Alvinne Melchior

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Cloudy amber color; huge rocky head. Strong malty aroma. The flavor is malty too, maybe too much alcoholic and bitter at the end (bitterness from the caramel). Very good, but unbalanced.

Bottle (2007 version) Hazy, amber/orange body with an off-white creamy head. The head diminishes fastly. Aroma of flowers, honey, hops, orange, citrus and has a touch like it would have been mixed with sparkling (which I don’t claim to be), it just has a lot of carbonation. Strong flavour of cinnamon with some malts (caramel), orange (peels), ... Heavily bitter, lightly sweet flavour. Quite complex, not perfectly balanced (perhaps somewhat too bitter), but very interesting and unusual. I like the latter, experiments which turn out great, like this one.

Bottle. Cloudy brown with a thick off-white head. Tangy tangerine flavor offset with a funky sour/tartness. A really east drinking, highly carbonated beer.

Bottle, bought @ Tønden, Haslev.
Pours a great orange amber with a big, frothy off-white head. Lovely amount of bubbles reaching hastily for the slowly steadying foam. Aroma is pleasantly malty, lightly roasted, lots of overripe dark fruits. Some caramel and oranges. Medium to low carbonation, very creamy mouthfeel. Flavour is greatly composed - the best Alvinne for me, by far. Very vinious, but never alcoholic. Lots of caramel, yeast, oranges, pear. Some light roastiness and flowery hops balance everything out nicely. Great brew!

Pours a thick, still blonde. Too aggressive. The shit floating in the glass looks like poppy seeds, and assumedly these are the mustard seeds. Soft and bready aroma, calmly spicy and herbal; cardamom, mustard seed, musk. A thick almond-like sweetness lends an unexpected tempering creaminess that quiets the pungency of all this salt and spice. Glowingly complex, dry and attractive, and forcefully executed strangeness in the nose. The spiciness of the mustard seeds is really evocative and creatively placed, to provide an odd spark on the surface of an already well built pale malt and herbal hop belgian beauty. Nice!

A fat perfume and musky spice flavor, washed in alcohol and paced in the chewy bread of malt. A surprisingly firm ester-ridden base flavor of overripe banana and clove and pears, which provides a better rendered base for the mustard flavoring than might be expected; presumably, a smoky, earth and meat-driven malt flavor would be most salient, but this floral hop and delicate malt flavor really pulls it off well. The crispy pepperiness interacting with near-cloying alcohols tends shimmer a little too hot, but it really stays clean, misty and floral for the most part, amidst lots of raisiny sugar and all the wild spice impartation. It’s cool how rounded the flavors are, despite seeming so randomly applied.

Full and velvety palate, sparkly and soft, but with bite. The mustard seeds lend an indescribable spunk to the texture. A sweet-spicy amalgam of bubblegum, anise and hot mustard carries out a violent kick in the back of the mouth at the finish, though the original fruit, herb and malt flavors are substantial enough to outlast as it extends, while it becomes thoroughly dry, and even rubbery in texture. An adventuresome effort; certainly a journey equally valuable for the scenery it offers as for the reward it promises. I want more awesomely weird beers like this.

Aroma of brown sugar, pitted fruit and caramel apple. Appearance is ruddy brown, full of sediment with foamy tan head. Flavor matches the nose. Palate is very creamy. Delicious!

botella, buenos aromas especiados i malta. algo de alcohol tambien, y algo de resina. un poco de aromas de levadura. color ambar brillante y liquido algo turbio por cantidad excesivas de particulas en suspension. un poco dulce, poca sensacion de alcohol, pero el dulzor acentuado por este. buen cuerpo bastante robusto y buena retencion poara tanto alcohol, bastante cremosa y excelente carbonatacion para el estilo, final largo muy buena en gral. y mejor para su estilo gran barleywine, recomendable. para dias frios

UPDATED: FEB 20, 2011 Bottle, Melchior Old Ale, Vintage 2005. This is a great beer... Pours rich orange color with absolutely no head or lacing. Sugar cane, light apricot and candy in the nose. Sweet fruits, smooth on the front side of the tongue, yet mild bitterness on the backside. Such a smooth sip - almost no carbonation, but delivers a moderate, yet balanced alcohol feel in the aftertaste. Very nice.
Earlier Rating: 12/20/2010 Total Score: 3.8
Bottle. Rich red, with minimal head, lacing or carbonation. The sip is nice - mellow, slight hops, moderate alcohol, somehow fruity. Enjoyable!

Pours a very cloudy yellow/amber, with an extreme off white head. Aroma is fruit, yeast, honey, and spices. Flavor is honey, yeast, spices, fruit, and alcohol. Thanks to hellomynameis for this bottle.

Bottled. Very uncommon and flavorful beer. Penetrating aroma of grapefruit, orange, and several spices. Copper color, huge beige head, good lace. Very sweet, very bitter, grapefruit, orange, anis, spiced and a hint of smoke. Syrupy and cloying mouthfeel. Nice complexity.