Piraat 10.5%

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Ertvelde, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Appearance: orange marmalade, slightly hazy with yeast; huge foamy white head that lasts forever, leaving huge fluffs of lacing like cotton candy; clear jets of carbonation. Aroma: very boozy and Tripel-like; yeasty spices (clove, cinnamon), some champagne grapes, toasty wheat crackers, old leather and some sauna-like sweaty notes underneath. Taste: Bananas Foster--booze, caramel, sparkling apple cider, sweet white raisins, a little white wine, and a hint of barnyard funk and passion fruit nectar. Finish: tingly, with some drying notes crashing over the back of the tongue; boozy, too, as my belly warms significantly. Notes: In spite of all the booze, the head on this thing was remarkable. Also, it was deceptively easy drinking. The boozy scents and flavors were enticing and somehow actually encourage quaffing. One of the most drinkable high abv beers I’ve ever had. Palate was very smooth, yet lively.

Saturday afternoon beer. Poured from 750ml nicedirty yellow with big white head. smells of tropical fruits and hops. tastes of honey, bread, yeast, candied sugar, tropical fruits, grains of paradise and other peppery notes. Not nearly as hoppy or bitter as most American IPA’s. very enjoyable despite the childlike drawing on bottle that almost scared me away but the 10.5% alchohol and knowing I was hanging out with wife’s friends later in evening drew me back in.

BIG head on the initial pour-nice and white. Dissapated after a few moments-excellent carbonation. Burnt orange color you’d expect from most beers with IPA in the title. Aroma let me know I was in for something special-not as bitter/hoppy as some in the same style. Same with the flavor-getting more from the yeast than the hops. Very clean-citrus through and through. I wish i’d bought a 750 ml bottle instead!

Pours a dark golden color, hazy with a large and dense white head. Very nice lacing and retention. The smell has hops up front, with a candied sugar backbone. It smells very much like a Tripel. The taste is very balanced between the Belgian tripel and the IPA. Lots of Belgian yeast and candied sugar, what I would expect from the style, and the hops only rear their heads up front. A bit bitter, but overall very sweet. Very light and bubbly, very refreshing. Overall, one of the better Belgian IPAs I’ve had. The hops don’t overpower the flavor, and the drink overall is pretty sweet and refreshing.

Bottle I received as a gift. Poured a near clear honey with a white head that dissipated slowly to the edges. Aroma had a pine note with some grass and a backing note of sweet grain and honey. Flavor had less of a pine profile with more of the sweet grains and honey controlling the beer.

Bottle. Pours clear golden amber with intense off-white head. Light sweet malt, spicy notes, grassy, green apple, toffee and belgian candy syrup. Medium body, medium-high carbonation zesty, grassy flavour and bitterness among the candy sweetness and sweet cloying finish with a tarty yeast complexity. Feels a little unbalanced, but still great!

Világos, arany szín, tömör hófehér habbal, ami túlságosan nem kitartó. Malátásan édeskés, gyümölcsös illat. Íze inkább édesnek mondható, malátás, fűszeres és gyümölcsös íze nagyon kellemes. Testes, igazán pezsgő sör, keserédes lecsengéssel, magas alkoholtartalma is kellően rejtve van. Ódákat nem tudok zengeni róla, de megvan a típusának megfelelő minden jó tulajdonsága, nagyon finom egy belga főzet.

Cloudy, dark golden liquid with small head. Aroma is rich in roasty malt, fruity and slightly floral notes. The taste also has a slight sweetness, the texture is a bit oily with a lively carbonation.