and, as the song written for this beer proclaims, there is indeed “fullness in the belly of time’s hunger” if we just pause, “cup hands, kneel, and drink” to “taste and see, it is good.”

In style, Cadence is an abbey dubbel in the Belgian fashion, of strength 6.9% by volume. I paid $6.50 for a 32-ounce growler at Stout’s Growlers, as I recall. That’s about $3.25 a pint for fresh draft beer, and a real bargain.

Reformation Cadence Dubbel pours to a dark brownish color with very light carbonation, indeed a thin layer of foam forms from my fresh (try saying that five times fast: “foam forms from my fresh”) growler pour.  Taking a sniff, I get a luscious dark nutty banana nose. Now for a sip, this one certainly has a delicious dark fresh nutty malty palate with light notes of phenol, definite banana and clove and hints of chocolate. I also get dark fruity notes of raisin and fig, and some warm dry alcohol and barely balancing hoppy notes at the last.

Lots of beers offer “dark fruity” notes of raisins and figs, but did you know that Cadence is brewed with real figs? It is. I just love the delicious malty notes here, an excellent effort from this brewer. Reformation, I’ll be back for more.

Update 7/24/2017: And here I am! Picked up a six-pack cans today and drank one shortly after getting home. Nutty malty with hints of banana and pronounced clove, especially in the finish. A little chocolate, a whole lot of wonderful. Great deal at $9.49 at Target.

Update 11/16/2017: Reformation beers are featured as beer of the month for November, so I ordered a Cadence Dubbel. Whole lotta malty goodness for $5.25. How about they throw in a  free logo glass to boot?

Update 9/22/2019: Filled my drink tank with Cadence this afternoon at the new Canton location of Reformation Brewery. Heads up: looks like they're about to open another brewery in Smyrna in the not too distant future. Malty, spicy, dark fruity as ever, $12 is a good deal for pints to take home. Did I mention I picked up a bomber of their wonderful Declaration Imperial Stout as well? Just $8 is a fair price indeed.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

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