Petrus Speciale

Brewed by Bavik-De Brabandere
Style: Belgian Ale
Harelbeke, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Bottled sample via trade. Dark gold in colour, mith moderate (yet spritzy) carbonation. Aromas are of stale malts, sour fruit, and damp earth. Flavors are of both stewed and sour fruits, light caramel, chalk, and black pepper. Very light bodied... as if it’s hardly even there. Overall, it’s average at best.

Bottle, Belgian Belly, Chorlton. This was pretty forgettable fayre. Poured a murky brown with a dissipating medium foamy head. Slightly watery palate with no real depth. Vague grassy hoppiness but mot much else going down. Dryish finish. Slight metallic tang detectable. Bit disappointing on the whole.

Pours a clear golden yellow color with a lot of visible carbonation and a thick white foamy head. The aroma consists of a mix of pilsner malts, delicate floral hops and crisp light fruit. Easy to drink with decently balanced crisp hoppiness, light fruit(grape, apple, etc.) and pilsner malt flavors.

Two gushers in a row??? Might actually get some beer in the glass at some stage this evening. Was never expecting that- looks dead in the bottle. Erupts over the worktop a rich glowing bronze. White lid with lace in the glass. Aroma oak, butter, bile, cooked English aroma hop (Fuggles?). Sickbowl acidity, nuttiness, resins, marzipan. Cooked buttery deadness reminiscent of a pasteurised Bateman’s or Shep Neame effort. Not getting the coriander but it is in there, apparently. Caramel, marzipan, papery grain. Attractive freshbread and vanilla aftertaste. OK, but can’t get those clear-bottled Shep Neame beers out of my mind. Industrial English deadness, Belgium-style.

UPDATED: JUL 18, 2009 33cl, from De hopduvel Gent, easy to drink brew, not complex, yet balanced, clear, small head, simpel brew

Bottle, bought @ Vinspecialisten, Hasle.
Impressive-looking beer. Clar amber with a great, creamy, off-white head. Great duration and even better lacing. Aroma has a little butter, some yeast, sweet caramel. Smooth mouthfeel with a highish carbonation. Flavour begins with a metal off-flavour, some yeast, a little butter and sweet brown sugar. This is really below Petrus/Bavik standard.

(330 ml bottle from Bootleggers, part of a Petrus sampler pack) Nice aroma, so-so taste...Pours cloudy darkish amber with two fingers of firm biscuit head that recede to a thin lasting layer. Aroma of fruit, red wine and brown sugar. Mouthfeel fairly smooth and pleasant but dryish. Fairly mild flavor of mostly red wine and perhaps malty rock candy but kind of has an unpleasant sour quality. A bit metallic initially. A bit of cinnamon in finish as it warms. Kind of a lackluster Belgian.

Really simple but refreshing. I’d like to see what else they do, because this particular brew was lackluster and thin. Michael Jackson had more to say about their brown ale.