 Rastacouere (5343), Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Jul 29, 2005
Deep brownish prune, limited off-white head still impresses for 18%. Huge rooty nose, explosive green character, like the branches of a raspberry in its woodiness. Funky yeast notes emanate in the form of an hairspray concentrate. Welcoming chocolate and vegetal tones wouldn’t fit together in any other beer, but the acid character, the woody nature and the truffle richness appear like they all came from the same tree. Plenty of raspberries underlying flavors, but the alcohol is the big loser, nowhere to be seen which is most impressive. Slight oiliness on the palate, medium bodied, moderately carbonated. Strong presence in mouth, less fruity, possibly less acid than expected, a nice acetic backbone remains subtle, woody, though you have the impression that the tartness grows from sip to sip. If a dessert beer exists, you have one here, full on truffles and not too sweet at that. Worth seeking big time.
BlackForestCO (549), Fort Collins and Black Forest, Colorado, USA
Oct 4, 2008 07 bottle from ryan (artusory), thanks man! Poured a deep brown color with beautiful ruby highlights and a thin beige head that faded to a ring and tried to leave some light spotty lacing. Aroma of sweet caramel malt, chocolate covered raspberries, some toffee, and a hint of lager yeast. Smooth, fruity (a hint of apple?) entry leads into a sweet caramel maltiness and a lightly chocolaty raspberry fruitiness that leads into a light yeasty bitterness. Low carbonation, smooth, slick, and full on the palate. Very good, thanks Ryan.
BelgianBeerGal (974), Sabbatical in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Sep 29, 2008 2007 vintage bottle. Pours a slick copper colour with no real head. Big aroma of raspberries, caramel and molassas. Flavour is obviously raspberries but also a quality eisbock. Just a hint of warming alcohol in the finish. Perfect for desert.
beerbill (1312), Laurel, New York, USA
Sep 28, 2008 2007 Vintage. 187 ml bottle courtesy of a trade with Jerk. Pours a muddy amber with barely a film for a head that disappeared immediately after pouring. The aroma is quite strong with lots of caramel along with lesser amounts of burnt caramel, chocolate, earthy notes, and finally raspberries. As the beer warms, the raspberries in the aroma become much more apparent, as does the chocolate. The flavor is caramel with some definite earthiness to it with raspberries and a bit of chocolate. Very sweet, but not even remotely syrupy or cloying. As the beer warms, the earthiness subsides and the raspberries and chocolate are more prominent. In addition, the alcohol becomes more apparent, but does not interfere with the enjoyment of this beer. Virtually no bitterness to speak of at the finish. Medium bodied. A delightful and enjoyable beer.
Dedollewaitor (2163), Odense, Denmark
Sep 26, 2008 17,5cl bottle. 2007. Thanks Chris. Pours amber with a red hew & a creamy small head. Nose is sweet - caramel/toffee, chocolate, sugar, roast, berries & dark fruits. Super smooth. Low carbonation. Light warmth. Very delicious!
Kinz (1916), Glen Allen, Virginia, USA
Sep 11, 2008 2007 bottle, courtesy of dkachur’s most kind gift. No special occasion, the mood just struck. Pours a thickish dark amber, trace of a head is gone in a flash. Aroma frightens me for a moment at first, all malt that borders on soy, reminding me of Sam Triple Bock. Yikes! Fortunately, after a few moments in the glass, the aromas open up and turn just spectacular, rich chocolate, caramel, and malt with a tootsie roll fruitiness that just builds the warmer it gets. All melded together perfectly. Couldn’t stop smelling this one. Flavor is loaded chocolate and caramel, with dark fruits meandering in the background. Clear heat on the finish. Great sipper, this is a fantastic treat that shows just how far you can push beers into the realm of fine after dinner liquours.
|
