A whole lot of Belgian Beer
Golden orange in appearance; lively carbonation but no appreciable head retention. Fantastic aroma of fresh fruit, oak and alcohol. Thick mouth feel, sweet and lightly bitter. Complex flavors of fruit, oak, subtle honey and vanilla with a large alcoholic punch. Not sure where a 12% oak aged blond fits as far as style but this is a big beer and a must try.
4 Stars.
Pours a deep brown with a tinge of ruby red when held to the light. Beige head, not a lot, but what there is has staying power clinging to the side of the glass. Inviting aroma of malt sweetness, dark fruit with a touch of herbal notes. The aroma gives way to roasted malt flavors, nutty, light bitterness, same as the blonde something oddly chemically in taste, grainy finish. I will say it is a fairly unique tasting Belgian but not for me.
2.5 Stars.
Pours a bright golden blond color with loads of rapidly dissipating frothy white head. Herbal (clove?) and banana notes; the aroma reminds me a bit of mead. Light bitterness, fairly sweet, odd bubble gum slightly chemical flavor, finishes malty. Despite the description an easy drinking beer. Does not stand out as having the Belgian character I would expect for the style. Not bad but not great either.
3 Stars.
Reddish-Brown in appearance with a small amount of cream colored head. Mild aroma of malt, raisin and caramel. Slightly sharp flavor, candi sugar sweet overtones, with an alcohol forward finish. Not sure what is causing the sharpness but apart from that a well balanced, easy drinking, flavorful beer (though what exactly those flavors are, is hard to place).
3.5 Stars.
Another in my recent run of 8% Blonds, each by different brewers but all brewed at the same brewery, Deca Services. So how does the brewery who brewed all brews own brew hold up?
First look shows a crystal clear blond with a small amount of long lasting bright white head. Bitter hop aroma, apricot and classic spicy Belgian yeast character greet the nose. Well balanced and smooth, flavors lining up with the aroma, not a trace of alcohol to be found. Long lasting spicy aftertaste. Very reminiscent of Trappist Blonds.
4 Stars.
Pours a golden straw with no head accumulation. The nose picks up a strong spicy yeast aroma, some earthy fruit notes as well. First sip, wow, this is the spiciest Belgian Blond I have ever tried. Bitter orange peel, pepper, finishes dry with a long pleasant fruity aftertaste. Leaves a tingling feeling on the tongue. 8% but not a hint of alcohol to be found. Very interesting beer, I am not accustom to a Blond that packs so much flavor that it almost overwhelms the palate. I really like the beer, it may push the boundaries of the style but it is great to see what different flavors a Brewer can accomplish with the same set of ingredients.
4.5 Stars.
Pours a crystal clear blond (at least until I emptied too much of the bottle into the glass and clouded it up). Loads of bright white fizzy head. Luscious aroma of mandarin oranges, sweet malt and spicy Belgian yeast character. Complex flavors greet the tongue; spicy, peppery, mild hop bitterness , pleasant long lasting aftertaste.
Label aside a solid 4 stars.
Pours a hazy coppery blond with ample white head. Spicy, fruity aroma. Creamy mouth feel. Tastes sweet, banana, peach, grain. Smooth, hides it’s 8% ABV well. Nothing stands out as bad but, meh.
2.5 stars
Appearance is a fantastic hazy golden orange with a small, white, fizzy head. Smells of spicy yeast character and faint citrus peel, quite nice. Tastes spicy, sour fruit, lightly bitter, finishes dry with a faintly grainy aftertaste. Light easy drinking beer, possibly could serve as an introduction to classic Belgian blond flavors without being overpowering. Not a bad beer at all but overall underwhelms.
2.5 Stars.
Pours a dark reddish-brown with a finger of quickly dissipating brown head. Loads of fruit, predominantly cherry, as well as vanilla and oak aroma. The first impression is tart, followed by sour fruit, cherry and oak again, some acidity but not overly so. Like any good Flanders Red it is an incredibly complex beer that is difficult to describe; compares very well to the gold standards of Duchesse and Grand Cru. I tied reviewing this beer once before but the bottle I opened was a gusher and I lost the vast majority of the beer all over my counter, very happy to have no such problem this time.
4.5 Stars
Pours a rich brown with loads of lasting head. Fantastic aroma full of raisin, fig, brown sugar and yeast. An amazing combination that I am greatly enjoying. Initial impression is of bread pudding; raisin and sweet dough slightly bitter finish. Very smooth, nothing to give away the 8% ABV. Solid beer that I would be happy to sip all night.
4 stars.
Pours a clear bronze with a small amount of off-white head. Amazing, full aroma, of malt, candi syrup, dark fruit. I have to say I was headed down the typical path of Dubbel flavors, and so the taste begins, then Dr Pepper popped into my head and now that’s all I can taste. Somehow sweet flavors but finishes dry. I would like to try another bottle just to confirm the Dr Pepper taste.
Not a huge Dr Pepper fan so 3 stars.
*Update 2/3/16* Had another bottle, velvety mouthfeel, still detecting Dr Pepper, though no where near the same level as before, some bitterness.
Poured a hazy deep gold with slow developing, but long lasting, bright white head. Smells of pit fruit, spiciness, some malt and faint hop character. Plenty of carbonation, full of flavor that lines right up with the aroma, finishes dry. Nothing gives away the 9.5% alcohol content.
Interesting tidbit about Westmalle they supply the yeast to their Trappist friends at Westvleteren and they both share the same bottles.
4 Stars.
Pours a dark brown with great clarity and one finger of creamy looking head. A deep breath is not needed to pick up the warm alcohol aroma with strong candi overtones. Ample carbonation, sweet and surprisingly light. No alcohol punch to follow the smell. Typical dubbel flavors abound, caramel, candi syrup, raisin and dates. Solid beer, I could definitely drink a couple of these.
Interesting story on the label. “This 100% natural craft beer originated in one of the oldest breweries in Belgium, the “Brasserie du Marche” in Braine-L’Alleud (Waterloo), which was founded in 1456. In 1815, during the battle of Waterloo, the allied troops drank this beer, which was recognized for giving “Strength” and “Courage”… Waterloo, the Beer of Victory!”
4 Stars.
Pours a golden blond with loads of frothy white head. A fantastic aroma greats you as the glass is pulled close; apricot, floral, straw, mildly spicy. The first drink is an explosion of complex fruit and floral flavors, a pleasant peppery spiciness and mild bitterness with loads of effervescence making the beer feel like it dissolves on the tongue.
No alcohol bite, I would never guess it comes in at a stout 9.5 abv if I did not read it on the label. Very complex, very balanced, very good. I have had this beer on a number of occasions and I have to say it is one of my all time favorites. Dupont describes this beer as a blond ale but I have always thought of it as an imperial saison. They say this is a good beer to cellar but to be honest I keep opening every bottle I set aside. Saison Dupont gets all of the press but you need to try this one.
5 stars
Brewed in 2011, bottled in 2014, drank in 2015, best before 2019. “Golden quad” aged in 1 year in wine barrels then racked to bourbon barrels.
Pours brown but when held to the light turns ruby red-brown (trust me that’s a thing). Plenty of beige head; dissipated quickly. Aroma of red wine, oak, vanilla, toffee, fruit sweetness, enough alcohol to let you know it’s there. No sour notes but catching whiffs reminiscent of Flanders Red. One sip dispelles any thought of a Flanders. Strong flavor of oak, vanilla, bourbon, complex malt flavors. This is a thick beer with a pronounced alcohol punch. Finishes is very pleasant with lingering alcohol, some bitterness and fruit flavors.
I am going to call this one a Belgian strong for lack of a better category. Very unique, I really like this beer and I think this it could be even better with some more time, good thing I have another.
5 stars.
Well here she is, after the blond and the 8 you had to know what was coming next, the big one, Westvletern 12.
I have to say pour is pretty unimpressive, sure it looks great sitting there in the proper chalice glass, but I am having a hard time coming up with any fancy adjectives so I will just say it pours a clear brown with a decent amount of very long lasting cream colored head.
Aroma, alright now we are talking, rich malt, caramel, fruit, raisin, alcohol, mild spicyness, no one aroma stands above the rest.
Rich malt and high carbonation explode on the tounge followed a host of complex flavors; everything in the aroma is still there with the addition of a small amount of sweetness and a long last pleasant bitter aftertaste. Smooth and incredibly well balanced.
This is a fantastic, big beer and my review does not do it justice. Best beer in the world? I do not know, it’s hard to call any one thing best. But I will say I have done blind taste testing with other Trappist 12s and Belgian quads and the Westvletern was the unanimous number one pick.
5 stars. World class.
Pours a beautiful dark amber with a long lasting beige head that clings to the side of the glass. Subtle classic Trappist yeast aroma; raisin, fig, candi sugar, fruit, spice. First thing you notice when taking a sip is the creamy head, highly carbonated (but not overly so), followed by a burst of flavor similar to aroma but more pronounced. Fades into a alcoholic, slightly sweet and mildly bitter aftertaste. No one flavor or aroma dominates the rest. You are going to find the bottom of the glass too quickly.
4.5 Stars
Pours a clear golden color, lots of visible carbonation, small bright white head that lasts and lasts. Aroma is of light malt, hop crispness. Taste is well balanced; fruit, again malt, wheat, yeasty and pleasant bitterness with a faint grainy finish. A great beer for sitting in the shade with a few friends on a hot day.
4 stars
Pours a clear brown plenty of carbonation but head dissipates very quickly. Sweet caramel and vanilla notes. Silky mouth feel, sweet raisin, dark bread, caramel, finishes spicy and slightly bitter. Alcohol flavors evident but hides its 12% ABV very well. Not detecting any of the sourness I would expect from a bruin, tastes more like a quad to me.
3.5 stars
