De Prael Willy (11.5%)

Brewed by Brouwerij de Prael
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

On tap at De Prael Proeflokaal, Amsterdam on 1 April 2011 - at least I presume it was on tap as I didn’t see a bottle. Noted at 11.0% and described as a quadruple. Nearly missed this as I hadn’t realized here are two versions of Willy - this one and a "weak" one at 8.5%. Dark reddish brown colour. Candi sugar sweetness up front with lots of chewy, raisiny fruit. A bit too much caramel for my liking and the alcohol was a little hot. I think I might have preferred this had it been from a bottle that I had aged for a while.

Verrrrry warming beer, you can feel the high alcohol percentage. Sticky and sweet. Little too sweet. Some grapes, raisins etc. Bottle from the De Prael shop in Amsterdam

Dark brown colour and very small white head, it could be better in appearence. Under carbonated in average, but taste and palate it’s okay: sweet, malty, and some licorice notes. Alcohol taste is well masked.

Very dark brown body and light tan head. Yeasty sweet arom, brioche bread, chocolate muffins, caramelized red apple, but maybe not as expressive as such a description might indicate. Bit disapointing. Taste makes up for this: a real warming, light sticky body. Lots of fruity, sweaty sweetness, dried fruit and with a alcohol hint at the back. Finishes with burned caramel. Warms my throat as well as my heart, as I love this kind of full bodied sweetness in a Belgian style beer. Low carbonation further accentuates this character. Can see how this might not appeal to everyone, though. (33cl bottle, reasonably priced)

Bottle: Medium creamy to off white head, disappears quick, on top of a dark ruby colored beer. Smel prunes, roosvicee, barleys. A balance between darker ingredients and deeper but nice sweetness. Taste barley(s,) malts, spices, caramel, some herbs. Medium bitterness. Bitter barley prunes aftertaste.,  Low to medium carbo, light spicy mouthfeel, medium to full body and a creamy texture. Nice and well balanced tasty beer.

aroma: chocolate, toast, caramel, apparenza: brown, black, cloudy, gusto: medium sweetness, palato: medium body, soft carbonation, finale brusco mi aspettavo di più,la birra apparte l’alcool non presenta caratteristiche che mi invoglieranno a riprenderla

Bottle @ home. Cloudy dark brown color with a small white head. Smell malts, some herbs it seems. Taste sweet, some herbs or spices. Average carbo, average body.

On draught at brewery tasting room. Pours an opaque brown with fins-bubble white head. Big body. Very rich maltines and likely candi sugar sweetness. Clean finish. A nice sipping beer for a cold winter night.

Bottle 2009. Dark brown color. No much head, but enough carbonation. Aroma is sweet, caramel, a hint of dried fruit, some yeast. Flavor is sweet, like milk chocolate. Quite full bodied, and warming in the throat. Finishes slightly bitter. Nice winter warmer

22nd September 2011
On tap at the brew pub. Cloudy red-amber beer. Little white head. Light crisp palate. Rich sweet malt. Undertone of red fruits. Crisp minerals, black currants and some herbs in the finish. Nice.

On tap at the brewpub. Pours a hazy, chestnut brown with one ring of white head. Nose is candy sugar, dried fruit, plums, root beer candy. Flavor is very sweet, plums, dried fruits, dates, candy sugar, brown sugar, a little malt. Full bodied, a little sticky but otherwise drinkable.