Country of Origin: Belgium
Price comparison: About 1½ times what I pay for everyday beer.
Alcohol percentage by volume: 10%
Cute bottle/label? Squat little brown 11.2 ounce bottle with a nicely stylized-bordering-on-modernistic-iconic brown, orange, and black label. Definitely crying back to its spiritual abbey roots without hammering religion down one's throat.
Appearance: Dark orange with a thick, sticky white head and hyperactive natural carbonation. Deep sheets of lacing left on the goblet.
Scent: Much more maltiness and sweet alcohol than I generally perceive in a Belgian, but that's to be expected. Hints of deep sweet fruitiness like cherry and plum.
Flavor: Very sweet malt and caramel with pronounced alcoholic heat. Slight yeastiness and a small peppery hint at the finish. Creamy, nearly sticky mouthfeel. Nearly a teaspoonful of yeast left at the bottom of the bottle
Impressions: Warm and pretty enjoyable. Not a sit-down-and-have-a-coupla-brewskis kind of beer. Too strong to drink by itself but, unlike its cousin Duvel, not as well balanced and much too deep in flavor to serve as a serious accompaniment for expensive cuts of meat or luxurious vegetables. I would probably not serve this with a meal, but possibly as an appetizer with strong cheeses, grapes, olives, and pickles.
Will I buy this beer again? Yes, I did like the depth and the nice, not-too-harsh alcohol kick. Not a regular player, but I'd pick it up again if I saw it. I also think that this would cellar well, considering the fact that it's designed to referment in the bottle and has already done so more than once, and there was residual yeast that could possibly raise the alcohol volume still further over the period of another six months to a year.
Rating:
4 out of 5 cute beer glasses
Reviewed: May 13, 2006
