 BlueDevil0206 (122), Durham, North Carolina, USA
Jun 28, 2005
Bottled. Pours a deep, but penetrable, brown with red edges with a small white head that dropped quite fast. Aroma was of candy and dried fruits: raisin, cherry, figs. Some bready malt and caramel sweetness also came through in the nose. Flavor was sweet of crystal malt and Belgian candy sugar, with tons of fruitiness and spice. Hops were there for bittering but only bittering as I got none in the flavor. Alcohol was more apparent than I think is reasonable, both upfront and in the warm finish. Body was moderately thick and it went down smooth with slightly more carbonation than I would have liked. Not number 1 in my books....or 2....or 3.....or 10.....
hirigalzkar (52), Stockholm, Sweden
Oct 11, 2008 Bottle. Hazy brown. No head. Sweet aroma of bread and yeast (not the typical belgian yeast aroma though). Sweet and fruity beer with a complex flavor. Bread. Raisins. Licorice. Etc. Very smooth.
HopsWhisperer (9), , North Carolina, USA
does not count  Oct 10, 2008 Many thanks to my friend Troy who brought back two bottles of this from a recent trip to Belgium and was gracious enough to share.
Poured a rich, dark brown color into a chalice. However, when the light hit it just right, it had a deep ruby/garnet glow. Wasn’t a huge head, but stayed around for a while. Also, we were sharing this among several people, so pouring this bottle into multiple glasses may have affected the head size as well.
Aromas were good, but nothing really stood out. Rather fruity, like plums and brown sugar, with some sweetness as well.
The taste was excellent. Lots of dark fruits, honey, some spice, and also a bit of alcohol bitterness.
Mouthfeel was exceptiona, like drinking velvet. Just a tingle of carbonation to keep the palate fresh.
Overall, this was a great beer. Did it live up to the hype--could it live up to the hype? Hard to say. I would love to have another full glass rather than the portion I had in order to really savor and explore this beer. But I can’t say that I was dissappointed, either, because what I did get to sample was awesome.
jacobp51 (3), San Diego, California, USA
does not count Oct 9, 2008 Had the pleasure of sharing a bottle of this wonderful beer with a group of friends the other night. Very well balanced. The taste is sweet and fruity with a very mild bitterness. The taste of raisins or dates or some other kind of dried fruit is very apparent with each sip. Very complex on the palate, but not overwhelming. Each sip leaves your mouth wanting more. Well worth the hype, but I wish it was more widely distributed. Cheers!
xpimptastikx (24), Austin, Texas, USA
Oct 7, 2008 No beer is perfect, but this is damn close. Perfectly balanced. Sweet, malty, and slightly hoppy. Every time I sipped it I tasted a new fruit. A complexity that keeps you drinking, and finishing the beer quicker than you’d want. The Abbey experience is one in its own as well. Everyone should try this beer at least once.
Koen890 (2), Vilvoorde, Belgium
does not count Oct 7, 2008 This is the very best beer I ever had
All beer lovers should try it!
too bad it is hard to get
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