Druïde Bruin

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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UPDATED: JAN 17, 2010 (Memo to myself : bring more of this home next time.) In a sea of mediocre, overly sugared and liquoriced Bruins and Dubbels, this stands out as something different. Huge, sculpted yellow-tan rockiness on deep deep ruby. Slick, persistent and creamy. Teasing caramel-malty aroma with milk chocolate sweetness, faint musty orange-accented hop (Poperinge) and yeast, toffee, Dolly Mixtures, cask wood, soapy alkalinity…(AND THEN I KICKED THE KARMELIET TULIP UP IN THE AIR AND ALL OVER MYSELF- UTTERLY FUCKING GUTTED) Smells like a really tasty caramelised English bitter (Business As Usual?). More of those lush caramel and chocolate flavours in the mouth, counterbalanced by a fair bit of roasty malt and hop bitterness in the finish. Wholemeal, molasses and liquorice, but not in a having-a-spicerack-dropped-on-your-head kind of way. Lingers with chocolate, butter cookie, malt loaf notes, but not as cloying as that sounds. Background hops and smokiness keeping the sweetness in check. Top drawer Bruin, better in the glass than all over the carpet.

Bottle at Cambrinus in Bruges. BB 10/10/09. A brilliant ruby pour with a foamy beige head. Aromas of roasted caramel and yeast/spice. Medium body with foamy/frothy carbonation . Flavor is coarse roast malt with moderate hop bitter and some spice notes. It has wood notes - but no claim to barrel aging. Finiishes pleasant, dry, near astringent. A beer that drinks quite well. Somewhere in the finish I thought "quad" - wrong but suggestive.

Bottle, 33 cl. (more times, bought Vanden Bussche) Re-tasted at Johans home, last sunday. Dark brown with a tan creamy beige head. Aroma light roasted malt, caramel touch. Medium body. Taste caramel and roasted malts, little hopsbitter finish. Not bad, a regular brown ale.
Earlier Rating: 8/12/2007 Total Score: 3.6
Bottle, 33 cl. Clear ruby brown with large creamy beige head. Aroma malts, caramel. Medium body. Taste = sweet, roasted-malts, bitterness, dry at the end. Not bad, but not the top.

Bottle @ home. Slightly unclear dark copper / amber color, thick beige head that’s mostly lasting. Smell malts, some caramel, lightly sweet. taste malts, sweet, lightly some roastyness, caramel and some fruits. Medium carbo, medium body.

Bottle at De Bierloods, Adegem. Dark brown with a decent tan head. Very nice roasted caramel and yeasty aroma. Spicy ginger bread flavours. Has got class.

Bottle, bought @ BelgianShop.com.
Pours ruby-red to brown with a good, staying, creamy, off-white head. Sweet caramel aroma, light Belgian sugar, raisins, a touch of alcohol. Highish carbonation, fine creamy and lightly dry mouthfeel. Flavour is light roasted, caramel, yeast, plums, raisins. Surprisingly dry and bitter in its finish. Quite elegant, very easily drinkable.

Bottle: Poured a dark brown with a tan head. Aroma is nutty and malt. Taste was caramel malt and nuts, had a hoppy finish.

Bottle @ Cambrinus, Brugge. Pours a dark amber color with a longlasting off-white head. Has a sweetish malty spicy dark fruit aroma. Fruity malty dark fruit flavor with yeasty spicy hints. Has a fruity malty spicy yeasty finish.

Bottled (from belgianshop.be). Dark murky rubyish brown colour with mediumsized foamy/bubbly beigeish head. Aroma is caramel malts along with some mild roasted notes and herbs. Also some mild nuttyness as well as yeast. Actually mild alcoholic sweetness as well. Flavour is caramel malts, some herbal notes as well as alcohol. Mild grassy, yeasty and nutty notes as well. Quite nicel balanced thing.

(Bottled) Hazy, dark ruby brown with a medium, frothy and tanned head. Strongly caramely aroma with some roasty sourness, and a Dutch bok / Scotch Ale -feel. Roasted-malty, sweet flavor with nutty hops and some licorice. Brings certain Czech dunkels into mind, but there is the additional Belgian dark-fruitiness present. Medium body, slightly thin, soft and foamy carbonation. It’s not every day you see a roasty Belgian Ale - but whether you like it or not, is up to you. This one has the potential, but maybe can’t quite deliver as much as you expected.
Earlier Rating: 7/21/2007 Total Score: 3.5
(Bottled) Clear (hazy with yeast), dark ruby brown with a medium, tanned and creamy-lacy head. Aroma of brown sugar and sweet malts, some ashiness. Some more complexity and even light port-winousness when warmer. Lightly ashy and sweet, roasted-malty flavor with tiny licorice hints and some dry bitterness in the finish. Medium-bodied, perhaps a bit thin palate (for the style) with foamy carbonation. A reasonably pleasant dubbel, but lacks the final push towards being a classic.