Zinnebir - Brasserie de la Senne

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Masterful simple, soft,easy drinking. Great for lunch. Opaque golden with a white abundant creamy hand and lace. Sweet fruit and yeast in the aroma. Easy medium mouthfeel. Went right to the sediment, which was sourish. Refreshing overall, like a toned-down saison in spiciness, tasted pear, orange, apricot.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2007 05:01:44 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.13/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Significantly hazy, yeast-choked, well-bubbled rich amber. I love it when there's so much visual interest after the pour. Who needs perfectly clear, filtered-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life beer anyway? The eggnog colored head is richly creamy and is equally as lovely as the beer on which it rests, possibly more so. Large, pearl-like bubbles occupy the upper surface and result in big, soft craters when they pop.

Since the brewer eschews anything that isn't named malt, hops or yeast, the invigorating spiciness of the beer has to be due to an especially lively strain of yeast. While it doesn't quite have the chops of the best of this style, it's a damn fine nose all the same.

Zinnebir is relatively simple and straightforward (that isn't a knock) and is a wonderful Belgian pale ale that should be a pleasure all the way to the bottom of the bottle. It's unripe apple and pear fruity with a dry crispness that was expected once I learned that no candi sugar was added. It isn't especially parching though, so some amount of pale malt sugar made it through unscathed.

Beer of this style (if it isn't highly hopped like De Ranke XX Bitter) is often dependent on a quality yeast strain to provide zip and the zing. This one is up to the task and gives off spicy flavors of clove and cardamom. Speaking of hops, there's quite a bit of floral, grassy, noble goodness keeping things on the bitingly bitter side. A wee lack of complexity isn't necessarily a negative when the beer is this delicious and this drinkable.

Given the surfeit of bubbles, I would have thought the mouthfeel would have been more light and airy. It feels fine, it's just that it isn't as lush or as silky as it could be. No barrier to drinkability here either.

Zinnebir is a solid offering from the relatively new Brouwerij Sint-Pieters. It's a classic, back to basics, well-constructed pale ale that is disappearing with effortless ease. I'll be sure to be on the lookout for more of Mr. Bernard Leboucq's creations since it's obvious that he knows what good beer is all about.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2006 16:18:55 | More by BuckeyeNation

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Moeder Lambic Fontainas during our trip to Belgium last week. Reviewed from notes.

Served in a De La Senne cervoise.

Pours a clear yellow with a huge, fluffy white head and great lacing on the way down. Thin cap throughout.

Bright floral hops start the nose off along with a bit of pepper and spice from the yeast. A bit of earth there as well.

Body is light and crisp with a dry and bitter finish. Overall, fairly similar to the Allagash collaboration, but with continental rather than American hops. Quite tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2011 13:38:41 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy honey color with a massive head that sticks and webs like crazy

Smell: Pear, tart apple and crayons

Taste: Opens with a biscuity flavor that expands in the pear and apple direction by mid-palate, introducing a vague hint of clove and coriander; after the swallow, the refined bready flavors are joined with a nice spicy yeast element; the hops give a modest bitter aspect to the beer as well

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: While I cannot get that crayon aroma out of my mind, the flavor of this beer is so subtle yet touches on all of the key elements of malt, hops and yeast; really quite nice

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2008 22:18:02 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a golden color ale with a big foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aromas of dry hops are dominating with a bready yeast presence. Taste is also a very nice mix between some dry Noble hops with a nice Belgian malt profile and somewhat bready yeast. Full body with good carbonation and no alcohol. Very well done and easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2008 18:26:14 | More by Phyl21ca

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled March 2007
Very well carbonated, at least it kicks up lots of flaky sediment from the bottom of the bottle. The head is a frothy, pale tan color (really an off-white) and starts out four-fingers thick; it leaves a nice lacing pattern on the sides of the glass as I drink my way through this beer.. The beer is almost brilliantly clear and is a nice gold color. The aroma is dry, yet fruity with notes of apple, pear, and malt. The malt character smells of freshly milled pale malt, some grassy notes as well as a touch of bread-like character. A touch of spicy, yeast derived, funkiness is here and adds some nice complexity to the overall aroma. As the beer warms a bit a nice dry, biscuit-like and soda cracker note starts to exhibit itself in the aroma.

The beer is only lightly chilled and is quite expressive at this temperature. A nice light to medium body helps this to have some palate coating character. Lightly sweet with malt character coating the mouth. The sweet malt accentuates a nice fruitiness of pears, a touch of apple and even a zesty lemon-peel note of citrus. The beer finishes off with a nice spicy note that must be from the particular yeast strain used. It adds notes of clove, ginger and a biting peppery note (which is also from the carbonation) that really helps to provide balance. Lightly tart in the finish it also has a certain, light astringency; the combination of which cause this beer to finish dry, which is a perfect lead into taking another sip of this brew.

I really enjoy lower alcohol characterful Belgian ales; There are a style that is easy to make bland or boring, but when they are on they make the perfect session beer. I find that beers of this type are best served on the warm side of cool, otherwise you can really miss out on their complexity. This was certainly a pleasant surprise, and a 750ml bottle is the perfect size for a quaff or two.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2007 21:29:04 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.15/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap 10/13/2010 at Julian's in Providence, RI, served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a bright gold/orange color, with a large white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick but spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains light malts, Belgian yeast, some spice and some hops.

T: The taste is very well-balanced with some spice and citrus flavors up front that are quickly followed by bready flavors from Belgian yeast and a hearty but not too heavy malt character. There's a good hops presence for the style. The after-taste is slightly bready and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

D: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, decent kick, very good representation of style, this is a very nice Belgian-style beer worth pounding down for a long time.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2010 19:58:14 | More by TheManiacalOne

emerge077

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A solid "purist" Belgian Pale.

Label states no sugar, spices, or additives in the ingredients. This shows through in the ale's character, it's not boring even though it comes from simple ingredients.

Pours a deep orange/straw yellow, with streams of carbonation. A rocky merengue head of foam forms, and remains for some time. A skim of foam remains for the hour duration of the bottle. Attractive and lively.

Smell is initally mild pear and apple esters from the yeast used.

Taste is dry, pilsner malt, doughy with light pepper and herbal hop notes. Fruitiness in the aroma is way more subdued in the taste. Clearly well-crafted in it's balance and easy drinkability. Well carbonated, and light to medium mouthfeel. A good starter Belgian, or one to try when you want something simple and elegant.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2007 01:28:30 | More by emerge077

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Shared a bottle in Ghent. I'd seen this beer before back in the states but never paid attention to it until a friend ordered a bottle. What a surprise, this was a great Belgian ale. It appeared a hazy orange with a tall white head. What I really like was the fresh paired of hops with the fruity/spicy Belgian yeast character. The citrus notes of the hops led before the beer dove into caramel malt and a final, long bitter aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2009 14:57:24 | More by tempest

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazed straw gold with minimal head. Nose is like dusty yeast. Flavor is dry. You get a musty yeast with minimal sugar presence. The profile comes and then drops fairly quickly. Feel is nice. Smooth with decent bubble. No unusual or odd or weird character. But the overall experience is damn good. Smooth and even. And I love the story posted on the label of the beer. Very much worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 04:33:16 | More by RblWthACoz

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Large domed head. Settles quietly and leaves some blanketing lace. Appropriately cloudy with an orange tinged deep amber color.

Surprisingly fresh hop aroma. Excellent balance with pleasantly malted pale grains giving this a light nuttiness. Light alcohol in the background.

There's an interesting blend of berry (malt) and pepper (hop). This beer does NOT have the typical Belgian yeast flavor. Superior richness to the brew. The carbonation is adequate. The aftertaste is primarily floral hop bitterness that doesn't last too long. Overall, a very desirable Belgian pale ale without the Belgian yeast kick.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 23:25:55 | More by smcolw

Billolick

New York

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Large bottle, capped, and without freshness dating. Pours yeasty cloudy, light orangey amber, with a light tan slight head and leaving fine and scattered lacing. Nose is of bright lime peals and grapefuit pith. Ultra smooth and rounded mouthfeel, earthy with soft notes of mellow malts, nutty yeastyness, honey, spice and peppery hops late. Spicy long finish. Complex and refined brew. Easy drinking and tasty Belgian. Beginner friendly Belgian. Well worth a try. Would be fine with a lunch of salads, cheese and whatever else you feel like.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2006 23:03:01 | More by Billolick

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Armsby Abbey Ho-Ho Belgian Christmas.

Big fluffy soapy head with tons of lacing, super hazy dark ruby red bright color.

Nose is light, light reddish malts, bit fruity dark fruits and light straw like, hints of earthy hops.

Taste brings herbal hops, earthy, decent bitterness, chewy hops, almost medicinal herbal, light dark fruits, raisin, kinda sweet, not really balanced, a bitter mess. Finishes biter, spicy chewy herbal hops, light sticky sweet syrup, hint of fruit.

Mouth is med bodied, decent carb.

Overall meh, not my style herbal earthy hops, too bitter and sweet bit not really balanced

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2011 03:37:43 | More by jlindros

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.53/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Drank on the terrace of the 'Belle Vue' on the sea front in St Idesbald, the Belgian coast.

Recommended by the barman.

Almost clear, it was a straw blonde golden colour with a good white head, I like to think I poured it well.

The aroma, taste and mouthfeel all came across as fairly sour, strong flavours of grapefruit and lemons, not an unpleasant experience at all. This beer was more than just drinkable, it was enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2007 18:12:16 | More by BlackHaddock

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a honey gold color with fairly good head retention and lacing. The nose in this beer is pretty attractive, showing honey, lavender and bing cherry. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely in this enjoyable, easy to appreciate beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, but there's a lightness to this beer that I really like. Drinkability is quite good, and I appreciate how this beer dries out on the finish, which enhances its drinkability.

Quite nice...

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2010 21:17:44 | More by johnmichaelsen

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Monk's, Philly, PA

Poured golden with a white head, some lacing. Aroma of citrus hops and a bit of sugar. Taste of citrus, floral qualities, light spice and breadiness. Pleasant, light-medium mouthfeel with a bit of carbonation that didn't seem out of place. Very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2011 19:30:47 | More by Rifugium

beerthulhu

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a beautiful hazy golden orange color with a moderate creamy white head.

S: Yeasty nose full of bananas, oranges and a slight bubblegum scent.

T: Flavor is creamy bananas with a slight tartness with a good spicy complexity (coriander, sour orange peel). Yeasty bite, very clean and a very good example per style.

M: Good carbonation brings out the aroma and mouthful, though remains light and fruity on the tongue with a nice spicy tartness. Sour oranges for a finish.

D: very nice drinkability, goes down effortlessly.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2008 22:20:22 | More by beerthulhu

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

33cl bottle listed as "biere artisanale blonde", drank from its matching glassware and enjoyed in Brussels.

The head would never - at any point - compromise. It diminished not one half inch from its initial level. Like the large rocks that line the coast of the ocean, I could swirl and splash my glass but it stayed fixated and wouldn't budge one bit. It is rock steady.

The colour was unique, a very murky shade of orange that seems as though it could glow if it wanted to, (but like the French football legend whom this beer shares a similar sounding name with, it is simply stubborn, and seems content just being clouded.)

My first whiff of the aroma was with wide eyes and a smiling reception - always a positive sign. A floral bouquet of light citrus and fresh yeast. Plenty of esters. It is more floral (in a literal 'flower' sense) than fruity. This falls well inline with the benchmark (Duvel style) Belgian golds, heavy floral presence and healthy dose of pale malts make for a pleasant smelling beer.

The mouthfeel takes takes the beer on a sharp turn, steering it in a completely different direction. It caught me off guard. Suddenly we find ourselves with a rush of heavy dampness and strong assertive bitterness that seems to contradict the light, dry, floral aroma that came before it. Lots of hops, but from where did they come?

The taste is certainly decent, although it shouldn't be said is all that exciting. It is certainly hoppy for a Belgian, very hoppy. The beer's malts, yeast, perhaps some pepper/spice really don't make for a recipe that will tickle the taste buds but it drinks (and digest) very well. Indeed... very well. This was quite enjoyable. I can only hope to revisit one day!

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2007 03:15:14 | More by biegaman

kojevergas

California

2.68/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

"Zinne Bir." Brussels' People Ale. 5.8% ABV. .33l brown glass bottle served into a goblet. Reviewed from notes taken in Belgium in June 2010.

A: Pours a one finger very thin head of bad retention and hardly any cream. Body colour is a light murky gold.

Sm: Bittering hops reminiscient of a tame IPA. Very dry. My broken nose detects little else. All apologies, lads.

T: Caramelized malt body leads to a bittering hop climax. Finish is biteen bland and the open is uneven. Very simple for the style - surprisingly so. Not bold or exciting. Balanced decently and built alright, but even as a traditional beer in the style, it's rather boring.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with coarseness on the climax where the bittering hops emerge. Complements the flavours alright.

Dr: Relatively high ABV for more traditional examples of the style. Easy to drink, but priced a bit highly by local standards. This is a beer worth trying but don't expect much from it.

C-

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 18:51:25 | More by kojevergas

ccrida

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml champagne bottle with the older brown label shown above. Poured in to my old xl abbaye d' aulne tulip, I generated a vigorous, white rocky head, that leaves pretty heavy lace. The color is a deep golden, it looks like a big pilsner with the glow of malt.

Nose is sweet and succulent, fresh clean grain, very fruity and floral, like ladies perfume, with cherries and ginger. Absolutely fantastic.

The taste emphasizes the tasty grain, floral though not as sweet as the aroma, with a crisp, rustic bite, dried and bittered by the spicy hops. Clean and very tasty, this farmhouse style BPA is very much favorite type, and a well done example at that.

The mouthfeel is very light, not as carbonated as the appearance, but very refreshing, not thin or flat or anything, aided by the attenuation and dryness.

Man is this drinkable! I'll have to homebrew me a keg of this kind of stuff for my next batch, so I can drink it all day! Since I haven't though, I can't fairly give this a 5. Nevertheless, this was a great beer and highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2007 03:20:11 | More by ccrida

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Zinnebir

11.2 oz bottle, carefully poured. A hazed gold in color, little head to speak of. Some particles of yeast are there.
Aroma is comprised of floral hops and Belgian ale yeast fruityness.
In the taste, soft Belgian yeast muted by an impressive earthy bitterness. Soft fruityness, like that in a Tripel, but lighter, and with a firm hop stance. It achieves a rather even balance, herbal, leafy citrusy hops, phenolic yeast and pale malt base.
Mouthfeel is also quite nice, light to medium on the palate, with a very appealing dry finish.
Overall, a solid Belgian Blonde/Pale ale with a hop presence.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 07:46:59 | More by Stinkypuss

stcules

Italy

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Amber in color. Beautiful fluffy white head, long standing in the glass.
Freshness in the smell: hop, some tea leaves. Very fresh. Some notes of an english bitter, here and there. Orange marmelade.
In the taste a very intense hop, good. Backbone malt to balance, but the master is the hop.
Average to light in body.
A very strong bitter start in the aftertaste.
Clean.
Very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2007 20:11:51 | More by stcules

jrallen34

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap in Brussels...A dark gold with a huge fluffy white head, god retention, lacing is excellent...A light aroma of yeast and tons of lemons...Taste is lightly sweet, almost boring, but finish is strong, bitter hops show off nicely. Slightly boring to start but then some good flavor. An above average pale.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2010 22:57:27 | More by jrallen34

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I bought a bottle from Cloverleaf in Southfield for $10.78 last week. I believe this to be the best beer stop in Detroit, price-wise. This bottle was bottled like a saison or lambic, with a cork beneath the bottle cap. And for the record, my bottle's label does not look the same as the picture on BA (mine is cardboard-colored with black ink and a simplistic image of a river). I poured it into a La Guillotine glass, as I do for French-named beers.

The beer looks perfect, hazy golden color with thick white foam, lots of lacing on the glass. The smell is also ridiculously good, not far from La Trappe tripel, easily marked as a Belgian yeast strain (or possibly Dutch). The flavor was a little hoppier than I expected, but hoppy in the way Belgians do it (I'm thinking of Urthel Hop-It, which again has a real Dutch influence). The hops express themselves mostly in bitterness, with a muted note in the flavor. Other than that the flavor is pretty rich with malt sweetness and the mouthfeel is thicker than expected. The after-taste lingers for a long time, kind of a yeasty film in my mouth (actually better than it sounds). Very very good, and at a low enough ABV, this little bastard is plenty drinkable. Zinneke is Brussels slang for little bastards, so says the label.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2007 18:27:30 | More by TurdFurgison

tpd975

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Sea Bass for this one.

A: Pours a cloudy yellow color with a nice big bold head. The retention is great and there is tons of lace.

S: Hints of lemon grass and belgian yeast really pour from the glass. There is some sweet malt and a bit of believe it or not funk.

T: Nice light taste. Hints of sweet fruit, malt, yeast, and spicy hops.

M: Light in body.

D: Pretty drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2008 16:40:05 | More by tpd975