De Drie Kruizen Karthuizer Winterbier

Formerly brewed at Deca Services
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Woesten-Vleteren, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Cloudy brown coloured. Spicy taste, obvious sweetness and alcohol (but reasonably masked considering the 9.8%ABV). Quite nice.

Vintage ’94-’95
Reddish brown colour, fast disappearing tan head. Aroma of madeira, raisins, figs and plums. Rather sweet, bit sour flavour, madeira, oxidation, old yeast. Light tart finish. Didn’t quite age well.
(From 75cL bottle @ DRBM, courtesy of Menno)

75cl Bottle at DRBM, vintage ’94-’95. Brown colour, off white head, disappears fast. Aroma of raisins, plums, figs, dried dark fruits, some alcohol. Flavour is sour, dark fruits, some plastic, caramel, light sourish bitter finish. Lots of carbonation. Light to medium bodied. Didn’t hold up well.

A 15 years old bottle. A little hazy red/brown beer, with a dark beige head. The aroma of sweet chocolate with dreid fruits and malts. The taste is still sparkling hints of chocolate met sweet fruits and a little spices in the back. The aftertaste is bitter with notes of chocolate.

’94/95 Bottle, tfs Menno! Murky brownish red, small brown head. Aroma is very fruity, lots of malt, caramel, faint smoke and peat. Flavour is quite sweet with caramel, malts, huge fruits, earthy and spicy sidenote. 15 years old? Awesome!

Bottle, vintage 1996, thanks for sharing Menno! Hazy murky brown pour, quickly dissipating tan head. Aroma is bready yeast, candy sugar and very smooth. Seems to have aged well. Flavor is fruity sweet with licorice and some prominent spices like clove. Lively carbonation (after 15 years!) and a carbonated mouthfeel altogether. Nicely aged.

(Bottle 33 cl) Again this muddy, pale brown (melted milk chocolate) appearance. Another extremely potent beer from De Drie Kruizen - apparently licensed off to Deca? Rather flat, some roasted, malty notes with hints of dried fruits. An initial sweetness is overpowered by a pronounced, harsh bitterness twisting this out of balance. 130198

Some Diacetyl and oxidation are immediately noticeable. Some Madeira and Oloroso notes with a toasted caramel back end. Slight notes of Plums and Cherries. Oxidized finish with lingering Madeira.

Bottle conditioned, at Essen Kerstbierfestival 2004. Hazy amber brown, thin white head and moderate condition. Sweet caramel malt and gentle hop in the nose, malty in the mouth with some woody smokiness and oxidation noticable. Sweetness in the finish is balanced by a slight roasted bitterness.

2001 bottle. Cellared, sherry-like aroma. Cloudy orange/brown colour. Small head. Sherry flavour with slight orange peel note. Bready øllebrød flavour. Thick mouthfeel, slightly slimy.

Amber to dark red; no head to speak of. Bready nose, malty, caramel and toasted. Nutty taste, chestnut or chestnut flour, sweet, vanilla. Very oily, buttery MF, flat, no carbonation. This is quite better than expected. Beer could do with some more publicity. Try it, if you can find it.