Kasteelbier Donker

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

Bottle. Moderate malt aroma of chocolate, light herbs for the hops, moderate horse blanket for the yeast, raisin, red wine, brown sugar and vinegar. Head is small, fizzy, light brown with fair lacing and is mostly diminishing. Color is dark grayish brown, like dark iced tea. Flavor starts moderately sweet and lightly acidic, and the long finish is moderately to heavily sweet and lightly acidic and bitter. Palate is on the fuller side of medium, syrupy and has a softer carbonation than I expected. The sweetness tastes a little artificial, but otherwise a very good Belgian Strong Ale.

Bottle. Colour was brown caramel, with a nice head. Strong aroma which raised my expectations. But this beer is too sweet for my taste. It is easy to drink thoug, regardless of the high alcohol percentage. When having it in your mouth, the bubbles reminds me almost of a sparkling wine.

Bottle. Beer color was very similar to Coca Cola. Very sweet aroma, dried fruits. Reminded some of port wine. Taste was very sweet, syrup, plums and some cherries. The alcohol warmed nicely in the stomach.

YEY Belgian Strong Ale me please. I am spending my Spring Semester as a study abroad student in Germany. Hmmm, how could I have forgotten that they offer a program in Belgium as well. Ah so close...guess I should pack up the imaginary BMW M6 and head on over and stock up, road-trip sans monk style. Anywho....Beer pours a dark murky brownish. Dark fruit and yeasty notes....Alcohol to kill even H1N1 that is. Lots of malts. Some hops. Taste is dark fruits, clove, sweet licorice, alcohol and lots of it. Candied malts, brown sugar, and a huge bump of molasses. Nice chocolates and some hops to bounce around. A little aged feeling with some oak influence vanilla twinges. Very sweet though thankfully not super sweet like people in the south make their tea...sugar? tea? Twilight Zone! Anyone else noticed though there are a few "here and there" off notes about this? Maybe the water used?

(Bottle) Dark reddish brown and lightly hazy. Medium sized and quickly disappearing white head. Hoppy and malty aroma. Full bodied palate and high carbonation. Malts, sweetness, molasses, chocolate and bitterness in taste. Sweetness, chocolate and light bitterness in aftertaste.

This is my second time i have the pleasure to taste it after many yeras before. I got the same opinion as the first time. Just an excellent brune. Well balanced, so smooth at all.

75 cl. bottle. Bottled 4.28.08. Pours a thin long lasting, light beige head, with attractive lacing, over a clear dark reddish brown (SRM 32-33) body....nose is sweet caramel, bit of raisin, some dried cherry....taste is sweet to start, with multiple dried fruits represented, including raisin, cherry, plum, finish is non hop bitter, with a bit of astringency, almost over wood aged in type....mouth feel is quite thick and creamy, aided by the carbonation, the alcohol is reasonably hidden, but obviously there. The downside is that there some off aromas, and tastes that keep the rating lower than anticipated.

A lovely intense overwhelming beer - this is what a Belgian strong should be. Big and malty and intense, but also a lovely spicy sweet middle with some noticeable alcohol present. Dark brown with a tan foamy head. Very drinkable for 11%.