Petrus Aged Pale

Brewed by Bavik-De Brabandere
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Harelbeke, Belgium

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

UPDATED: APR 16, 2011 Only bought one at Zipps...bad idea. Going to have to go back now. Pours a clear gold into the glass, bone white head that fades fast but leaves nice lacing. Aroma is wood and tartness. Taste is much the same, some straw, some very light malt (caramel). Very refreshing, tart, lively on the tongue. Great. RERATE after drinking about a case. A bit more acetic, great white fruit, cider note on the nose. Love it. Very unappreciated.

11.2 oz bottle from Zipps. Golden colored pour with a foamy white head. Aroma is tart, sour, fruity (apple?). Flavor is more of the same, with a bit of a pucker inducing tartness. Finish is a bit like a sour apple cider.

Aroma is woody and spicy. Taste is of sour bitter lemon. Extremely tart which was unexpected and thus not appreciated.

Bottle. A - Deep golden copper color with an average sized, foamy, light, whispy, white head. Disappears pretty fast leaving a nice patchy lace. S - Mouth watering aroma. Sour and tart fruit with green apple, cherry, grapefruit, lemon and others. Touch of oaky aroma and maybe hints of vanilla as well. Some Belgian yeast and malty sweetness. Definitely has a funk to it. Very promising nose. T - Has tart, sour, and funky flavors but not a kick you in the face sour beer. Good balance between the tart fruits mentioned above and the nice oaky/woody flavors. The more I drink and as it warms, the more oaky flavors come out which is very nice. A subtle sweetness shows up as well. Tart apple is the strongest flavor, but the others have a good showing. M - Lighter body with average/slightly below carbonation. Somewhat crisp and slightly zesty. Good but mouthfeel is probably the weakest point of this beer. D - Pretty drinkable sour with a great balance between sour/tart fruit and oaky woodiness. A sipper due to the style but I would gladly drink another again. No problem finishing a 750 mL bottle. Notes: I’m pleasantly surprised by this beer as I hadn’t been overly impressed by other Petrus offerings and this is very cheap for a sour imported from Belgium. I ended up enjoying this quite a bit though. Great balance between the tart/sour fruit and woodiness. Really pretty enjoyable and given the price I could definitely see myself getting this again. Not the best sour, but for the cost it is definitely worth a look.

Light yeloow, slightly cloudy, effervescent white head. Sweet aroma, sour flavor, tingling mouthfeel. Pretty good drinkable sour pale.

Bottle. Clear golden yellow pour, lasting carbonation/head and a nice sour and slightly lemony aroma. Flavor is slightly sugary lemon bite right away, creamy herbs and a little hops. Very good, will be going back to buy a bunch more of this at $2/bottle.

Bottle. Pours a hazy orange with small whitish head. The aroma is tart and oaky with some lemon and honey notes. The flavor has a sour acidity that catches me off guard (in a good way) on the first sip, but melds with each sip after. Lemons and lactic acid come to mind. And the oak is quite obvious, a nice wood and vanilla. Grainy malts provide a nice backbone, and there is a slight fruity/musty brettanomyces note hidden in it. The finish is vinous with a continued oak character. It leaves a slightly mineral aftertaste with some lemongrass. Very drinkable.

Copper yellow with small white head that shrinks to a thin layer. Smells of white wine and apples, taste is nicely sour and refreshing, apples, apricot, bit of tart and wood. Bit of a musty aftertaste, but too soft to be annoying. Well balanced and good. Great for a summer day, unfortunately it’s freezing outside.