Corsendonk Pater (Abbey Brown Ale)

750ml bottle, best by 01/09/07 - Pours dark brown with a huge, billowy head. It has a fairly light aroma with yeast and some maltiness. The flavor is a bready malt with some yeast noticeable and a metallic twinge. I can still taste the latter a little bit in the finish. I’m not sure if this is just my preferences or there’s something wrong with this bottle, but it’s not as good as I expected given a rating here that puts it in the top ten of Abbey Dubbels. It has a surprisingly light flavor and a mouthfeel that verges on watery. It’s also pretty one dimensional, so the descriptions here that make it sound so complex make me wonder about my bottle. I’ve had the whole large bottle to myself, so there’s plenty by which to judge and it’s not getting any better. It’s drinkable, but at $10 for the bottle from a liquor store, it’s absolutely not worth it. Disappointing.

Cloudy red and tons of foam. Spicy metallic aroma. Spiced flavor, lots of cloves, some fruit and a bit of metal. A bit tangy and interesting mouthfeel, but not great, and medium bodied. Slightly unpleasant aftertaste.

Pours dark amber with a large creamy light off white head. Aroma is complex, Malt: heavy , bread, cookies, chocolate, mild coffee. Hops: light, pine Yeast: moderate, dough, leather, earth, prune, cherry. Flavor starts well balanced moderatly sweet and bitter. Malty and roasted, prunes finishes balanced and light. Medium bodied creamy softly carbonated and a hint of metallic in the finish.

(Bottle) Pours nytty brown, redish with a medium head. Plumy, fruity, creamy aroma with spicey notes and small hints of perfume and fainted roses. Mild, marzipan-ish flavour with yesty tones. Medium sweet, light bitter and high carbonation level. Pretty one dimentional but clean. Small to medium body.

33cl bottle. Pours a cloudy medium-brown, with a good lacey head that sticks to the glass. Aroma is malty and pretty slight compared to similar beers. Creamy, smooth mouthfeel and a sweet, developing flavour - fruit, wine & chocolate. Sweet finish, giving way to alcoholic warmth.

bottle. Pours a monster tan head that stays till end. Belgian lace. Deep brown with ruby highlights, bit dark for style but pretty. Initial soft toasted malts followed by fruity esters, distinctly pears. Has an intial sweet red wine taste but this character quickly fades leading into distinct chocolate notes. Alcohol warming in the throat in swallow but not in nose or mouth - very pleasant presentation. Clean finish, smooth and soft for a big beer. Body bit light for style but acceptable. An excellent beer. Best if sits in cellar for a few days to let the yeast settle after transport - much softer if you do this.

Bottle 2005, sweatish, some raisin, julmust(christmas softdrink), moderate alchoholic

11/13/06: Bottle.
Rich brown body accompanied by a rocky tan head. Lace clings to glass. Aroma is malty with some smoke (as beer warms) and yeast. Flavor is a bit lactic with other evidence of malt, raisin and black cherry. Soft and creamy mouth-feel. Finish also has a slight amount of tin.