Kasteelbier Donker

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Ingelmunster, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Bottle. Poured a clear dark brown with a small light brown creamy head that disappeared very quickly and had fair lacing. The aroma was of nutty malts with notes of brown sugar, raisons, dried fruit and a horseblanket yeast scent. It tasted sweet, rich and malty at the start but matured into a nice sweet-sour yeasty flavor. Mouthfeel was medium in body and nice and creamy in texture. Overall a very interesting brew, one definitely worth trying again.

Draft @ Devil’s Den, Philly. Mahogany colored pour. Aromas of light wood, red wine, Dried fruits, raisins, Flavor is light booziness, dried fruits, liquid raisns. Extremely balanced & delicious. Seek this out!!!

Draft in Gollem’s Proeflokaal, Amsterdam. Dark, sweet, warming alcohol. Prunes, cocoa and pepper. A beer that deserves more time than I had when I sampled it.
Earlier Rating: 11/12/2006 Total Score: 2.5
Dark brown, sweet, warming feeling. Malt and brown sugar. No hops detectable, which means it is far too sweet for my liking.

UPDATED: JAN 17, 2011 33cl, from De Hopduvel Gent, complex brew, yet too sweet and heavy, not balanced, clear, good head, good brew

750ml bottle, bottled on 070924 (9/24/07?). Pours a murky brown with a small head that quickly goes to a tiny collar.

The aroma is subdued. It has some sweet caramel and toffee malts, some oak, a little dark fruit, and a bit of oxidization and alcohol.

The flavor is very sweet sugary malts and molasses, a little cola and fruit with a big sugary finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and syrupy.

Overall, this is way overly sweet. It’s a bit of a treacly mess. As it warms and I get accustomed to the sweetness a little nutty malt and banana come out. So there’s some complexity, but the sweetness overwhelms everything and makes it rather unpleasant.

Deep brown nice head, but thinning. Toffee raisins to smell with caramel and chocolate dusty prune-ness. Easy to imbibe with a subtle brandy quality which leaves a decent warm and ring around the tooth due to its sweetened syrupy viscosity. Musty basement too. Solid

Dark brown, thick tan head, loads of bubbles, lacy. Aroma-caramel, yeast, alcohol. Taste-sweet candied fruits, dark cherries, quad-like but even more sweet. Complex and delicious.

black with a thin creamy white head. Sweet spice fruit raisin and date with some chocolate notes to the aroma and taste. Very good.
Earlier Rating: 6/28/2009 Total Score: 3.6
Tasted at the San Diego International Beer Festival. Medium brown with a fluffy borwn head. Faint aroma and a plum and sugar taste.

Had on tap at the hulmeville ...... Dark brown pour tan head light lacing .... sweet malt, dark fruit aroma .... taste of sweet malts, dark fruits, spices .... light bitter finish very balanced and smooth absolutely no trace of 11% abv .... an amazing and rare brew

Bottle from Theatre of Wine, Greenwich. Dark brown pour with a light tan head which goes as quickly as it came. Aromas of caramel, figs, butterscotch, chocolate, sultanas. Very sweet nose. Flavours of dark fruits, chocolate, toffee, brown sugar. Nice,warming alcohol. Dry, sweet and malty finish.