Kasteelbier Donker

Bottle. Brownish amber pour with a nice tan head. Aroma of brown sugar and maple syrup. Taste of plum, yeast and brown sugar with alcohol present. Very sticky and thick, with a lingering finish.

Might be the best example of this style I’ve come across. Pours a deep brown with a good head. Has wonderful raisin and plum notes, very boozy tasting (in a good way). The mouthfeel is rich and thick without ever being sticky. Some wine-like flavors come through late. Highly recommended.

No 389
Rated: 03.05.2008
Bottle brown, 330 ml, 24.1P
Appearance: Pours deep rubby body colour, very intensive and practically black with only slight rubby reflaxes body. Body under the light seems medium to high carbonated, rather clear in body texture. Head is off - white, cappuccino like, frothy, when poured into ’Chimay’ glass initially medium slowly decreasing to small and than lasting for a long time, there is also quite nice lacing.
Aroma: Gently alcoholic warmth, good quality alcoholic drink, cognac, cherry liquor, mild aromatic herbal hops are present too in such a high alcoholic Belgian Ale, roasted grains are slightly felt too, , notes of dark chockolate, cappuccino like, slightly nutty accent, especially wallnut essence, a hint of blackcurrant, prune. Aroma is refreshing, nice and complex what makes it very pleasant and not disturbing due to high alcoholic content at all, mild chill in aroma is very present and a bit winy, especially red wine.
Flavour: Front is sweet and even sticky, than alcoholic warmth on palate being verypleasant and without any harshness, body is full with complex aromas being present during drinking, woody - nutty touch , some distinctive notes of burned barley grains, caramel malt, toffe, butterscoth, reminding a bit ’Strong Suffolk’, red wine, some accidity from mild carbonation on palate, very focused, essential, thick in its body, kind of flat, not dull though, in the aftertaste there is pleasant grainy, burned - roasty, dark bready touch than strenghtens itselfs when the beer get warmer on your palate, coffee liquor, reminding some Quadrupels or Abbey Dubbles (a bit strong). Finish duration is long.
Palate: Body is full, texture is sticky, thick, carbonation on palate is rather soft, finish feel is mildly alcoholic what makes it a great masterkraft anyway such a high alcohol content beer and slightly bitter.

33cl, from De Hopduvel Gent, very strong beer, complex, but too heavy, clear, good head, good brew, yet too sweet

33 cl bottle, bought in shop in Oostende. Dark reddish color, fine beige head. Aroma is roasted malt and dried fruit. Flavor is very sweet - too sweet - dried/dark fruit, malt and lots of alcohol. Unbalanced and not very good.

Bottled. Pours dark/medium brown with a light brown head. Aroma is soggy bread, yeast, spices, and a hint of sweet cherry burried underneath it all. Flavor is very sweet with dark fruits dominating the profile. Some plum and fig both sweet with a hint of alcohol and then a even more sweet finish. Almost cloying.

Mine had a very unpleasant nose, of booze and rotten yeasty biscuits. Very unpleasant. This beer is just average in my book. The sweetness is very nice, but I don’t really care for the yeast and spice profile, which is very funky of currant and uncooked beans, as well as all the booze. This one doens’t hide its booze at all, which isn’t a bad thing if the flavors are fantastic that you want to feel them as well as taste them, but this just wasn’t it for me.

Urc la tipica birra che mi mette un po’ in difficoltà: non potrei non definirla "buona", effettivamente la potrei anche consigliare... ma soggettivamente ha un elemento che mi spiazza, ed è l’estrema (e dico davvero estrema) dolcezza. Non soffusa, aggressiva, proprio una botta enorme di dolce che ti spiazza ad ogni sorso e ti fa venir voglia di dire "basta" dopo poco. Per il resto notevole complessità, aroma molto particolare, sentore etilico davvero ridotto data la gradazione, aspetto fantastico (anche se la bellissima schiuma se ne scende presto).