Blue Cat Count Magnus Belgian Dark Strong Ale

Brewed by Blue Cat Brew Pub
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Rock Island, Illinois USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Draught at the brewpub. Light yellow and gold colored body. Very sweet sugary candy and nutmeg/anise in the nose. A bit too putrid and spoiled of a flavor, with a large dose of hairspray, and some sweaty, musty yeast. Hardly resembles a belgian style at all. Nasty attempt at a Belgian ale.

On tap at Blue Cat. It was very dark at the bar, but this looked black and had a very small, bright white ring of a head. Mild aroma of licorice, caramel candies, and a little tobacco - but as it warms, the brown sugar and dates become more pronounced. Highly sweet flavor, bordering on cloying, with loads of brown sugar and caramels. Finish is rather dry with some graham cracker. Solid.

Growler pour (thanks DalzAle). Pours a dark red brown with a very quick little soapy dead that fades to a super tight collar. Aroma is banana nuts and dark pitted fruit with a little spice on the nose. Taste is more of the above with a smooth yeast and warming alcohol finish. Palate is thin slick and dry. Very easy drinking brew.

Tap. Dark brown pour, very little carbonation and a nice spicy/sweet candi sugar aroma. Flavor has a silky malt backbone, spicy pepper, tons of clove and some cloying sweetness and booze on the finish. One of the best beers from these guys!

(on tap at the brewpub) Pours dark reddish-brown with a medium light tan head that rings around the snifter. Aroma is full of esters, fruit, and spices, with little to no bready yeast presence. The most notable scent is that of port, and when it mixes with the spices, it takes on the characteristic scent of a mulled wine. Spice scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, and possibly clove are also present, along with some banana esters. Potent and pleasant. The taste starts out quite good, with some dark fruits and banana present, but it quickly falls off after that with a huge dose of spices that dominate the finish and linger on well after drinking. No subtle yeast character displayed, just an overabundant amount of spicing that makes it difficult to drink towards the end of consumption. Mouthfeel is medium to full with medium carbonation. The price was great for a big beer ($3.75), so I’ll bump the overall, but the beer would be far better if the amount of spice was reduced.

One of my Blue Cat favorites. (2007) Very good... (2008) Not as good as last year, but still good!

on tap at Blue Cat. pours an orangey amber with a fast fading head and little, if any lace. nose was clove, candi sugar and a hint of yeast. flavor was more of the same but with an unusual tartness. as the beer warmed up a bit the flavors seemed to come together better than when it was first served. palate was much too thin for the style! not one of this brewpubs better efforts.

Draught at the brew pub. Clear orange-brown color with 1 finger of off white foamy head that dissipated quickly and didn’t leave any lace. Smelled of light brown sugar and subdued clove. Grainy flavor with a dash of malty brown sugar, grape candy, and a touch of clove. Watery mouth feel and no sweetness to speak of. Thin, very thin. I didn’t detect any hint of the advertised 10% alcohol and there was a strange tart finish.