Belzebuth

Brewed by Brasserie Grain d’Orge
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Ronchin, France

8.4oz bottle, stamped 28.06.07, assuming this is the best by date, 13%ABV. Pours a clear orange with a fading one finger eggshell head. Aroma of sweet malts, a bit of grassy hops, even a bit of grain and some alcohol. Smells like a malt liquor. For these purposes, my official rating will be for a Belgian Strong, but at the end of this I will give my rating for a malt liquor. I did pick up a hint of flowers as well. Taste is grainy and alcoholic with a bit of flowers again. Bone dry astringent finish, burns all the way down. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. This sucky beer gave me heartburn. 7-3-7-3-10--3.0

Canned(500ml). –as Belzebuth 11.8% Extra Strong, bought in Geant Briancon. Canned in Holland. Dark golden/orange coloured, medium sized airy white head, dusty sweet nose. Taste is very sweet malty and sharp alcoholic with faint fruity and strong metallic notes. Is this a French version of Amsterdam Maximator…

Golden orange in the glass with a ring of white head. Aromas of Butterfinger, orange, red cherry and white pepper. Alcohol and hops on the also-sweet bite. Fills the mouth, then fades to a very quiet finish. Flavors of honey, candied fruit and some yeast. I hoped for more.

Bottled. (13% ABV) I expected alcohol would dominate this beer completely, but it doesn’t. The aroma has camfer, malt, some hops and spices as well. The alcohol is more pronounced in the flavor, which is quite sweet and fruity. It poured clear, golden with an off-white head. Medium body. A drinkable french lager weighing in at 13% ABV wasn’t what I was expecting! (061222)

Bottle. Orange/brown colour with an off-white head. Flavour is sweet, alcohol, fruit, camfer, malt.

Bottle at home. A truly awful experience. First off, it smells like solid alcohol. Then the tast is really not much diverse. Potent 13% with hints of sugar and caramel. I threw it out after two tastes. Another French travesty. I am totally confused why as to the ratings are so high. Only one other rater agrees the tast is just plain awful.

Orange-yellow slightly murky body with thin offwhite head. Smells sweet - malty and fruity. Tastes fruity and sweet, with a fair bit of alcohol, but the alcohol is fairly well-hidden. Medium-bodied. Tasty and pleasant, but not something I’d have all the time.

25 cl bottle, tasted in my own Belzebuth glass. Amber-copper colour, it pours a good slightly yellow head, that last long enough and leaves a great lace. Smells of honey, orange, some pepper, a bit of chocolate and hazelnut and I think I detected a hint of tobacco. Thick body and velvety flavor, and cider palate, with pepper, banana, some chocolate filled wihth hazelnuts, a rum taste. I seem to remember that, when it was 15º, it was darker, richer and more complex, but I didn’t take notes back then, so I’m not really sure. Anyway, a very good beer.