Brugse Zot

Sampled on Flashy’s tour of Brugge in June 2007 - A decentish beer from Brugge. A tad too sweet and oaky almost for me, but still pretty good. Of the Brugge brewed beers, I preferred Staffe Hendrick.

Had it Bottled and from tap at Brugge. Just a moderate beer with not much taste

bottled: Pours a brilliant light chestnut with raspberry highlights. Big head made of large bubbles but disappears before you get a good look at it. The aroma consists mainly of caramel, yeast, and hot alcohols. Behind that lingers some more complex aromas of dried herbs, roast, cotton-candy, and bubblegum. Once the beer hits your tongue it explodes with carbonation. It is so highly carbed that it really hides the flavors, but it lets the alcohol through which makes it sting more and hits you in the back of the throat. I had to sit there for the next few minutes swirling the CO2 out of the beer. After doing that then some flavor is noticeable. Toffee, red-currant and tart summer fruit, marshmallow and something floral in the back, finishing with tea leaves. Overal the beer is overly carbonated and a bit hot.

On tap @ Lokkedize, Brugge. Clear, light copper colored. Medium-sized, mostly lasting near-white head. Slight sweet aroma of pale malts, ripe banana and toffee. Taste is moderately sweet, light malty with spicy and peppery notes. Well hopped. Medium-bodied. Smooth and very drinkable.

Bottle from Whole foods market. As far as belgian beers go, this is a dud. Golden color and no aroma. Flavor is fairly reserved and dull. Not something I would buy again.

First beer of 2007, Druid’s Cellar, Bruges. Bottled. Deep amber pour with a dimpled slick of suds. Snout is dry and vinous. Thin, lagery and aggressively fizzy for a Belgian. Sweet, malty and unspicy with a hint of sourish sharpness. More understated and neutral-tasting than when I’ve had it on tap. Half-decent lagery-lambicy ale but nothing to write home about.

Draft @ Hamilton’s. Not bad at all, but compared to other offerings, this isn’t a show stopper. Clear like a pilsner and easy drinking. Hints of that Belgian "flavor" and a ripe, clean finish.

On draft at Liar’s with jarspag, aroma mostly of Belgian yeast and some lighter fruits. Mostly a yeasty and citrus flavor to it, balanced nicely with light malt. Semi-chewy palate, which I like most about this beer. Much improvement could be done on the flavor though, a little bland to me.