Cuvée Van De Keizer Blauw (Blue) - Brouwerij Het Anker

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

75 cl

Pours a deep ruddy brown, cloudy, with a brownish yellow head at an inch. Slow dissipation.

Smells of apples, butter, caramel, figs, cloves, cinnamon and a hint of yeast ester and hop.

Tastes of oak, apples, caramel, molasses, cloves, red grapes and hints of something like rum.

Full, syrupy body with light tingles of carbonation on the roof of the mouth. Some booze warmth going down.

This beer is monstrous and rich, very heavy, and definitely a sipper. It's almost overwhelmingly rich and flavorful and borders on being just a tad too much. It's very sweet and will not appeal to fans of dryer, more tart, or hoppier beers because of this. However, it is quite good for what it is and I am going to thoroughly enjoy this experience. However, there are a number of other Belgian ales in this class that I think balance their flavors a little better.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 22:27:05 | More by Cylinsier

Immortale25

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Dogfish signature snifter. Back label says 11/07/11.

A- Pours a medium brown color with a full inch of light tan head that retains a good while before dropping down to an 1/8 head and bubbly surface foam. Soft, sticky lacing.

S- Sweet and very rich with jabs of alcohol fume coming through here and there. Notes of pecan and hazelnut.

A- Oh boy. Incredibly balanced flavors of yeast, sweet malt and alcohol. Notes of Belgian candy sugar, light butter and nuts. The sweet-to-booze ratio is nearly spot-on with the booze just barely inching ahead. Taking sip after sip to unlock the mystery only leads to a warming sensation in the stomach that's totally welcome.

M- Slick and smooth with some alcohol bite and a perfect amount of snap from the medium carbonation.

O- Now I see why this has such high acclaim. Sure, it's a bit hot but it's a perfect wintertime brew...too bad it's August but that's why I'm definitely cellaring one of these bad boys!

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 02:15:20 | More by Immortale25

GruberMeister

1.83/5  rDev -57.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

I tried this beer based on the amazing ratings. It tastes like wine. I don't recommend this beer if you are a fan of IPAs, ales, or beer. It tastes like wine. Pick up a St Sebastians golden Belgian ale instead. I would have trouble picking this over even budweiser to be honest.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 08:33:56 | More by GruberMeister

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with an off white head. Splashy lace that lasts.

Dark fruit; boozy bread (really good bread notes), some yeast, sweet malt, boozy cherry.

Nice brew. Boozy malt up front, but not overly chemical in flavor. Some brown sugar, dark fruit, sweet bready bite, some cocoa powder, a little bitterness. Dries out a touch in the end with more sweet than bitter.

Full bodied, carbonation is right.

Great beer. A brew that will sneak up on you at 11%. Easy to drink

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 23:06:16 | More by OtherShoe2

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from 2/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a dark mahogany brown with ruby highlights. Nice off-white one finger head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of dark and caramel malt, dark and dried fruit, slight cherry and a hint of Belgian spicing. Flavor is intense dark and dried fruits, caramel malt and delicious light tartness with fruits dominating middle and finish with slight hops in the finish. A bit on the sweet side, but the complex flavor carries this ale through. Medium to heavy bodied with some creaminess. A very nice dark Belgian.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 18:16:23 | More by LiquidAmber

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.65/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a flute glass. Vintage 2010 bottle served 08/07/2012.

Appearance: Very very dark brown, almost amber. It is not purely opaque with a off white maybe orange-white head that rose to 1/3", looks good believe me.

Smell: Rich berries borderline wine that's how deep it is.

Taste: Ridiculously complex, it is definitely not for every drinker but most will appreciate a quality brew like this. Lightly bitter with a honey sweet taste.

Mouth: Incredibly sticking taste, I mean seriously it is a notch "sweet" but so sweet that you will love it.

Overall: This beer is a gem, I honestly couldn't push it any more. You want to talk about a quality brew this is it. I absolutely cannot complain, well maybe only one I want more! Salud

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 05:42:08 | More by BlurryVisi0n

kojevergas

California

3.85/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2007 vintage! 1 pint 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle with hood and wire cap over a cork served into a Uinta brewing pilsner glass (it was all that was available) in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are very high given the brewery and style. I'm hoping it beats Chimay Blue.

Served after a rest period from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger khaki colour head of nice cream, good thickness, and excellent retention for the high ABV. Colour is a very dark yet vibrant and evocative brown. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Nontransparent. Opaque.

Sm: Magnificent dark malts, biscuit malt, clean malts, dark malts, biscuity yeast, fantastic caramelization, cream, plum, and heavy wine notes (mostly red, with even a tannin-like character). Surprisingly acidic. A delightfully fruity, rather subtle aroma. Really quite remarkable. I can't wait to try it.

T: Great cream throughout, with plum, wine grape, and other indistinct fruit notes. The gentle malt backbone lends it body but doesn't intrude on the flavour. Hops are floral if present; no bitterness comes through at all. Nor does any alcohol, which is quite a feat at this ABV. Some nectar on the back end. It's nicely yeasty, which I think helps complement those fruit notes. Some raisin here and there. It's not as winey as suggested by the aroma but still maintains that distinct character, especially on the climax. Tinges of caramelization help keep it interesting. It's full of surprises, and boasts an impressive depth of flavour as well as an interesting complexity. Quite subtle. It's brought off quite well; I adore it. A touch too acidic.

Mf: Just enough cream. Smooth and wet, aiding the drinkability. Supports the flavours without intruding upon them. Good (though fairly high) thickness. It can feel a bit viscous at times, but overall it's quite alright. It could use a touch more coarseness, but I'm nitpicking. Carbonation is near perfect; it drinks well now - even after five years.

Dr: I think the age likely did it well. Maybe one more year and it'd peak. Very drinkable for its incredibly well concealed ABV. I'd definitely get this again. Worth picking up some bottles for the cellar as well. A fantastic beer in the style, giving even Chimay Blue a run for its money in my book. Indeed, I think I prefer this one. And it isn't even priced all that highly for its quality. This is something of an overlooked treasure. I'd definitely recommend it to friends. One thing that does bother me is the proliferation of grapey notes, which can tip the balance of the flavour off at times.

B+

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 06:18:17 | More by kojevergas

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2010 vintage bottle purchased for me a year ago by @epiclurk. Shared with @tobeerornottobe and @LaitueGonflable. So around 2 years of age on it.

Pours a deep ruby red tending to brown, with a hazy, bubbly and somewhat inconsistent head of off-white. Lacing is patchy but fine and streaking. Colour is amazing, weight in the body is very pleasant. Looks really great.

Nose is deep, complex and pungent, with big dark fruit characters carrying spicier, drier notes and even a hint of acidity. Everything is smoothed by a big, slightly estery vanilla character, and a big whack of rounded Belgian yeast. Fantastic stuff: another effortless example of Belgian superiority.

Taste is phenomenal. Smooth and sweet, with a balance that somehow keeps it from being too cloying. It has a bright, slightly dry, slightly coppery feeling on the edges that stops the sweetness from overwhelming the palate. There's spicy poached oranges coming through as well: it's like the suggestion of bright fragrance, that still gets covered with brown sugar and toffeed up into subjugation. Absolutely amazing stuff. Complex, but so, so well balanced.

Feel is incredibly smooth and perfectly weighted. It aids the palate in every respect.

Absolutely fantastic stuff. Clean, balanced but also masterfully complex and deep. The alcohol is so well hidden, and hidden in a light, airy way that only the Belgians do. It makes it supremely drinkable despite its hefty ABV. Oh yes, this is a phenomenally good beer: and so effortless. Absolutely amazing.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 06:52:42 | More by lacqueredmouse

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.68/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

For Belgian Independance Day Week.

Body is more brown than black, but its dark for sure. The light produces a few translucent brown hues. Initial white head fades into big bubbles and a ring around the glass.

Booze laden smell. Lots of prunes and sweet dark cherries. Thick booze smell still dominates. Slightly sweet, kind of like sweet cherry syrup.

Not overly complex, but exactly what you want from a Belgian Dark. The booze is all but gone. Yeast comes out straight away, blitzkrieging away. It fades, and you get the underlying sweet dark fruits that are just great. Then comes this insanely smooth sweet monster. It finishes out just so smooth. Just sweet enough to be great, but not overly sweet. Notes of black cherries, plums, and sweet, sweet blackberries. Finishes light and slightly sweet.

Yeast is perfect here. Only enough of it to make a Belgian ale, but adds a nice presence. Low carbonation also helps the drinkability.

Feels light (way too light for 11%). Slick from the dark fruits, but still enough body to make it great.

What a gem and a lucky find on my part. Now I have to try to find a better BSDA (which is going to be tough).

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 19:35:53 | More by VncentLIFE

TenHornsProud

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark, murky purple/black/brown with a small tan head that lingers.

Smells of sweet, bready malt, plum, some fig, and dark, burnt sugar character.

Taste is sweet plum, cherry up front that goes into a more bready yeast character before ending on a sweet, dark fruit note with a big note of alcohol.

Full body with nice carbonation. A bit too boozy at a young age.

Fantastic, non-hyped beer that I can't wait to age.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 00:33:19 | More by TenHornsProud

superspak

Michigan

4.28/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2007 vintage 750 ml into tulip glass, bottled 3/28/2007. Pours cloudy reddish brown color with a small 1 finger khaki head with decent retention that reduces to a thin ring of lace. No glass lacing, this did not pop upon opening. Aromas of huge raisin, prune, molasses, banana, clove, caramel, biscuit, toast, herbal, apple, pepper, earth, and yeast spices. Damn nice and highly complex aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of big raisin, prune, apple, caramel, banana, clove, toffee, molasses, herbal, biscuit, toast, earth, pepper, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of raisin, molasses, caramel, banana, clove, herbal, earth, toffee, toast, biscuit, and apple on the finish for a good bit of time. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a creamy and slick mouthfeel that is nice, with just enough carbonation to not make it difficult. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish; but it is still definitely a sipper. Overall this is a fantastic Belgian strong dark ale! Despite the lacking carbonation, this still turned out very complex with a nice smooth mouthfeel. Delicious stuff, and extremely enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 01:34:56 | More by superspak

draheim

Washington

4.53/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750mL (2010) into a chalice. Pours a crystal-clear mahogany w/ a thin head that subsides to a film sustained by vigorous carb. Nice sticky lace clings to the glass.

Aroma is sweet dark fruits - prunes, raisins, figs - and bready yeast/malt. Like most Het Anker beers, there's a prominent fruity candi sugar presence. Smells so clean.

Taste follows nose. Sugary sweet, w/ lots of fermented dark fruits and bready malt. Fruity and light. 11% alcohol expertly concealed. So smooth and drinkable for a high-ABV beer.

Mouthfeel is where this one really shines. Velvety smooth, carbonation and body are just right. Finishes super clean and dry.

Overall this is exactly what I was hoping it would be. So glad I took other BAs' advice over the year and picked up a few bottles from each vintage: 2010, 2011, and 2012. Will continue to do so as long as they keep making it.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 03:45:28 | More by draheim

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.68/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle from Slowbeer. From notes.

A - Poured bright with a deep red colour. Strong carbonation and a two finger, creamy head of a beige persuasion. Great lace rings and great retention.

S - Tons of dark fruit. Plum, raisin, etc. Really lovely. maybe a hint of spice and a touch of booze but really dark fruit dominated.

T - Sweet fruits, lot's of dark fruit again, some yeast ester, mild sugar, dates, and a touch of booze. A beautiful flavour combo. A bit of light spice was there too and the alcohol was so mild that is was complimentary. Lovely.

M - Mild carbonation, medium to full creamy body, slightly sweet/fruit finish. So smooth.

O/D - Absolutely delicious. A great example of a dark Belgian beer. Flavourful and so balanced. Easy to drink but so worth savouring. Probably one of the best beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 00:28:50 | More by tbeckett

flagmantho

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 750mL bottle into a tulip. This is the 2012 vintage.

Appearance: very dark brown/amber hue which shines a beautiful ruby when held up to the light. There's a nicely active effervescence, and head is a thick finger of pillowy ivory foam. Nice.

Smell: nice mixture of sweet caramel and dusty dark fruits. Cherry, plum and raisin are evident. I like it.

Taste: huge, rich flavor with a much greater intensity than the aroma. Caramel sweetness provides a backdrop for more of the same fruits as in the aroma, but everything is brighter and bigger. Alcohol bite and fruitiness contribute a lot to the flavor. Toward the end, the flavor rounds out with a light breadiness. I love it!

Mouthfeel: medium-thick body with a big carbonation and a big, thick creaminess. Love it.

Overall: what a delicious beer. I was worried from the low-key smell that this beer would not be as wonderful as I'd hoped, but in the end it's delicious and drinkable despite its huge ABV. Wonderful stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 15:02:17 | More by flagmantho

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml corked and caged bottle served in an oversized wineglass. 2008 vintage.

pours an opaque deep mahogany tone with ruddy highlights. finger plus of a creamy khaki colored head; decent retention and nice walls of lacing. solid looking BSDA.

the nose is robust and malty sweet, replete with dark fruits (notably cherry and raisin), belgian yeast, brown sugar, and maybe a touch of molasses. pretty much what i look for in my belgian strong darks. flavor closely follows the aroma, opening with a strong cherry presence and followed in short order by spice and other dark fruits (plum, raisin, fig), and molasses, along with generous helpings of caramel and brown sugar. complex and nicely balanced; definitely on the sweet side but not overly so. bit of warming alcohol to the finish, though other than that the 11% ABV is very well-hidden. tasty, tasty.

full bodied mouthfeel with a bit of chew to it; adequate carbonation. very drinkable and a nice surprise as i knew very little about this one when i picked it up. nothing like going in without expectations and being very pleasantly surprised. exceptional belgian strong dark ale.

originally reviewed: 11-15-2010

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 20:54:52 | More by BostonHops

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.43/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle poured into an Allagash chalice. 2011 vintage.

Appearance - Pours a deep mahogany with a nice khaki head. Decent retention and some lacing. Looks quite nice.

Smell - Bananas, cherries, strawberries, and just a hint of caramel. Excessively fruity, but it's nice. Looking for a bit more depth from it.

Taste - Wow, it's sweet and extremely fruity. Tons of banana and cherry. Again, not much depth to the caramel, but it's got a tremendous amount of sugar in it. Sweet and boozy in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Creamy and thick. Boozy with medium-low carbonation. The sweetness makes it quite sluggish.

Overall - It's got good flavors but so much sweetness and booze that it's not quite a good beer. Above average at best. I'm surprised by the reviews. Perhaps this needs time to mellow.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 02:36:16 | More by Alieniloquium

nickfl

Florida

3.65/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with one finger of light tan foam on top of a dark brown body with good clarity. The head settles slowly and leaves nice lace.

S - Dark, malty notes of brown sugar and caramel with some plum, dark cherry and cola notes.

T - Dark brown sugar up front with lots of malt sweetness. Some spicy notes of coriander, cinnamon, and caramel dipped red apple. Finishes with more brown sugar, clove, and cinnamon.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - Dense, sugary malt with lots of yeast character but an excessively sweet finish. Oddly cloying for a beer that I remember being much dryer and more balanced the last time I had it. Not a drain pour but a bit of a disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 02:40:40 | More by nickfl

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First had: on tap at Iron Abbey, Horsham, PA

Damn tasty beer right here. Dark chestnut brown in color, mostly translucent, with a small off-white head that receded to a tiny ringlet, but still left a bit of lacing on the glass. Aroma rich with honey and dark fruits. Taste is dominated by rich sugars--honey and molasses, mainly--and prunes, afterthoughts of bready yeast, raisins, cotton candy, earthy hops. Full of flavor, heavy-medium body, and quite a pleasant drink overall. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2012 12:47:01 | More by Rifugium

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: pours dark brown but clear with a huge tan head that quickly dissipates to leave a thin layer of foam and nicely sticky head.

S: cloves, earthiness, sweet malt, and apple. Maybe some tobacco in there.

T: huge taste with spicy yeast up front, then fruitiness and sweet malt followed by a slight crisp bitter taste at the end along with more malt. It's fairly sweet.

M: medium-heavy body with very good carbonation that pops once in your mouth. The carbonation hides the sweetness well for a while.

O: very good beer, but tough to drink half of the bomber. I'd grab it again some time, even at $8 per bottle or whatever it was. The sweetness I got from this 2011 version kept this beer from being absolutely fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 00:43:56 | More by Holland

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 Vintage

A: Pours a clear dark amber to brown in color with a half finger tall beige head. The head reduces to some extremely thin patches and a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate lacing is observed.

S: A very sweet yet inviting aroma to this beer with some sweet malts as well as lots of dark fruits (fig) and just a hint of spice.

T: Dark toasted/charred and sweet malts including some bready and caramel notes as well, followed by some serious amounts of dark fruits (primarily figs), and just a hint of the yeast spices in the finish. There is also a light hint of oak or wood.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate to high amounts of carbonation. Very creamy.

O: Very enjoyable, the taste and the smell of the alcohol are very well hidden. A really great beer though I would recommend more sipping (considering the ABV) than as a session beer. I will get this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 20:56:03 | More by dbrauneis

Cozzatoad

Italy

4.48/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle, 2010 vintage

A- Dark brown with reddish hints if seen through light. One finger or even slightly less off-white head. Quite dense though, and it shows nice retention, leaving a good amount of lacing on the glass

S- Delicate but rich nose. Dark malts with notes of chocolate and brown sugar. Sugary and alcohol notes blend together nicely, giving the aroma a bit of a rum-like feeling. Background notes of oak and dark fruits (cherry, raisin)

T- Follows the aroma closely. Malts are quite dense, with chocolate, caramel and bready notes. Yeast/sugars definitely play an important role and the beer's overall feel is sure on the sweet side, though always in balance. A slight oaky/woody aged feel, expecially on the back of the mouth and in the aftertaste, with a slight touch of herbal/earthy hops. Dark fruit notes as the smell suggested, with cherry pretty much in evidence. Very complex and yet perfectly balanced

M- Medium to full body, light and very soft carbonation. A persistent soft, creamy mouthfeel on both tongue and palate, allowing flavours to spread throughout the whole mouth

O- 11%ABV? This look like 7-8%ABV, showing amazing balance and drinkabilty. Still it is highly complex and satisfyingly rich. An awesome beer

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 10:47:40 | More by Cozzatoad

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Thorpe429 for providing this beer in a trade. Also a tip of the cap to ML67 (Mark) for giving me a heads up that it was so good. Was placed on my Want list and Thorpe came through.

A thin finger of beige head vanishes fairly quickly. A dirty brownish color. No lace to speak of.

Aroma is nice and rich. Date/Fig.. Dark fruit with a big sweet sense.

Flavor is very nice. A touch of spice below the flavors I mention above. Date and fig is what I think of with this one. A little dark rum flavor here with the dark sweetness mixing with the abv.

Smooth, fairly bold in body. Nice.

A very good beer. One I would enjoy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 21:17:17 | More by Reagan1984

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Bell's tulip from a cage n corked bottle.
2005 on the neck of the bottle.

A- Pours a dark amber with a 1 finger light tan head. Minimal lacing.

S- Lots of dark fruits and toasted malts, spices, and has a champagne-like smell to it (champagne yeast?).

T- Sweet toasted malts and lots of dark fruits, spices, bread, belgian yeast.

M- Full body with high carbonation, again possibly from a champagne yeast. ABV is there but not hot at all.

O- Very good Belgian strong dark ale! Like the sweet dark fruits and flavors from the yeast as well.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 21:15:16 | More by kawilliams81

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.7/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2010 Vintage.

Beer is dark brown with hints of red. Moderately-sized tan head. Decent retention.

Nose is quite malty, somewhat bready. Dark fruit as well, cherry most prominently, fig and prune as well. A wood scent as well.

Taste is excellent. Dark fruit is prominent: cherry, raisin and plum mainly. The fruit is balanced very nicely by the bready malt flavours. Belgian yeast is noticeable. An oak flavour permeates the whole beer and works very well. All of the flavours are perfectly integrated and balanced. Sweet but not overly so. Great.

Full bodied, low carbonation level. A bit sticky. Very nice.

Overall, an excellent beer. No disappointment here. This is a wonderful beer and one of the best BSDAs I have had.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 19:44:32 | More by jrenihan

SLeffler27

New York

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown walnut with ruby red highlights while a slight, beige head produces little lace.

Has the full, rich aroma one would expect with spice and dark fruits. Rather sweet with plums, fresh figs, and brandy. Caramelized sugar continues to develop with warmth.

A mélange of dark fruits and spices just as the nose had suggested. This one is rich and complex and could easily be considered a benchmark for the style. The balance is slightly to the sweet side but still well in check. A lingering finish. Warms amazing well.

Full body with modest carbonation and syrupy texture. Alcohol is present but a minor player.

Perfect for contemplation of memories or reading as one sips. Enjoyed this in a tulip glass, as that is what was available, however, I would have preferred a chalice or snifter.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 11:47:40 | More by SLeffler27