 DruncanVeasey (1633), Burbage, Leicestershire, England
Jan 6, 2008 Updated: Jun 13, 2008
(Re-rate, 21/04/08- previously 3.6) Nose of lime juice freshness, sherbet, barnyard, pigshit. Stings with hop pellet bitterness. Herbal grassy hop as in an unfiltered helles. Lime-like citrussy dryness, wild yeast, manure, wheat and lingering biscuit. Silky to the point of stillness, but not quite. GRASS. How did I miss that before? Not as a hop metaphor, but a real tangible mouthful, with roots and little clods of soil still attached. Clean but filthy dirty. This beer has more barnyard, yeasty edge and hop spike to it than Orval these days, and bottle by bottle has become a favourite of mine. Spiky, zesty, agricultural XX shandy.
(old rate- what was I on???)....Tasted this with heavy flu at In De Vrede, and was convinced it was bound for my top 5 it seemed so aromatically hoppy, and was the only one of the Holy Trinity I could really taste. On second impression, back home and with my tasting faculties 100% restored, it seems a whole lot more restrained and, well....ordinary. Pours pale hazy gold with a pillowy white head. Aromas lemony, citric and grassy and leaning into witbier territory. There are also some nutty/vegetable/wheaty notes wafting about, not completely unlike an really adjuncty lager. Just a sniff of something dry, biting and herbal that sets it apart. But blindfolded, I might have mistook it for an unspicy wit brewed with a high proportion of unmalted barley. It’s that lemony. Flavour bites with English golden ale citrussy/grassy hops and background biscuity malts. Soap and citrus to the fore. Needs plumping up a bit as it leaves a bit of a watery impression on the palate. Dry, hoppily bitter, pleasantly lemony Trappist sessions. But it can’t touch Orval.
Svesse (1709), Hässelby, Sweden
Sep 6, 2008 (Bottle, Akkurat, Stockholm, 5 Sep 2008) Yellow colour, slightly hazy, with a frothy white head. Fruity, spicy, slightly citric nose with notes of lemon, pineapple and spices (coriander, clove?). Fruity, spicy taste with lemon, tropical fruit, clean solid malt and lots of spicy hops in a rather bitter finish. Nice, chewy mouthfeel. Fairly dry with a long, spicy finish. Excellent Belgian blond.
TeamTrappist (153), jericho, New York, USA
Sep 5, 2008 Poured a cloudy apple juice color. Very light mild nose,a bit on the yeasty side. This is mild and smooth with great carbonation. Really a delicious flavor with a nice malty finish.Delicious beer. What a great everyday beer this would be, if only...
The Etruscan (262), Tuscany, Italy
Sep 1, 2008 Creamy thiny full lasting white head. Deep golden cloudy colour. Aroma is malty, fruity (apricots, pears) with floral and citrus notes. Flavor is malty too with peel orange, candy and fruity (pears,banana) tones, ending in a hoppy finish. Medium bodied.
KyotoLefty (113), Kyoto, Japan
Aug 27, 2008 Updated: Aug 31, 2008From the bottle at De Vrede, March 2008. This was the best golden light beer I have ever tried. Amazingly complex aroma, perfect balance, great flavor for only 6%. Great fruit, malt, and hops. Citrus, spices, herbs, honey. Wow! I went there expecting much from the 8 and the 12, and was blown away most by this one. 98th percentile but still under-rated: I think this might be the perfect light beer.
AtlAggie (18), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Aug 26, 2008 Deep golden color with full frothy head. Aroma is of slight yeast, touch of fruit and pinch of hops. Nothing too overwhelming. Pleasantly (mild) yeasty flavor, with citrus notes and a balanced hop finish. Just a remarkably balanced beer that is easy to drink--everything is as it ought to be. Not my favorite style of beer, but the best example of its sort I’ve ever had.
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