Belzebuth

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

Bottle from 2004, 13% ABV and served in a tulip: Pours a some what hazed golden hue with a small frothy ring and some lace. The aroma has notes of candi sugar, husky grains, aromatic and grassy hops, lemongrass, star fruit, apricot, yeast esters, notes of DMS and noticeable alcoholic and phenolic vapours The taste is rather straight forward malt and sugar sweetness with a lot of ripened fruit in the background. I got a hit of grassy and noble hops before they were vanished by the boozy nature of this Strong Ale. This brew even after time in the cellar in completely unbalanced and far too aggressive. Not much else to say but what a disappointment this was, I thought I was smart by aging it but alas it would not take to the graces of time. A waste of a spot in my cellar!

Bottle, 13% version. Pours a cloudy amber with an off white head. Sweet, fruity aroma of rum, apricots, and lots of alcohol. Flavor is sweet (too sweet!), and soon overwhelms the palate with twangy, fusel alcohol. Lacks complexity.

An attractive beer that’s ugly on the inside. From the ’nip’ bottle into a chalice at cellar temperature. Wonderfully charged, bright, tawny gold body capped off by a thick, rocky, bubbly off-white head that held and glued itself to the glass. Honey and lemon soaked grains in the aroma, note of alcohol spice, overall very subtle. Sweet, grainy and hot in the mouth. Fusel alcohols make this kick like a mule and add a solvent-like burn to the swallow. Gritty, honey soaked malts and artificial candi flavours flit softly in the mouth and a sugary sweetness joins the warming alcohol as it slips passed the tonsils. Not much length, thankfully. I think the alcohol cleans out the flavour. Feint note of cantaloupes dwells on the palate. A little oily in mouthfeel, quite soft in carbonation but otherwise the body is quite light. Aside from the heady alcohol there is not much to this one. Not unpleasant, just unnecessarily strong. Not my thing!!! (25cL, ’Extra Forte’ 13% ABV, 28/09/07. Int’l Beer Shop, W. Leederville)

Hay colored with a creamy head and sheet lacing. Spicy aroma of yeast, sour notes and bitterness. Flavor is bitter with some hints of spice and yeast. A little doughy. Hides alcohol well with a bitter, yeasty finish. <!-- br --><!-- br --><!-- i -->I have no clue which one this is. Back logged rating. It was drank with Bück Dich.<!-- /i -->

13% version. Golden color, compact head quickly vanishes. Nose of corn and alcohol. Apart from the alcohol, there is nothing else that seems to describe this beer, very sweet, unidimensional. Body is a bit thin for a beer of this strenght. Wouldn’t even give it another chance...

250 ml bottle 13% - Pours a clear golden color with a small white head. Very nice spotty lacing. Has a earthy, yeasty aroma. Flavor is full of esters. Alcohol is slightly noticable. Medium body. Decent beer.

Beer 2 Summer 2006 trip in Europe. Drank on 6/28/06 in bottle at La Gueze in Paris, France. I had the 13% version, this is really not much of a beer and is not a good quality belgian strong ale.

(25 cl bottle marked 13%) Clear deep golden color with a white head. Typical Belgian strong ale scent. Smells of alcohol and also very sweet. Behind it all is a familiar smell of canned crushed tomatoes. Very sweet taste, almost no bitterness. Very full mouth feel. Taste is also very much like a Belgian strong ale, with an after taste of boiled vegetables.