De Proefbrouwerij Signature Ale

Brewed by De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Lochristi - Hijfte, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

12 oz bottle
I am not certain which batch this belonged to but I have been sitting on for a year and who knows how long it was at the store (probably at least another one). I wish I would have passed because while it was acceptable the price tag was a bit much ($4.99). I don’t mind paying for good beer but it has to be worth the expense. Perhaps though I just got a bad bottle.

Aroma / Appearance - Gushing upon being opened immediately was the first strike. The pillowy head took ages to settle such that I almost forgot about it on the counter. The ruby body redeemed itself though by being the center of attention. Caramel, molasses, and Wurther’s chews make me feel like I am sniffing a bottle of the syrup you add to an Italian soda.

Flavor / Palate - The chewy filling is like the inside of a Twix bar. Next comes a yeasty bite like a huge mouthful of sourdough bread. Put together it tastes like a melted scoop of chocolate ice cream on top of a caramel brownie. Decent but somehow underperforming this beer was not worth the price tag. Here’s to hoping that new batches have more balance and body.

On tap at Lost Abbey’s Brunch. Pours with a nice 1-finger medium-fade light head. Nice IPA aroma medium level hop bouquet. Light yellow color. Mild hop bitter taste with a blend of grapefruit and other hops. I don’t notice any sourness from the use of Brett yeast (that I’m not skilled at picking out, except when pronounced). Very drinkable.

Thank you notalush and his Santa. Very good. Nice aroma. Sweet and spice balance. Nice and complex with some fruit and bitterness too. Taste is sweet too. Malty and spices like cloves and dried oranges and figs. Nice carbonation too helps all the mellow hops shine.

750 ml. bottle. Pours a very opaque orange-brown color. Almost the color of apple cider. Huge, rocky white head. Big pear notes, a little booze, yeast, and candy sweetness in the nose. High carbonation but it is very fine. Light, dry mouthfeel. Reminds of a hard cider in many ways. Fruity with a nice touch of bitterness on the palate. I didn’t get the resinous hop quality or the strong citrus notes they suggest on the label. It seems that they have blended together quite nicely. A dry and bitter finish. Different and fun to drink. Definitely worth a try!

tasting at GDBTF on 10/18/08. dark gold with 1/4’ white head. yeast aroma. medium to full body. very soft over the palate. spicy on the tip with some citrus and wild yeast. nice finish...

75cl bottle from Beer World (Largo, FL). Pours a dark golden caramel color with a thick and fluffy off-white head. Excellent retention and lacing. Aroma is sweet, malty, and spicy with bread, yeast, and ripe fuits notes. Clearly visible particulate matter. Flavor is sweet and malty with a balancing hoppy tartness. Some ripe fruit, apricot and earthy and woody notes as well. Light to medium body with a slightly bitter, slightly sweet finish.

Bottle from Cavie. Cloudy yellow with a white head. Aroma of banana, alcohol, a little clove, citrus, and hops. Taste is dry hops, a little yeast, honey, and orange Tang.

Tasting session at jbrus. Bottled. Hazy golden coloured, big white head. Leathery nose, some citrus. Rather thick mouthfeel, brett, sweetness, more bitter towards the finish. Lasting bitter finish. Very interesting flavour, unusual but good.