Alvinne Balthazar

Pours a very dark chestnut brown color with mahogany edges when held to a light source and a one finger tan head that quickly fades into a lasting ring. Not much in the way of lacing. Chocolate malt aroma with hints of dark fruit, candi sugar, citrus peel and ginger. Spicy ginger flavor up front followed by a silky chocolate maltiness with hints of plum, raisin and fig as well as a slightly sour citrus peel presence. The finish is dry and slightly tart. This is another complex and unique offering from Alvinne

Bottle at The Penguin. Burgundy under a fine cappuccino slick. Beguiling sweet-sour aroma with Flemish brown balsamic touches, buttery red wine oak and vinegar, soil and Jagermeister, Metaxa and coke, soy splashes, tree bark and fresh dug ginger left fizzing in cheap cola, greandine and ice cream overnight. It’s weird alright, but a definite sniffer once it gets going....would have said cinnamon, not coriander or cardamom blind. Chocolate yoghurt tang of sour blended with oak and caramel; spices subsiding into sweet faint ginger without fire, nosebleed metallic tingle, demerara. Drinks about 6: fine and slippery without heat. Beansprout and sesame? Bit of a stir fry of a beer, really. An unusual, winning blend of the spicy, sweet and sour; a little vegetal and bloody like something Fantome might cook up. Skilfully odd and good. Wish I had a few more of these in the cupboard.

Pours dark dark mahogany brown with a medium sized tan head. Aroma is malt and caramel. Flavor is very tart. Dried fruit, lemon, balsamic vinegar. I think I can taste the cardamom and coriander. That might be what makes it so tart. Very strange beer. Good though.

330ml Bottle: Aroma of light acid, cocoa, spices, ginger, light malts, balsamic vinegar and some yeast. Poured brown in color with a small, off-white head that lasted throughout. Cloudy. Slightly sparkling. Full of large particles throughout. Flavor is light to medium sweet. Tastes of light cocoa, balsamic vinegar, ginger, acetic acid, light malts, slight yeast, lots of spice, and a hint of caramel. Medium body. Thinish texture. Soft to average carbonation. Sweet, acidic, spiced finish with a hint of cocoa. 9%ABV is totally hidden.

Poured into tumbler from bottle. Huge slow diminishing slightly off-white head. Nutty cashew notes from the first, darker malty and spicy meat notes follow. Dark caramel cloudy appearance. Flavor is a whole other ball game - bitter and powerful that belies the soft warm tones from the aroma. Light and very crisp over the palate followed by a short-lived blast of a heavier complex body. A very refreshing beer to say the least, perfect on a hot day in Milan.

Bottled. Poured shimmery medium amber without much head sticking around. The aroma picked up an array of alcohol-fueled, heavy spices (cardamom, rose petals, and dirty white pepper come to mind) over a caramel and sugary pale malt base.. warmth brought out a hit of yeast.. powerful, but well-balanced. The flavor was also spicy and strong, opening with sour American oak and sticky allspice.. the middle started with pale malts, and scored some vinous character as it warmed.. large dose of cardamom, ginger, and white pepper on the finish.. alcohol was definitely present, but it never got in the way. Heavier-bodied on the palate with light, but tight carbonation.. the sourness gave an almost refreshing feel.. zesty and tasty.

Hazy umber color with a moderate, slightly diminished beige head. A very light aroma, as in a lighter style, cross of saison and tripel. Yeast and spices of cinnamon wander about with some light toasted malt in the nose. Earthy malt start. Some light, dry spice mingle in middle. Slightly acidic and a touch medicinal in the finish and linger. Somewhat promising start, leads to a less than favorable end.

Bottled. Aroma has spices like ginger, fresh slightly grassy hoppiness, fruits and caramel malts. Hazy, red-brown coloured with an off-white head. The taste is sweet, tart/sour, spicy (ginger/cardamom), hoppy with some fruity maltiness. Some carbonation, not really disturbing for the taste. Though the season for this beer is labelled winter, I think this is an excellent refreshing beer for the summer.