Kasteelbier Donker

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Tasting of a bottle from 2004 (so 7 year old). Dark, dark brown colour. Small cream head which doesn’t stick around too long. Rather good carbonation for such an old beer. Aroma of ripe cherries, caramel, molasses, syrup (Dutch: appelstroop). Some mild coffee. Reminiscent of dark(!) rye bread. Some alcohol, but rather restrained for the 11%abv. Taste: rather sweet, syrup (Dutch: appel-perenstroop), cherry, some strawberry, dried plums. Nice malty background. Aged well. (bottle 0.7L)

Brown coloured beer with small white head and no carbonation. Rather alcoholic malty and yeasty aroma with some spicy touches. Full bit sparkling sweet palate. Finish is spicy sweet strong bitter. Pitty the alcohol is a bit too strong which overules the great taste.

From bottle at tasting. Poured a very dark amber, almost black color with a small light tan rocky head that coated the glass. Aroma of malt, mild dark fruits, caramel and coffee with a hint of the alcohol present. A flavor of malt, caramel, raisins and dark fruit with a hint of chocolate. A touch of nuttiness and more alcohol comes through as it warms. Low carbonation, thick, creamy syrupy mouthfeel.

Sötétbarna (a fénybe tartva rubinvörös) színben mutatja magát, közepes és ujjnyi vastagon megmaradó, bézs színű habtakaróval a tetején. Illata eleinte fanyar, citrusos, majd miután kinyílik, válik egyre inkább konyakmeggyet idézővé. Nyelvet zsibbasztó/csípő, olajos testességgel indul, melyet a markáns alkohol által uralt, aszalt meggy, karamell, csokoládé és enyhe citrus ill. gabonás aromák kísérnek, némi borsot idéző, fűszeres aláfestéssel. A vége likőrös és erőteljesen melengető, melyet citrus és az előbbi borsos ízvilág egészít ki. Utóíze édes-fanyar. A teste nehéz(kes), de kitűnő gyümölcsössége miatt veszélyesen itatja magát ez az igencsak élvezetes nedű.

Aroma is malty with caramel and bread hints and a noticeable alcohol nip. It pours a dark, slightly hazy mahogany with a thick, fairly persistent pale tan head. Flavor is malty and surprisingly sweet, having tones of honey, caramel and toffee in addition to the malt. Alcohol bite is more subtle than in the aroma. Texture is fairly smooth and fizzy, leaving behind a soft but persistent tingle. Finish is sweet but not cloying, and has a nice alcohol nip to it.

dark brown black coloured body with a off white head a spicy malty roasted fruity sweet aroma a spicy malty caramel fruity sweet alcholic taste with a alcholic malty bitter finish

brown with a big off-white head. Superstrong, but not so noticeable. Very tasty and extraordinary beer.

bottle@home: straightforward, sweet malt, no brown sugar, pepper, lots of raisins, dark bread, light port, plenty of carbonation, medium mouthfeel, alcohol burn but not taste