Piraat 10.5%

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

I first tried this Belgian after a friend gave me a gift pack and it clearly established itself as the best of the variety. The notable head was a pleasantry with a slightly fruity and doughy nose. Hints of spices are also present. Piraat left the palate with a fairly medium body and a quickly identified bitter taste. As for flavor the hops dominated the malty taste but overall it was a very enjoyable experience.

330ml bottle
10.5% ABV
I tried this beer on August 1, 2008 at "Smokeless Joe’s" in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The beer pours a cloudy/transparent golden brown with a generous fluffy white head. The aroma was very yeasty, with some peppery spice, some grainy malt, and some floral hoppiness. The mouthfeel was medium bodied, highly carbonated, and very bitter. The flavour was dominated by the peppery spiciness, with some hoppish bitterness backing it up.

Corked-and-caged 750ml bottle. Pouring clear gold amid a riotous froth of large bubbles that settle into a loose, sudsy pile, the beer leaves a raccoon-tail lace ring with each consecutive sip. Upfront spicy-yeasty aroma is quickly followed by musty barnyard funk, peach and candied lemon, and grassy hop scents. Startling, peppery intensity reluctantly yields to timid pit fruit, cracker, solvent, waxy, salt and sultana tastes… decade-plus-aged rum or salty Islay scotch (minus the iodine character) comes to mind. A light, dry, and airy mouthfeel proves more carbonated than the bubble-free appearance indicates. The burning alcohol finish precedes a tongue-coating minty, bitter aftertaste similar to inexpensive gin (ah, good ol’ college days!). Hefty alcohol remains obvious throughout, but more in a numbing, nudge-nudge-wink-wink remindful than an in-yo’-face offensive sense. Although a bitter ale, I still think Belgium has yet to grasp the American concept of a hoppy beer. Nonetheless, Piraat comes closest to the Tripel-IPA hybrid style than any commercial beer I’ve sampled to date. Nicely done and impressively potent, I recommend it to high-gravity afficionados.

Three Cellars Tasting Milwaukee. A very nive easy to drink Belgian. Good blending

UPDATED: AUG 30, 2008 33 cl. bottle at a restaurant, served in a (Piraat branded) snifter. Golden color with a thick white head. Very fruity aroma and taste. In fact, I find it to have taste reminiscent of port wine, albeit more malty. Strong yeast also perceptible to the nose. Easy to drink given the very high ABV. A solid beer.

750 ml bottle. Pours a slightly cloudy golden color with a thin white head. The aroma has fruits, spices, mild alcohol and dough. The flavor is a bit underwhelming for such a big beer, there are fruits, spices, dough and some alcohol, The body is light with a creamy, slightly liquorous texture, the carbonation is soft. It’s good, but not enough to make me want to drink this again.

UPDATED: NOV 20, 2008 11.2 oz bottle poured into a sniffter. Color is a rich orange with a thin and quickly disappearing white head. Smells distinctly of bread and ripe fruit. Taste is very sweet at first, then followed by almonds and spice. Goes down very warm, alcohol is very present but not overpowering. Above average.

12oz bottle as part of gift pack from LCBO for Christmas 2007. Best before of May 2009. Pours a murky light brown with a fluffy head that recedes quickly to a normal film. Allowed to warm for about a half hour. Strong aroma, but it’s too sweet. First taste is sweet, with a hint of spice as it warmly goes down the throat. Full bodied. The sweetness continues but is reasonably kept in check. Pretty nice, strong stuff.