De Proefbrouwerij Signature Ale

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

750ml bottle, finished with an artificial cork and cage. Apparently this is from 2007, I didn’t quite realize it was that old. Aroma is sweet, malty, very lightly funky and farmy with notes of leather, cheese, wood, caramel, doughy bread, dried flowers and faint must. Cloudy rusty amber-brown color with a rocky head that subsides to an uneven pattern. Flavor profile is a good blend of caramel, toffeeish malt sweetness, light, residual hop bitterness, a bit of a drying bite from the Brett addition and doughy, fruity notes from the other Belgian yeasts used here. Alcohol shows itself only very late into the finish, with a brief peppery tinge and some faint warmth. Smooth and very gently acidic palate with a low degree of effervescence and a full body. Interesting stuff. If this had been dated, though, I probably would have had it a year or two ago and would have enjoyed it a bit more.

750ml bottle to tulip. Pour is a hazy golden orange with a soapy white head. Aroma is is musty citrus yeast and malt along with some earthy tones that I can not describe. Taste is crisp lemon citrus and malty notes. Palate is very fizzy carbonation and dry.

10/9/10. Thanks, Coleman! 750mL bottle. Light lemon peel and oranges aroma with Belgian yeast very present. Sweet citrusy flavor as well with a lingering funky yeast presence.

I can’t remember where I had this but it was pretty good. Rather tart with stand out fruit and hop flavors. Serving: Tap

2010-10-02. Hazy amber body with a nice frothy white head and lace. 3+ Pleasant mild aroma, light citrus, muted yeast and malt. Flavour is pleasant, light yeas throughout, modest citrus, sweet orange, hints of citrus seed grows as it goes on. Modest bitterness throughout, muted malt core. 7+ Smooth average plus palate is well carbonated. 3+ Very drinkable but less assertive than hoped. Not unlike some of the Unibroue Anniversary brews. Bottle from Bottleworks, Seattle

Pours deep dark orange with lasting white head. Aroma is vegetal, wet, grassy hops with a touch of lemon and funk. Taste is grassy, vegetal, old resinous hops with a touch of funk and a sweet ending. Feels like this brew is too old, probably was great fresh, but really doesn’t last with age.

75cl corked bottle that’s probably 2.5yrs old or so. Hazy, orange-brown pour with a medium off-white head and a little lacing and some short legs. Pretty big, sweet, Belgian aroma and maybe a little spice in the background. Flavour is a little flat but at the finish there is a vegetable note that is hard to place/describe...I’m not a fan of it anyway. Alcohol is noticeable but nothing major. I think this was a bit of a miss. Got another bottle I’ll try and re-rate as appropriate.

This beer takes the term "cloudy" to new levels. It is dark brown and carbonation slowly crawls to the top of the glass. A nice tan foam is one finger or a bit more. Rich sweet passion fruit in the aroma. Yeast and some spice, too. The flavor offers much the same as the aroma. However, it begins with fruit that is more tart. Again, the fruit is quite complex with tangerine, tart apples, hops that are bitter and tart. What a good beer!

Source: 300mL bottle from Chucks in Bowling Green.
Glass:Oerbier tulip.
Appearance:Hazed orange pour with a two finger white head that hung on for a while. Nice lacing.
Aroma: Lots of fruity esters, pears, apples and tangerines. Some background spices are present too, mainly cinnamon and clove.
Flavor:Sweet malts with alcohol and a surprising hop presence. Some of the same esters and spices in the aroma, but in background amounts. Quite nice actually.
Palate:Medium body with soft/medium carbonation.
Overall:Excellent collaboration between these two. I don’t have a lot of De Proef experience, but I want more after trying this beer. A little bit high priced, but still an excellent brew.

750ml bottle from Whole Foods Los Altos. A collabo with the man, myth, and legend known as Tomme Arthur? How could this not be awesome (unless it had no carbonation)? Pours a cloudy amber color with a small off-white head that fades but leaves good lacing. Complex aroma of brett, lemon peel, Asian spices, caramel, and apple. Floral hops evident as well. The flavor is slightly sweet and slightly tart. Caramel malt and candi sugar form the base, with spicy notes of ginger and mint, earth, citrus peel, green apple and stone fruits, and hop resins. Brett and Belgian yeast. A lot going on, but not extremely well balanced. A little on the flatter side carbonation-wise, with medium body for the style. A worthy effort from Tomme and De Proef, but not amazing.