De Proef Flemish Primitive

(750ml bottle) Sampled at TiggMTL’s Montreal Crew YEHa!05 Christmas Party on December 17, 2005. Pours a thick, foamy head with a golden orange body. Nice carbonation. White wine, yeasty yet dry and farmy. A very enjoyable Belgian...

Aroma:citrus,sour,light spices.... Appearance:Hazy gold,light head... Flavor:malt,citrus........

Robe blonde très claire surmontée d’une mousse blanche persistente. Arômes sûres, de candi, de chêne, de liège et d’épices. Saveurs de lime, de liège, de cassonade, d’épices et d’ananas.

Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale bottle: Poured yellow-orange and hazy opaque; fluffy white head; real nice appearance. Fresh, inviting nose ... yeasty, citrusy and clean. Spritzy carbonation. Yeast elements were nice ... funky, barnyard, hay, and horse blanket. Even a faint aroma of cat urine for good measure. Malts were cakey sweet. Very mild bitterness and a pinch of sourness. Rather enjoyed it.

Bottled. Label says Vlaamse Primitief. Hazy orange coloured. Fruity aroma and flavour with a primitive touch of sourness and earthiness. Funny and full bodied.

Bottle at the London gathering, November 2005. Hazy amber colour. Not as wild and savage as the name might suggest. Definite saison type vibe with a little funk and slightly sour finish. But all a bit restrained, I thought. Quite sweet, which I didn’t think suited the style too well.

Pleasant nose at first of spices and plums and some alcohol. However, as brew warms nose transforms into overpowering characteristics of medicine. The brew pours a hazy amber. The huge white frothy head is fully lasting and leaves sheets of lace on the side of the glass. The brew starts sweet and malty for a brief flash before it becomes entirely loose and dominated by alcohol warmth. The finish is poor at best. The palate is medium, creamy, and soft. Not sure if I sampled an old bottle, or if this beer is just not my thing. I guess if I had pneumonia, and was trying to suppress a cough, this might come in handy, but otherwise I have no use for it.

Wow, why is this beer rated so low?? Do I not get this style, or am I missing something. The pour is hazy straw with aroma of tart citrus, hops, Brett, and horse blanket. The flavor is very citric-spicy, with barnyard elements plus floral hops and some fruit. Nice complexity and balance.