Hof Ten Dormaal Barrel-aged Project: No. 4 Armagnac

Brewed by Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Tildonk, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Not a huge Belgian fan, to be honest, but I am a huge Armagnac fan, so I had to give this a try. Bottle purchased at Max’s in Baltimore, and worth every penny. If you like sweeter high ABV beers, then this is about the best investment you could make. I thought this was the perfect blend of beer and barrel, though others have noted the barrel was too subtle. My feeling is: if you want that much barrel, drink the dang liquor and not the beer! This is a bright in color and bright in mouth beer, sweet but not syrupy, with some floral and orange notes to the taste. The barrel brings in some brandy taste obviously, but most notably hints of walnut and raisin. Seriously, it was one of the best hours of my life spent drinking this beer. I would have given it a higher overall rating, but it was also ridiculously expensive...maybe not quite worth that much!

taken from notes - 750 ml bottle at sloshfest 2012 - overly sweet beer. This version has lots of stewed apple, some vanilla and elderblossom. This one is also too sweet and too much alcohol burn.

750ml bottle. Pours out amber with off-white head. Aroma of citrus peel with faint gingery spice notes and damp, earthy wood. Quite a creamy and familiar Belgian mouthfeel. Taste sees the soft caramel malts of the base beer and the fruitier barrel notes combining to create rich orangey tones. The barrel character could either generously be called "subtle" or harshly called "lacking". I think it does add something nice but perhaps doesn’t stand out strongly enough. Impressively this doesn’t feel like 12% at all and drinks rather easily.

Draft at Max’s. Slightly sweet and tastes like dates. clear yellow, very smooth and light.

Tap. Pours orange/gold with thin, fizzy white head; short retention and spare lacing. Aroma is orange peel, lavender, light peaches, cereal and cookie malts, and light floral hops. Flavor is dry, bready malts forward with light yeast, light caramel, some citrus fruit esters, light floral hops, and some herbs; dry finish. Medium body and low carbonation.

Tap at Max’s Taphouse. Pours lightly hazy orange with a small, fizzy white head, short retention with good lacing. Aroma is spicy alcohol, grapes, pear and apple esters with straw malt. Flavor is light malt, alcohol, fresh fruity esters, oak, and a dry finish. Medium body and carbonation.

Gedronken bij de kroon, dankzij joes, bruin en helder, schuimkraag, ruikt en smaakt alcohol, minder lekker als de drie eronder.

Pours a orange golden color with a finger of eggshell foam. Aromas are touches of belgian spice, caramel, apple, hay funk and some grassy brightness. On the palate its a bit sticky with a lack of carbonation making the flavors a little heavy but not boozy for a 12%abv. Nice warm fruit notes mingle with barrel notes and farm fresh funk. Not bad.

Bottle 750ml. corked.

Unclear matt medium orange colour with a average to large, frothy to creamy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, toasted - caramel, fruity, alcohol, orange - citrus, riped fruity. Flavour is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a long duration, salty, fruity, riped fruit, spicy hops - yeast, alcohol, yeasty. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft, finish feel is moderate alcoholic. [20120914]

On tap. Pours with a hazy golden hued body with a thin white head. Aromas are boozy, marzipan, musty barrels, deep fruit complexities, warming malty. Flavors show lots of grapes, warming alcohol, medium ester, boozy, malty, warming, medium tannin, apple. Lower carbonation and seemingly a bit drier than some of the others.