Lucifer - Brouwerij Het Anker

9InchNails

New Jersey

2.65/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

When I popped the cork the beer erupted and spilled on my floor. I poured it into my snifter. The snow white head stayed for a little bit but faded some so I could pour more into the snifter. Straw color body that is slightly hazy. It looks very carbonated.

Grain, grass, floral and some peppery spice. It's okay smell, nothing special.

Incredibly bland grain, grass and a muted pepper taste at the end. The Belgian yeast is lacking. BORING!

Light body, reminds me of sparkling water with a little less carbonation and dry.

Stay away from this! Not horrible, just not good. Bland, boring and disappointing. I hope this is a bad batch, I'm not spending anymore time on this.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 06:58:36 | More by 9InchNails

Pahn

New York

2.85/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

On tap at Burp Castle, NYC, into a Chimay goblet. From notes taken in early March, 2010.

Appearance: Half-inch, frothy white head dissipates very slowly. Pours hazy orange and leaves waves of lacing everywhere.

Smell: Smells peppery and a little grassy, with notes of Belgian yeast and orange rind. Inviting.

Taste: In light of the promising smell, the taste is a disaster. Heavy yeastiness with a cloyingly sweet finish. The citrus from the nose is present but tastes like orange soda (this is a very bad thing). A note of anise is present, which is already a bit dangerous in a beer, but is predictably unpleasant when alongside sickly sweetness and orange soda. Really chalky, overboard, and unbalanced. This is exactly the opposite of what you expect to get from a Belgian golden ale; no subtlety, no intriguing esters, no balance.

I let my friend try this and it stung her tongue. She said it reminds her of Fresca (I've never had Fresca). We agreed that it would be appropriate to describe drinking this beer as "flagellating the mouth."

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, with a crass, out of control carbonation.

Drinkability: I was able to finish it, but if offered a second one for free I would have declined.

When I sat down at the table and began taking notes, I made a conscious note to myself: "Don't compare this beer to Duvel, just take it as its own thing." It turns out that comparing this atrocity to Duvel is laughable. Maybe it needs to be bottle-conditioned to be good.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2010 05:53:21 | More by Pahn

Spider889

Ohio

3/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to keffa for sharing this at Jackie O's. While I have seen it a few times in stores it is the type of beer I'd normally never consider buying.

Clear, straw yellow with a very full white head. Left decent legs of lace.

Smells really funky and musty with spicy Belgian yest notes.

The taste is tough - huge dryness and bitterness dominates the palate. This also has overly harsh carbonation - biting, actually. Spicy clove is the main truly nameable flavor.

Dry finish with a CO2 dullness to the flavor. Very hoppy.

This was being compared to Duvel, which I get. It's like Duvel on acid - more everything: more carbonation, more funk, more bitterness, and most of it sadly in detriment to the beer.

Price isn't bad, as Kef said he bought the 750ml bottle for $7.99.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 23:29:11 | More by Spider889

newton99

Belgium

3.08/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

750mL bottle (no dates or codes) into a tulip. Pours a pale yellow w/ an enormous creamy bright head. Sticky chunks of lacing cling to the glass. Light carbonation.

Aroma is floral, spicy w/ a mild lemony zing. Just a subtle hint of musty yeast.

Taste is clean pale malt, yeast, and hops. A delicate balance of basic flavors. Water is a key ingredient too. Very slight candi sugar sweetness, increasing as it warms.

Mouthfeel is smooth, semi-dry.

Overall a light, clean, drinkable Belgian pale.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 09:54:39 | More by newton99

tonymoore

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

I'm not a big fan of Belgian beers, but I had a sip of this one and decided it wasn't too "Belgiany" and bought a growler of it for a change of pace.

It was very drinkable, like Budweiser is drinkable, and it had that same sort of overall feel (you don't mind drinking it, but you might not be loving it). The thing that set it apart, of course, is the higher ABV, which made it worthwhile in the end.

It was light and actually pretty refreshing, as in it would be good on a hot day. But it was a little average in this respect too.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2010 18:38:58 | More by tonymoore

impending

California

3.2/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Toronado. Pours a hazy golden straw, nice but not noteworthy.

Scent of a traditional belgian pale, light fruits, yeast and sugar. Again not particularly noteworthy.

I liked it but only liked. The taste was ok but it tasted and felt somewhat watery. No aspect stood out and considering how crowded the strong pale ale category is with exceptional brews this unfortunately doesn't contend.
cheers
jd

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2010 01:02:30 | More by impending

Bookseeb

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is a golden amber color with a very thick fluffy head and fair lace. Smell of light Belgian yeast, spice and some fruits. Taste of the sour yeast, light sweet malts with some fruit notes. Mouthfeel is a crisp light - medium body with good carbonation. Not bad, but not great, it just lacks what I expected out of a this Belgian ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2010 03:24:31 | More by Bookseeb

emartell

3.23/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cerveza con delicioso aroma a cebada, y ligeramente a otros granos.
Su color es dorado, opaco y turbio.
Al primer trago da la sensación furtementa carbonatada, sin embargo posteriormente se deja sentir la cebada, alcohol, lo cual la hace sumamente refrescante.
En general una buena Belgian Strong Ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 05:30:17 | More by emartell

gfreed

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A perfectly serviceable Belgian PA. It has the color of a tripel, which I've always found to be unappealing, with a thin but attractive white head. Enough yeast in the aroma to remind you that it's a Belgian beer. The taste was somewhat light and sugary, with a touch of fruity Kool-Aid up front and zero bitterness at the back end. It gained some density as it warmed; still, it was lacking character. Worth a glass but nothing more.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2010 05:55:04 | More by gfreed

DoubleJ

California

3.28/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Because I already possess the Lucifer branded snifter, I knew I had to buy a bottle of the beer. What I didn't expect was it to take more than six months since I bought the glass to purchase a bottle to fill it up. So, here goes a 330 ml bottle with a best by July 2012, on to the beer:

A murky straw colored beer with a thick and soapy color on the pour, eventually dropping to a thin lace. The nose is worrisome, as it features some rusty malt and touch of cardboard along with decent fruit and sugar aromas.

There isn't as much off-flavor action in its taste as the nose. It's a reasonable pleasure, offering pear, honey, pineapple, spicy alcohol heat, and a little huskiness getting in the way. Closer to medium than full bodied, somewhat airy, a little alcohol felt.

A solid strong blonde from the folks that brought us Gouden Carolus. I imagine that a bottle without the defects would rate higher, though it has a lot of work to do if it wants to meet its stablemates. At least the label is really cool.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 04:28:30 | More by DoubleJ

Philousa

California

3.33/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at the Pacific Beach Tap Room, SD, CA 12/28/11.

Served a cloudy straw color, 1 finger head with active carbonation. Fluffy lacing left on the glass with each drink. Lots of yeast in the aroma, banana and lemon esters. Not much malt, though I can tell there is a mild pale ale in there somewhere. Caramelized banana, alcohol, then lingering yeast funk with wheat biscuit flavor. A bit of clove spiciness and a bit of nuttiness. This feels a bit watery but creamy. Dry alcohol finish.

Although a solid beer, this came across as a tripel that was lacking in some way. I've had St. Feuillien triple that served up a better banana and citrus ester flavor/aroma. Piraat loves the alcohol burn. St. Bernardus is the uber balanced tripel. This lies somewhere in the middle. I love the mouthfeel, though. I guess I'm a little torn, but ultimately this is a beer that is lacking in some way compared to other awesome Belgians. Good, but not to die for.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 07:13:36 | More by Philousa

MrIncognito

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured from a 11.2oz bottle with a mean little devil in flames on the front into Delirium Tremens glass. Hazy golden body with a huge foamy and sticky white head that leaves great lacing. Champaign-like bubbles racing to the top retains the head for a loooong time.

S - Sweet malts with some Belgian yeast and boozy alcohol. A bit of spicyness in there from the alcohol I think. Candy sugar in the nose as it warms a bit.

T&M - Very much like the smell but a bit more subdued. Candy sugar and light maltiness dominate the first sip followed by slight alcohol burn. Lightly sweet and a bit boozy, especially as this beer warms. Perhaps not the most balanced of beers. Spritzy carbonation, just like champaign. Somewhat sticky in the mouthfeel. A bit thin overall in my opinion.

D - A good beer, but not great. Really lacks the complexity and the "wow" factor I was expecting. Mostly just sweet and boozy. I feel it needs a bit more spice or other flavors. A sipper for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2009 13:17:47 | More by MrIncognito

DaveHS

California

3.43/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rusty yellow/light orange, with about 2 inches of
fluffy eggshell white head. Leaves decent lacing. The dominant
aroma is spicy Belgian yeast, with notes of tropical fruit, candi
sugar, honey, and white pepper. The taste follows suit, a
mouthful of spicy yeast, with granny smith apple, bubblegum, floral hops, and sweet malts. The alcohol just barely
peeks through the surface, but it's well hidden for the most part.
The finish is predominantly herbal. A little bit of coriander on the
back palate. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, which
really brings out the spice. This is further accentuated by the
carbonation. Eh.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 20:54:59 | More by DaveHS

carpezytha

California

3.45/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

A: Brilliant bright white head with excellent lacing. Meringue head sits atop honey golden body.
S: Wet wool. Citrus and hay.
T: Tangy and a bit funky. Sweet malt and melon on the finish
M: Full bodied and well carbonated. Effervescent.
D: Not quite interesting enough to be a frequent drinker, but would not pass it up if offered again.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 05:34:56 | More by carpezytha

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.48/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A strong Belgian Pale Ale with heavy fruits, spice, and alcoholic power. Finess has no place in this glass.

A dark golden colored beer releases with a medium muddy haze, yielding a rusty-orange hue. A billowing eggshell head quickly rises and slowly receeds, leaving large ordinances behind.

Strong aromas of over-rippened fruits (peaches, pears, and apples), bold spice (white pepper), and alcohol come through the nose in a very tingly fashion. Bready and yeasty notes are moderate but are swamped by the fruity, spicy, and alcoholic notes.

Flavors of pears, mangos, and apples all see of the bruised variety and are accompanied by spicy alcohol flavors, orange peel, and peppery taste. This time, the malts take a confectionary tone of powdered sugar and pilsner grains. Hop bitterness accompanies the alcohols and peppery flavors deep into the finish and aftertaste.

Early creaminess and medium fullness is buffered by the quick rise in alcoholic warmth and palate numbing sensations. Aided in bitterness and spice, the beer seems to finish drier and probably better attenuated than it acually is.

Lucifer seems to be an overly aggressive and ill-balanced beer that has a lot of comming together to do.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2010 06:37:06 | More by BEERchitect

KajII

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

[Best served in a Trappist glass]

The pour was a hazy golden yellow with an average sized (1-2 finger) white frothy head that reduced slowly, down to a heavy film with a large collar which possessed some excellent sheets of lacing.

The aroma was of a funky barnyard Belgian yeast and a light grain malt with notes of honey, citrus (lemon), toffee, a mild fruitiness and a slight alcohol scent.

The taste was lightly sweet with a malty citrus note in the beginning, and then became very yeasty and a bit sour with a hint of green apple and a slight peppery alcohol tinge towards the end. The flavor lasted an average duration following the swallow, with a nice mild fruity funky yeast taste left behind.

Mouthfeel was light in body and creamy in texture with a mild carbonation.

Overall a very good Belgian Ale with a nice fruity citrus presence, that along with a good mix of yeast and alcohol helped make sure that no one flavor was so overpowering that it overshadowed any other. This brew was very tasty and rather refreshing for a beer that has such a high ABV…

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 21:51:09 | More by KajII

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light, clear straw yellow colour, with a loose, frothy head of pure white foam. Collapses soon enough though, despite some strong and persistent carbonation. Lacing is good. Looks the part.

Nice champagne/sour notes on the nose, almost tending towards cidery, but veering from that, which would be an insult. Odd smoky characters with a little bubblegum, Belgian yeast and a light, tangy fruitiness. It's nice enough, but odd.

Pleasant, light, if somewhat subdued palate. Hints of bubblegum, grain and sweet citrus. A light bitterness on the mid palate disappears to form an arid finish. Mouthfeel is extremely dry and puckering. Refreshing, however.

Drinkable enough, but not terribly exciting, especially for the style. Not a huge Belgian brew, but quite pleasant, and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 04:42:08 | More by lacqueredmouse

Dominicvampire

Mexico

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Color: Dorado Opaco, su cabeza es fuerte y se mantiene el tiempo necesario.
Aroma: Es Cítrico y Dulce, pero en un grado muy ligero.
Sabor: Se percata de inmediato la dulzura y sabores cítricos al parecer es naranja lo que utilizan similar a la elaboración de la duvel pero utilizan mucho menos cantidad de ingredientes y el sabor se siente mas ligero de inmediato, El largo se puede sentir o un sabor a Melón.
El alcohol se siente de inmediato combinando el sabor cítrico ligero y dando un muy Firme sabor.

Serving type: growler

01-31-2011 04:28:40 | More by Dominicvampire

SolomonGrundy

California

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

So, apparently this used to be brewed by Liefman's, then got bought by Duvel then Duvel didn't want it, so Het Anker bought it...LOL!!!

Pours a cloudy amber with a slight straw-colored hue to it. Lots of carbonation billows up into a huge, rocky head. It never really dissipates and leaves glacier-like sheets of lacing. Eeeexceleennt!!!

Robust, huge aromas of clove, sweet barley malt, some alcohol, some Hawai'ian Sweet bread, and even some citrusy notes, like tangerine. Very cool. So far an excellent brew.

Flavor is as big as the nose would imply. Mouthfell gets a bit thin in the early middle, which is a bummer because I was expecting, and hoping, for something a little more full bodied. This is like getting Jessica Alba instead of the ultra-fine-figured Jessica Biel...Too thin, not a lotta meat, but still beautiful...The alcohol is more pronounced than usual (8% ABV and $3.99/11.oz. bottle), too. Initial blast is a citrusy flavor - like lemonade, but unsweetened. This is battered down by the carbonation until the malt and yeast characteristics emerge from the early middle. It's like drinking a slice of Hawai'ian sweet bread. Then, this falls into the sand and is swept away while the bitterness from the hops emerges from the depths. The finish is long and bitter in a good way and leaves you wanting another drink. Despite the alcohol notes, this is highly drinkable, but a tad expensive to keep you going back for multiple rounds. Good, but not great, beer. Worth trying if you see it.

What I like most: The awesome pour and overall appearance.

What I like least: The thin bodied flavor profile.

Verdict: Short of World Class, but good beer. A tad too alcohol tasting to be a sessionable beer, but worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 02:40:53 | More by SolomonGrundy

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear gold with a huge, rocky white head that takes forever to settle.

S: Aromas of biscuits, lemon, bitter orange, and cream are very evident on the nose. This ale smells a little softer than many other Belgian strong pale ales.

T: Notes of cream, biscuits, lemon, bitter orange, kumquat, grass, and peppery alcohol wash over the palate. The finish is citrusy and warming with big lemon, alcohol, and grass notes.

M: Full bodied and chewy, but with noticeable carbonation. Smoother than some ales of this style.

O: This is a very solid Belgian strong pale ale, but do not expect it to bring anything new or exciting to the table.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 13:34:57 | More by mrfrancis

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.56/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Poured two fingers of head on a cloudy, medium straw colored body.
The aroma was of dry grain and alcohol. Not great.
The nice was mild apple and pear with a mild bitterness. Smooth and mellow.
The texture was crisp with moderate carbonation.
An easy drinking beer, by no means the best or worst.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 03:57:36 | More by Fatehunter

alysmith4

District of Columbia

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hmm.. interesting beer. Also had this on-tap at The Black Squirrel. Was not what I was expecting. The appearace was average, smell was fresh and light. Taste was very yeasty. I couldn't tell what it was at first, it was kind of an "off" flavor. I also tasted a lot of sugar and bananas. The beer was good, but very.. thin if that makes any sense. I kept waiting for more, but it just didn't deliver. There are so many other beers in this style that are available, so I wouldn't waste your time with this one.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2010 17:59:30 | More by alysmith4

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Yellow-gold color with a chill haze. Leaves excellent lace despite the head settling to a thin layer of bubbles.

Cream aroma with an ever-so-faint Belgian yeast nose. Almost like a cross between an English Mild and a lighter pale Belgian Ale.

The flavor is predictable based on the smell. I note some additional alcohol warmth. The body is rich even if the beer is relatively dry. Quite carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 23:47:50 | More by smcolw

bsp77

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Serving glass: Poured from tap into small glass.

Appearance: Cloudy yellow with thin white head.

Smell: Banana, peach, citrus, clove and some grassiness.

Taste: Similar flavor profile as the aroma, but a little more funky and boozy.

Feel: Decent carbonation, light but syrupy body, semi-dry finish.

Overall: Pretty good Strong Pale, but the mouthfeel is a little too syrupy and the flavor profile is a little too pedestrian.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2012 01:23:15 | More by bsp77

Absumaster

Netherlands

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A clear golden beer with a huge head that shows eternal lacing on the glass. The carbonation is very high and an aggressive stream of bubbles is rising to the surface.

Smell is very fruity with hints of melon and ripe bananas and some solvent whiffs. The smell is 100% Belgian. Maybe some very light coriander in the back.

Taste is dominated by the strong yeast character. The yeast adds a strong fruity taste caused by the higher alcohols. There are flavors of bananas and peaches. The maltiness is low and most probably enriched by a large sugar addition, which makes the body of the beer low and increases drinkability. For an 8% ABV beer this beer drinks way too easy. A classic and nice example of the style. In my book at the same level as a Duvel.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 15:16:44 | More by Absumaster