Kasteelbier Donker

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

Pours dark brown, with a small off white head. Smells of sweet malts, caramel, and a little nuttiness. The taste was very sweet, much sweeter than expected. Huge malty, caramel sweetness just masks most everything else.I was hoping for some smoky nutty flavors, but no go here. Sweet finish and aftertaste with not much balance. I was either disappointed, or unhappy it wasnt what I was expecting.

Ruddy brown, with a small white head. Fairly powerful nose hints of Brown sugar, plums, dates, red apple, golden apple, caramel, toffee and a bit of barnyard. Flavor is extremely sweet and very fruity. Honestly, I think it’s a pretty tasty beer. Well hidden alcohol, with a balanced flavor. This is a fairly tasty, enjoyable Belgian.

Pour is a dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma is has a red wine quality with some dark fruit and candi sugar. Flavor is super sweet with some cherry and brown sugar. Finish leaves a toffee taste on the tounge with a small dose of alcohol. This is just ok as this is another beer that is way to sweet.

2003 Pours a very dark mahogany, almost brown. Large foamy head, nice sheets of lace. Aromas of hops, citrus that is. Lemons, some bitter orange maybe. Warm biscuit smell. A touch of grapes. Some spices. I'm getting coriander, maybe clove as well. Nice. Spices come out to blend in well with the other flavors. Coriander definately. More citrus, mostly lemon, though some orange is there. Caramel is coming through as well as a bit of brown sugar. The biscuits are hanging around. Sharp bitter notes of hops at the end laced with alcohol. Thick body, spicy, tingly palate, and a pleasing warm finish of bitter hops. Nice BSA.

Shared this one w/ SkyCop32. Picked up at Maruhn Getränke in Darmstadt. Pours a darkish red/brown. Aromas of spice, coriander, yeast, and alcohol. Flavor has an alcohol taste to it, mixed with a nice smokey dark fruit. Also has strong hints of spice and orange.

Pours deep mahogany into a trappist glass. Head quickly recedes to nothing. Prune and pit fruit aromas. Sweet and tangy upfront with a lasting tart dried fruit finish.

Anno 2005, dark brown mahogany color, with some reddish highlights, with a beige head, but falling quickly, fruity nose of plums, raisins, dates, hint of molasses, brown sugar, toasted malt, with a port cherryish accent, sweet malty aroma follows through on a full-bodied palate with a smooth sweet malty, syrupy, fruity character of plums, raisins, dates, with some roasted, caramelized malts, with a nice port-like flavor, hint of molasses, brown sugar,leading towards a sweet alcoholic warmth malty finish.

On tap at Saint Ex, D.C. Gloopy, murky pour into a snifter. I wasn’t expecting the potency of this beer, thinking I was ordering up your basic 6%-ish brune. Oily and resinous pour, with a very strong raisin nose. Intensely slick mouthfeel and an excess of sweet, sugary flavors. Not a balanced beer, but it made me feel happy with the world.