Grottenbier Bruin

Brewed by St. Bernard Brouwerij
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Watou, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

Bottle 33cl, dark brown color, intense winey-fruity smell, good carbonation and persistent head. A sweet-caramel-spicy taste, very refreshing with a candy aftertaste.

bottle stated best before 2010 so probabbly allot older !

head: bubbly, beige
colour: dark red/brown , clear
smell: sour, sweet, vintage malts, winegums, yeasty, candy sugar, licqourice, caramel
taste: skunky malty, sour grainy , candy sugar/syrup , irony, yeasty, oily/dry texture + end , aftertaste is chocolat

Aroma: Spicy, fruity, a tad alcohol, vanilla, malty. Nice head, clear reddish color. Full bodied and well balanced taste. Sparkling. A very rich beer.

1st June 2007
Warning! Early amateur rating! Brown beer with a light and crisp palate. No bitterness at all. Creamy mid and a caramelly malt finish. Refreshing. Very nice.

In bottiglia al beershop di Tallinn; classica dolciona che a me non piace, molto carbonata perdipiù.

Bottle at Het Amsterdammertje with work pales, cons 2010-12-08 Göteborg AR: belgian yeast, apricots AP: hazy brownish red coloured body, 2 cm frothy head, white F: belgian yeast, sour, medium high bitterness, fruity dry finish

Bottle@Home. Pours darks reddish cobber with a small, shortlasting,ofwhite head. Aroma of sweet fruit, apples, ginger, cinnamon and other spices. Taste is sweet malts, caramel, bread, fruit, some pepper in the finish. Medium body, soft carbonation, sodt oily mouthfeel. 101107

The front of his bottle poured clear brown, though the nearer we got to his bottom, the bottle-conditioned sediment turned clear dark browns into a soft, slightly milky dark brown. He tasted darn good both ways though. Let me explain. Atop his browns was a whitish head which lingered as a thin film sans lace. As much as I enjoy gazing upon a luxurious head marked by decorative lace, so too do I enjoy reveling in a bouquet of aromas rich with the spice of life. Brown sugar, cinnamon, toffee, caramel, candied apples, red licorice, raisin bread stuffed with plump dark raisins and sprinkled with allspice and everything nice. His nose plays with red and black plums soaked in old tawny port. Nice doesn’t even come close to describing his nose, and without further ado, I dive into his awaiting depths. Being bottle-conditioned, his body and mouthfeel is frothy with bubbly effervescence which carries his rich palate across my tastebuds in ethereal fashion. Whereas the black and red plums steeped in port came last in his nose, they come first in his palate which is chewy with a healthy chunk of raisin bread fresh from the oven. I do love me some raisin bread, and Grotten Brown has plenty. Grapes flitter in and out of the plums, while their skins make for a tart bitter bite in the back of each swallow. He lightly dries the top of my tongue which is quite happy at the moment while I admire a healthy dose of chunky delights hovering suspended in his brown depths. Chunks are good, whether mixed in the beer or as a healthy shot of concentrated vitamin B at the end. The second half of his bottle changes character in a fascinatingly tasty way. Sweet maple melts into an ocean of toffee as apples bob up and down, desperately fighting a losing battle for air. Every now and then, I manage to steal a bite which is ripe with fresh apple juices and succulent meats. I’d kiss him, if I could. Instead, I’ll settle for finishing off the remains of our shared bottle which finishes with less effervescence for a smooth and slightly heavier mouthfeel which revels in plums, grapes, apricots, and a dash of vanilla extract.

The Piere Celis Signature Collection Grotten Brown by St. Bernardus was beer evolutionary supping bliss. From first quaff to last, he was ever-changing in one wondrous way after the other. Definitely a beer I would love to find again.