De Proef Flemish Primitive

Brewed by De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Lochristi - Hijfte, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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UPDATED: JUN 14, 2006 750 mL bottle, snifter. I think this is the Surly Bird version, the one with the picture of the bird with something stuck on his beak. Anyway. Very tall and frothy white head is continually fed by ceaseless carbonation from the bottom of my glass. Slightly hazy, medium gold hued body is stunning when held up to a light but otherwise appears somewhat muddy. The aroma has a particular element which seems almost dominating and reminds me very much of bananas foster, especially with the touch of alcohol in the nose. That similarity could be broadened a bit to also include the warmth and richness of banana nut bread found in the aroma. I also sense a bit of the sweet creaminess of lemon meringue pie, but not too much. Dried and fresh flowers are the contributions from the hops and blend right into the dusty yeast profile. The funky soul of this beer blends very well with everything else, horse blanket and light barnyard aromas seem right in place. Light fruits begin to emerge in the aroma as it warms, sweet peaches and tangerines along with a peppery spiciness. The flavor doesn’t necessarily introduce any new elements that were not in the aroma, but it definitely begins much sweeter than I was expecting--almost a raw sugar or syrup like stickiness despite the body not being enormous. After nearly half the bottle, though, the drying effects of the alcohol and hops firmly take hold and any initial over-sweetness seems to be displaced. Notes of candied peaches on bread slathered with honey (in a barnyard) come on strong mid palate. The finish is fairly drying with a firm, floral bitterness and brisk carbonation that washes all away except for a light, geuzesque funky sourness. Definitely one of the bigger ’bites’ I’ve ever experienced from a Belgian of any variety. Mouthfeel, obviously, shifts from sticky to wet to dry though I’m not sure how it pulls off this remarkable transformation. The alcohol nearly peaks through at times but is, overall, incredibly restrained. Y’know, this is just damn good. I won’t even begin to justify it. Damn good.

Pig Nun version. Slightly less peppery than the Surly Bird and a bit drier in taste from the get go, but otherwise identical. ...30 minutes later...the sweetness is a little out of control, there’s some actually unpleasant phenolics and an alcohol tinge now. The wheels sort of come off of this edition, I suppose. Considering all of the Bosch labels seem to be readily available in the states, I’ll just average my Surly Bird 4.6 with the 3.7 I’d give the Pig Nun.

Old rating, I’ve no idea which version it corresponds to. Probably the original Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale, though. Very dry and floral like Orval. More egg and tofu in the aroma. Hazy, light peach body. Softer and less dry than Orval also. A bit of cinnamon aftertaste. The bottom line is: did I mention Orval? This is apparently his kid brother.

Plain and without character. A little bit bitter. Personally I don't like it. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Slightly cloudy dark gold. Disappaiting white head. Brett and yeast on the nose. A good mix of sour/yeasty flavors and hints of fresh apple and pear. Like a saison/Lambic mixture. Clean, fresh fizzy mouthfeel and a palate cleansing finish. Food friendly.

Reinaert Flemish ale: Des houblons végétaux percent mes narines en compagnie de notes sauvages, d’agrumes et de poivre frais. En bouche c’est une effervescence militaire qui piétine tout sur son passage en amenant les mêmes saveurs perçues en arôme avec une finale très poivré.

Pours a crisp golden color with a big fluffly head that floats along and never really wants to leave... Nice aromas of brett, granny smith apple, and a touch of pepper... lead into a crisp beer with a good balance between funky tartness and sweet malts. Great earthy flavors of leather,hay, straw a touch of lemon peel moving through from beginning to end and the finish is dry with an almost mineral quality.

Very light banana and apricot notes. Very hazy golden yellow with nice pillowy bright white head. Flavor is rather flat. Nothing very prominent. Very light grainy, bready note. Light bitterness at finish. Very dry. OK to try but nothing I’ll search out again.

Pours a pale golden yellow with a aggressive white head and plentiful lacing. The aroma is of apples and straw. The taste is earthy with some apple (horse apples) notes. The sourness found in the middle is subtle. The pallet is medium-light with some carbonation present. The finish is a refreshing hopped bitterness. All in all, an ok beer. However, I was hoping for more sourness. Would not buy again. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle. Pours a light tan color with huge head that almost overflows. Smells of fruit, apricots and spice. Pretty sour notes and not overly boozy. Very well balanced. Delicious all around

Hazy pale golden, subtle off white head. Distinct Brett nose. Sour an bitter. Long finish. Fluffy mouthfeel. Fairly good yet something is lacking. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
Earlier Rating: 1/21/2012 Total Score: 4.1
pours hazy golden, bubbly off white head. spicy wild yeast, woody, esters, and tangerine on the nose. lighter bodied, yeast, spice, herbal and really distinctive. no alcohol detected. a bit of sourness on the finish. perfectly balanced. a must try.

Orange-gold with lovely, tufted, white head / Delicate, earthy nose of orchard fruit and brett / Medium body, mildly tart and resinous, hint of sweetness, with great balance and lightly bitter finish / Perfumed flavors of orange, apple, pear, lemon, honey, stone, straw, and barnyard / Great stuff.

750 ml bottle
This bottle was a treat to celebrate settling in. Had I known how good it was I might have purchased a second bottle. It seems to have some aging potential but I don’t know how long it would last. Regardless of whether it is 35 degrees of 85 degrees this style is perfect for any occasion.

Aroma / Appearance - The golden carbonated body is coupled with a soft flowery head. The impression is almost like a glass of ginger ale topped by Cool Whip. Lemons, wild yeast, and a crisp bone dry bite gnaw at the senses very effectively.

Flavor / Palate - Yeasty apple crisps, lemon crisp, and then a transition to cotton candy precede a dry sharp finish. It is not vinegary so much as the feeling from a good bottle of champagne paired with sourdough bread. All around this is a goto beer.