roomtempbeer (185), Franklin, Pennsylvania, USA Jan 20, 2005 This beer is nearly the same as Westmalle Dubbel. There is 2% more alcohol, aroma of sweet fruits instead of brown sugar, and a bit hoppier taste with this beer. Poured in Corsendonk tulip glass, medium brown liquid, large beige head dissipates slowly. Large, plump yeasties to float, then to sink. Aroma is terrific, reminds me of Westy 12, fruity and sweet. Looks great and is easy to drink; alcohol content is masked completely. Tastes good, maybe somewhat spicy at first, but has a somewhat dry finish with hops, not just deducting one point off the flavor, but two. Overall, not a bad beer at all. 33cl bottle, direct from Belgium, no government warning, some numbers along the right side of the label, but none seemed to be marked in any manner. No other dates indicated. Sampled while chilled up to room temperature.
BigBeer45 (519), Troy, Michigan, USA Jan 6, 2009 Pours a slightly hazy red-light ruby with LOTS OF SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE CLUMPS FLOATING AROUND but this is OK, all of the Des Rocs brews have these CLUMPS and as long as I keep telling myself this THESE LARGE CLUMPS won’t bother my drinking experience, has some lively effervescence, produced a decent off-white variable bubbled head that eventually thins
to a cover and ring, perfumey sweet dark fruit mixture of raisins, caramel, prunes and figs, dark bread, chocolate, yeast, and some honey fragrances to, faint sweet alcohol aroma with pepper in the background, flavor of sweet dark fruits, sweet dark honey, caramel and faint chocolate, has a pronounced pepper bite after the finish, starts pretty sweet but ends sort of dry with bitterness, has a touch more alcohol warmth then what I expected and it dries the palate a bit, nice feel on the palate, a very nice Belgian dark strong ale, just more alcohol on the nose and tongue then I expected.
donfardz64 (167), Wellington, New Zealand Jan 5, 2009 Poured cloudy red/orange, tan head. Could have done with some settling, as got a lot of sediment in the pour. Aroma is overwhelmingly clove like, reminds me of a Tripel. Pear like fruit, smooth caramel malt, spice and smooth vanilla. Flavour is very herbaceous, lemongrass and a strong spice flavour dominate. Only a subtle bitterness is present, which makes this a little sweet for me. Finishes very sweet, caramel.
Will need to re-rate with a well rested bottle free from sediment. Beerlando (1562), Orlando, Florida, USA Jan 2, 2009 Dark chestnut brown in color and lightly hazy, this brew is crowned with a small, smooth, and creamy tan head. A soapy wash of lace leaves minimal spotting behind. Aromas show a baseline of caramel malt and dried dark fruits, most notably fig. Hints of lactic cream and distinctly Belgian, bready yeast notes complete the nose. Flavors follow suit, sweet caramel notes deepened by dehydrated figs and dates, and balanced by lightly spicy, earthy hop notes. Creamy, bready yeast bridge the gaps well. Medium-full, smooth, almost silky on the palate, the 9% ABV is well concealed. Not nearly as complex as some have made it out to be, it’s simply a nice Belgian brune. It’s a solid beer, but this one is grossly overrated, in my opinion. Mutualaid (105), Texas, USA Dec 30, 2008 Pours medium brown with a huge, fizzy, off-white head; a good bit of sediment floating about in the glass. Mild aromas of toasted malts and raisin. Lots of sweet raisin with a bit of currant up front, nutty grains in the middle, with a long, somewhat tannic finish. Medium body. A great beer for sitting by the fire; not sure why this isn’t classified as a Quad. lordeche (352), Bridgewater, Massachusetts, USA Dec 29, 2008 Pours a gorgeous mahogany color with streaks of ruby and a fizzy cola-like head. Aroma is candy sweet, with big floral notes complemented by plums, raisins, orange zest, cardamon, vanilla, oak, cola, and brown sugar. Flavor begins big and sweet with notes of candied sugar, cola, brown sugar, vanilla, and plums, tempered at the finish by big biscuity notes and earthy malts. Palate is fairly full and slightly sticky, with prickly carbonation. I aged this one for about six months, and the complexity is amazing.
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