4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20Brown pour. Aroma of figs, dates, raisins, brown sugar. Flavor is sweet, malty, toffee, golden raisins, dates, alcohol. Nice stuff. Thanks to Americanbrew.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Chestnut/mahogany pour with a small eggshell head. Aroma of caramel, brown sugar and dark fruit. Flavor shows raisin, prune, and plum along with toffee, honey, and vanilla. Medium mouthfeel.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 18/20
22 oz bottle. Hazy walnut brown with a coating balsa head leaving speckles. Nose is raisin, yeast and toffee with hints of candied lemon peel. Sticky medium body with lively carb. Taste is caramel, banana, nutmeg and ginger. Finishes with light earthy bitter citrus. A deft touch elevates this Belgian strong.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Sampled at Redlight Redlight courtesy of the Orlando ratebeer crew; January 2011
This pours with a big, frothy head and a pale tan colored head. The beer is a red-amber color. The nose seems to almost have a meaty quality to it in some ways (perhaps more a savory / umami like character and I wonder if this has been influenced by some touches of oxidation). There is a definite fruitiness (leaning towards plum) here as well as a toasted malt character, along with notes of cinnamon and caramelized apple. This definitely has an interesting, fairly complex nose to it.
This beer has a lighter body to it than I was expecting, which is certainly nice. It has a spicy character to it that reminds me of clove and cinnamon and this is nicely complimented by a brown sugar and caramelized malt character. The beer is sweet, but not quite as much as I had expected; despite this, the beer still seem a touch lighter than I would have guessed, at least given how rich this beer seems. Flavors of caramelized plum are joined by a touch of oxidation, perhaps, that contributes some nutty flavors as well as a hints of port and sherry. This is definitely a nice beer, and the touch of age in it seems to have boosted the complexity in both the nose and in the flavor.
4.4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle. Thanks Jason! This is a ruby-red pour, deep and crimson, with a firm pillow-top pile. The aroma is downright sexy, full of sugary allure. To the drink, bring on golden raisin, sweet syrup, and a mild alcohol burn. Nice. (#4080, 2/18/2011)
3.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
A dark reddish amber ale with a thin off white head. In aroma, plums, dark fruits, honey and madera. In mouth, a nice sweet creemy treacle with light mineral notes, a bit oxidized, alcohol warmth, not bad. Bottle shared with Orlando crew, Jan. 6 2011.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
22 oz bomber. This one pours a reddish amber color and topped by a thick, smooth head of beige colored foam that shows good retention and settles slowly to a thin film. Some sudsy lacing clings to the glass. The aroma shows a nice base of cocoa, brown sugar, and toasted caramel. Golden raisins and figs push their way through, while grains of paradise, earthy hops, and some Belgian yeast round things out. The flavor follows suit and is initially sweet and rich up front with brown sugar, caramel, and candied sugar and balanced nicely by peppery hops and spicy grains of paradise. The raisins, figs, and Belgian yeast add further depth and help dry things out a touch. Nearly full bodied, smooth with ample carbonation that leads to a semi sweet and dry finish. This is a really nice winter time brew.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle… Burnt orange ale with a small, creamy, off-white head. Fantastic retention. The sweet aroma furnishes some spiciness, but golden raisins and brown sugar are the standouts. Full-bodied and velvety with tickling carbonation. The bittersweet flavor is much like the nose – semi-sweet dates, raisins, tropical blossom honey and mild dried plum. Finishes lengthy and sweet with dark fruits galore. Bottle courtesy of Beerlando!
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 12/20
A: The pour is clear amber in color with an off-white head.
S: The nose is fairly typical for a dark Belgian beer. Dark grapes, miscellaneous red fruits, and raisins. A nice spiciness to it, yeast, and candi sugar. Nice dark maltiness to it as well.
T: Starts off with a solid malty flavor and a subtle roasted note. There’s also a really toasty flavor to this beer that is certainly different. Lots and lots of dark red fruits as well as some of the more typical descriptors like raisins and spice. Really strange and all over the place.
M: The body is medium to full with a moderate carbonation.
D: Not exactly what I look for in a Belgian Abbey ale, but not terrible, I suppose. A bit too sweet for me.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
22oz bomber, courtesy of zminor on BA. thanks, zac! pours a dark, hazy, copper with a thick, creamy, off-white head leaving a sheet of sticky lace. aroma is great, very sweet, with big notes of dried raisins, figs, and prunes dipped in toffe candy with notes of fruit cake, cinnamon, belgian yeast, and light maple syrup. flavor is wonderful as well with big notes of buttered raisin bread, cinnamon spice, and toffee covered figs with hints of orange, cocoa, and leafy earth with a dry, sweet, fruity finish. palate is in on the fuller side of medium bodied with high carbonation and a creamy mouthfeel. overall, a delicious, sweet, fruity belgian ale.
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