Brewers Art Coup de Boule

Brewed by The Brewers Art
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Baltimore, Maryland USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Bottle from SL. The aroma was strong cinnamon and other spices after a pour that triggered tons of carbonation release, soda-poppy type head, hard to pour. The flavor followed, cinnamon hits the strongest in the front flavors along with other spices, a little overwhelming even when cold. The aftertaste, though, does release some beer elements of barley and yeast. Unfortunately, the spice does nag at you in the finish, cardamum and saffron both probably at it. All too many "spice" brews just don’t back off enough on the spices and they overwhelm. This was no exception, and I was hoping for more from this bewer. Meh.

Tap. Pours cloudy gold/copper with a trace of fizzy, off-white head. Aroma is caramel and cereal malt, oranges, lime, floral hops, and herbs. Flavor is malt forward with supporting light fruit esters; herb undertones throughout with a sweet finish. Light body, medium carbonation, and low warmth.

Tap at Brewer’s Art. Pours hazy orange with a small, fizzy white head, short retention with spare lacing. Aroma is spices, Candi sugar, biscuit and honey malt with fruity esters. Flavor is malt forward with heavy spices, sugar, fruity esters, light hops and bitterness with a dry finish. Medium body, warmth and carbonation.

C&C 750 mL bottle from State Line Liquors. Pours a hazy copper color with lots of visible carbonation. Large fizzy tan head recedes quickly but a thin layer sticks around a while. Yeast aroma with notes of lemongrass, spices and herbal notes. The taste is caramel, bread, yeast, spice, raisins, wheat, honey, dates. Medium bodied, somewhat chewy, very strongly carbonated. Interesting. I like.

Poured into a tulip. 4.0 A: Well, this is overcarbonated. First pour yielded one finger of beer and five of head. Unfortunately, the retention is really good, so getting a full glass was a huge investment of time. Anyway, lightly hazed light orange color. White head is thick and pillowy. As mentioned, great retention and big chunks of lacing. 4.0 S: Very nice interplay between the beer and the spices. Cardamon comes through the strongest with the cinnamon coming through in a complementary role. It’s hard to tell how much saffron there is in there as the peppery earthiness could also come from the beer. Speaking of the beer, it’s dry, but peachy fruity with a strong pepper aroma. 4.5 T: The taste is even better! A lot sweeter, spicier, and fruitier than the nose. Cardamon and cinnamon go wild, but are within reasonable levels. Saffron is a bit stronger (I think). Lots of peach, funky wild apple, and something almost like chard. Still a bit dry, but sweeter than the nose suggests. Lots of pepper spiciness and a pleasant yeastiness. Very good. 3.5 M: Lighter medium body. Too much carbonation, but I probably didn’t need to say that. Reasonably creamy and smooth. 4.0 D: Good beer that would have been more enjoyable without dealing with the carbonation. Still, I can deal with the carbonation since the beer is this good. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 04-08-2011 23:13:37

750ml bottle-thanks jtclockwork for sharing-pours a foamy off white head and amber color. Aroma is herbal, some light/medium malt. Then some cardamom, floral. Taste is herbal/floral hops, secondary light/medium malt-slight caramel.

Bottle. Pours clear pale amber with thick off white head. Nose of herbal medicine, cinnamon, cardamom, malt and cumin. Taste of homemade herbal remedy of cinnamon, cardamom, spice and more herbs.

Tap at the brewpub. Golden color, scant head. Aroma of saffron. This had a very odd mix of spices that just didn’t quite work for me. A near miss.

UPDATED: DEC 20, 2010 Shared with Travlr in Baltimore. Golden color with nothing significant in the nose. The initial sip is nice and spicy, but as the flavors separate the cardamom turns the beer to a sour note with an odd aftertaste.

Draft. Light orange with whispy white head. Nose is powerful with winter spices and floral tones, honey, cinnamon, orange. Flavor is big herbal/spiced ale with hints of bready malts and dark fruits under the rich spice profile, finishes sweet. Great aroma that exemplifies the spiced ale style, the rich flavors are prohibitive to larger quantiies but great in smaller quaffs.

Bottle: The aroma consists of Belgian yeast, citrus, floral notes, and a touch of spice. It pours a hazy orange with a large creamy white head that never seems to die down and leaves behind lots of clumsy lacing. The flavor starts with citrus and Belgian yeast. The finish is moderately floral and light cinnamon and other spices. Light-medium bodied with lively carbonation that can be a bit prickly at times.