Alvinne Balthazar

Brewed by Picobrouwerij Alvinne
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Moen, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Pours a hazy mahogany brown with a spotty-lacing froth of tan head. Aroma of sweet ginger and cinnamon with a touch of Belgian yeast. Body starts effervescent and lightly sweet with a fruity tartness and decent balance of spices with a touch of warming alcohol toward a semi-dry finish. An interesting spiced brew.

Very high head, dirty yellow-brown; dark brown beer with beautiful Burgundy sparks. Sweet drop nose (liquorice), aniseed and fennel. Fuselalcohols, swirming around the spices; aniseed and liquorice for sure, very sweet! Long spicey, lasting taste. very well-bodied, very viscous, nearly buttery-meaty. Not my kind of beer, really. And I don’t like it when I can pick out and name the spices unerringly.

Bottled - Beer Circus - Croydon. A murky brown coloured beer with an off-white coloured head. The aroma is spicy with quite a lot of ginger to the fore. The taste is a good melange of spice, yeastiness and alcohol. The ginger seems to be the dominant force but it is never cloying.

UPDATED: JUN 20, 2006 ZBF 2005. Brown colour with a big baige head. Sweet roasted malty aroma and a sweet aniseed taste. Medium body and a sweet finish.

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 4     Pale Yellow(1)->Copper(5) : 4     Still(1)->Volcanic Sparkling(5) : 2
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 3     Lasting: 3     Lacing : 2
Aroma:
Intensity : 4  
Yeast : 4   Bread : 2   Dough : XX   Esters : XX   Phenols : 3   Dusty : XX   Spicy : 2   Apple : XX   Banana : 3   Tropical Fruits : XX   Brett : XX   Barnyard : XX   Leather : 2   Wood : XX   Vinous : 2   Cheese : XX   DMS : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX
Malt : 4   Pilsner : XX   Pale : XX   Vienna : XX   Biscuity : 3   Toasty : 3   Hay : XX   Caramel : 2   Honey : 4   Cereals : XX   Grainy : XX   Wheat : XX
Hops : 2   Noble(1)->American(5) : 1   Leafy : XX   Perfume : XX   Orange : XX   Floral : XX   Lemon/Lime : XX   Herbal : 2   Grassy : 2   Piney : XX
Notes : Pepper : 1   Cloves : XX   Coriander : XX   Ginger : XX   Orange : XX   Earth : 1   Vanilla : XX   Oxidation : XX   Bubblegum : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Sourness : 2   Acetic : XX   Lactic : XX   Bitterness : 2   Farmy : XX   Complex : 3   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 4   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 3   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : 1   Mineral : XX

Comments: My favourite Alvinne I believe. Full-bodied, spicy and caramelly Belgian ale with anisey and brown sugar flavours and a surprisingly growing bitterness to catch onto the sweetness.

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.

Bottle. High creamy and lasting ligh brown head. Hazy very dark red / brown body. Kind of soapy aroma. Ginger dominated flavor with coriander. Pretty odd.

Bottle. The best of the wise men offerings. Pours a brown body with ruby hues and a creamy tan head. Sweet spicy fruity nose of honey, ginger, citrus, and marmalade. The ginger and citrus come together to create a menthol cooling sensation. This is truly unique and i must give credit where its deserved. Very drinkable at 9% with lots of minerals in the finish. Im very satisfied to taste something so bizarre.

Bottle. Quite gingery. Lightly yeasty, with some candy sugar sweetness. Light notes of caramel. Slight hints of some sort of spice, a little clovey or something. Quite a bit of carbonation and alcohol noticed.

Explosive head, dark brown murky color. Aroma of alcohol and cotton candy. Sugary flavor with spice finish when the coriander and ginger come through. Too sweet for me.