De Proef Lunatique (Cuvee Diabolique)

Brewed by De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Abbey Tripel
Lochristi - Hijfte, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip

The beer emerges from the 750ml cork and caged brown bottle a somewhat beclouded light golden orange with a substantial bright creamy white head that evaporates leaving a tight girdle of lace to surround the glass. Nose is fruity, pineapple, tart tones of grapefruit, sweet malt to back it all up, a touch of yeast, quite complex to this old schnozzle, start is lightly sweet, grain presence noticeable, top is light to moderate in feel. Finish is stingingly acidic, the hops dynamic in their spiciness, severely dry. In its own way it reminds me of Duvel and maybe even Orval, a fine brew to start out a Saturday afternoon, I also have a bottle of Angelique in my new pint sized DBF, that is within arms reach of the computer. The old DBF is humming away in the garage, loaded with beer that is just in case the old Gusler gets snowed in! lol

A golden ale with a thin white head. In aroma, sweet honey, signs of oxidation, orange peels, so-so. In mouth, a sweet candy sugar with coriander, honey, corn syrup, a bit old and tired. Tasted on April 24, 2011.

Poured into a snifter. Lunatique pours a golden straw color, with a slight haze. Atop this Tripel, is a solid white head with very light retention, but does leave some decent lacing. Aromas are slightly sour tones, sweet breakfast malts, some citrus, as well as some spices. Taste is sweet, like most Tripels, with some hop quality that fades. All the flavors are the same as the aromas, including the sours, its even more faint in the taste than the smell, but it is still there. Mouthfeel is smooth, and bubbly as the carbonation is high. Very drinkable Belgian Tripel.

750ml synthetic-corked and caged bottle. It struggles to form a head as it pours a hazy brown. The head is white and sticks for a while before receding with some ok lacing. The smell is super fruity. There are lemons, citrus, grape, and oxidized apple. The taste is reminiscent of the flavor, though it has a kick of caramel sweetness that is almost too cloying. It is very sweet. The mouthfeel is a bit undercarbonated, especially for the style. It is a messy beer, but somewhat decent, the bottle was only 3.99. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 10-11-2010 04:20:50

750 ml. bottle from Wegmans Leesburg. It pours a slightly hazy gold with an eggshell colored, almost creamy head. The nose is a touch musty with a little bubble gum, candy sugar, and yeast. The flavor is flat with notes of paper, honey, cotton candy, and yeast. Medium bodied with average carbonation leading to a slight sweet finish. Compared to it’s peers, this one is less than impressive. Too simplistic and sweet for what I have come to expect out of this style.

750 ml corked and caged bottle into an Allagash chalice. Pours a hazy orangish-yellow with a medium white head (it’s about time I got decent head from a De Proef beer!). Head collapses in a couple of minutes leaving a good-sized collar of big-bubbled foam and some creamy lace. Aroma is total Grandma’s kitchen--banana bread, apple pie, caramel. Taste is sweet and sour with no bitterness. Tastes a little old. Carbonation is medium-high, body is medium, texture is a little sticky, a little watery. Not as good as the Mystique but far better than the other two I’ve had recently from this brewery (Euphorique and Angelique).

Bottle. Moderate cookie, nutty and caramel for the malt, perfume for the hops, light dough for the yeast and banana, wood and honey in the background. Head is small, wispy with bigger bubbles, white with slim lacing but good legs and is mostly diminishing. Color is clear on the first pours but gets murky towards the end pours, amber. Flavor is moderately sweet and lightly acidic to start, and is lightly sweet, acidic and bitter in the finish. palate is medium, a bit slick, with a lively carbonation and a moderately alcoholic finish. Much sweeter than I’d expect a Tripel to be, but the complexity and mouthfeel gave it a pretty good overall score.

750, corked and baled. Pours a hazy, nearly cloudy burnished dark gold with a towering, creamy white head that falls quickly away to a scant ring of film. Minimal stringy lace. Candi sweet nose with yeasty spice, a little on the coriander side but it seems to be a yeast rather than an adjunct note. Creamy medium body with lively carb. Honey, flowers, candi sugar, and light yeasty spice on the mid palate. Long dry honey finish. Very appealing and on the spicy side compared to so many down-the-line tripels.

Effervescent copper body with fluffy, sudsy head that flattens to a thin cover in a couple minutes. Peachy yeast aroma with subtle fresh banana are the more discernable notes amidst a tropical fruit medley. Peach fuzz flavor with clean yeastiness and tannic peach skin finish. Light and refreshing. Sour-bitterish. Spritely, lively, fruity, and quite refreshing.