Grande oerbier, era un bel po’ che la volevo assaggiare, e stasera l’ho versata con noncuranza nel bicchiere (dopo averne perso un po’ con la solita sborata de dolle che mi ha macchiato la scrivania: la mia è la scrivania più profumata e appiccicosa del mondo). Nonostante fossi stanco, anzi forse proprio perché ero stanco, l’ho apprezzata tantissimo nella sua complessità orchestrata (ma mai sopraffatta) dal pungente dell’alcool, è la versione migliore di molte birre che non ce l’hanno fatta a raggiungere questi livelli.

Pours muddy brown with a substantial cream coloured head. Aromas of malt and yeast dominate bringing choc-caramel and banana. Palate shows much of the same with a big hit of licorice and spice from the high abv, not unbalanced but definately shows. Some earthy hop bitterness is on the finish to add another dimension.

Bottle (in NZ), a gusher! Pours a cloudy brown with a large foamy yellowish head. A musty aroma with banana and spice. A full malty palate, plenty of spice and alcohol. Banana medicine flavour, with marmalade and some chocolate bitterness. I’m sure this would be better without the travel.

Bottle from Brother Tuckers. Brownish pour wtih a medium head. Aroma is nice with fruit, yeast and very malty. the flavor didnt match the great aroma for me. The bottle I had was somewhat bitter and not a pleasant hop bitterness, but a weird bitterness. It made me think I had a bad bottle??

11/6/08 notes: bottle. Pours pink-ruby, with a huge fluffy head. Pretty serious lacing as well. Aroma is sweet and tart simultaneously, cherries, green apple, strawberries, and candy. Initial flavor is filled with lively sweet fruit, which is accentuated by the pearly carbonation. Mid-palate mellows to reveal a complexity of chocolate, malt, and perhaps some nutmeg. Oerbier finishes very long and sticky, an extended sweet note that also reveals wood, and alcohol. Overall, this was a fun beer to drink. It has a beautiful pour and aroma, for one.