Ambetanterik - Brouwerij Het Alternatief

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I don't know. I think this label is going to give me nightmares. Hold me. Hold me close.

Pours real dark with a crème head. Nose is straight up candy. Flavor is sweet and candy-like, yes. There are probably some toffee tones in there as well. Almost a smoked thing going on as well. Like a rauch is hiding deep down in there somewhere. The carbonation is very high and at times seems to interfere with some flavor delivery, though enough still seems to make it. Overall this is an interesting and good one. Thicker than most of the style and carrying some interesting and thorough character. Definitely suggested.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 02:51:43 | More by RblWthACoz

samEBC

Belgium

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

01-22-2012 17:40:07 | More by samEBC

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

2.28/5  rDev -37%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Weissbierdrinker and I picked this up outside Brussels at ABS drinks and split it. From notes.

A - Poured dark brown with lot's of carbonation and a two finger fluffy cola type head. A little lacing and a ring of retention remained.

S - Feces? Weird. Sugar, slight roasty notes, and bread.

T - Cola, fruit, roasted malts, yeast and quite sweet.

M - Mild carbonation and a full body with a lingering sweet finish.

O/D - I didn't really like this very much and the feces kinda notes weren't jivin with me at all. This was marked as a stout but wasn't even close to the style. Worth avoiding.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 22:23:47 | More by tbeckett

mikeyv35

New York

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Date: 08/10/10
Type: 11.2oz. Bottle
Glassware: Portsmouth Tulip

Poured a dark brown mahoghany in colr w/ a 2 finger bubbly head that left light lacing on the glass that diminished quickly. Nose was fantastic! Aromas of dark fruits(raisins/plums), light toffee, caramel, chocolate malts, and breadiness. The taste was the same as the nose, but was greatly taken away from due to over carbonation. Mouthfeel was thin and way over carbonated. Drinkability? With the carbonation problem this small bottle became a chore to finish.

Overall, this brew was very disappointing. This beer could have been top notch w/ fantastic aromas and taste, but the carbonation level just destroyed it. Would love to taste this beer w/ appropriate carbonation levels.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 18:21:33 | More by mikeyv35

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sammy's bottle. Bottle starts to gush upon opening. Pours an amber-brown colour with huge off-white head. Actually, "huge" is an understatement, head was about 3 times larger than the beer. Smells of faint chocolate and a little bit of funk to it. Flavour is sweet, but a little bit tart at first sip. Huge carbonation level on this. Interesting beer, but won't seek out again I don't think.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 16:16:00 | More by kwjd

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reddish brown body with big foam. Good drinkability, though a bit astringent. A tad above average mouthfeel, but not at a big RIS style level. Some roast,mild spices like cardomon and pepper, a little yeast. Enjoyable and very high abv is not noticeable.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 14:25:04 | More by northyorksammy

biglite351

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -13%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - unnecessarily tall creamy off white head. Hood deal of red around the edges.

S - mild fruit, malt and yeast.

T - malts with sour cherry and yeast. No hint at the alcohol level.

M - light coating but not watery. Tingle on sides of tongue.

D - it was probably just my bottle, but this brew just wanted to foam and then stay foam. Very annoying. Better tasting than other cherry stouts out there. I could have two.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 01:14:46 | More by biglite351

farrago

New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Fluffed up and dimpled deep tan head, foams to about three fingers but the bubbles look like a firecrackers going off across the surface and before you know it there's naught but a thin coating across the surface then that even pools into distinct islands, nothing really of note regarding the lacing. Likewise, nothing unusual about the brown mud in your glass, reddish clay tinge, more of a metallic yellow at the rims, lots of bubbles visible against the glass sides. The nose comes across as semi-clenched, still you get a tight little burst of white grape, green apple, peach and date prior to cocoa nibs, chocolate and cloves, there enduring sourness hard to put on the fruit per se, seems to come from the grass, lemon to grapefruit citrus and metallic notes. Medium-bodied, given human physiology and not psychology, much more sour here, close to puckeringly so. The blueberry, cherry, apple, grape, pear fruit seems like it was beaten to the point of confessing crimes it never committed. The white grapefruit citrus comes across as overripe and all pith. Dry to the point that you only register the carbonation because it's a bunch of pinpricks. Chocolate and caramel whisper then a barnyardy funk of earth, merde and sweat ensues. Full and maintains palate weight completely to the end. Really hard to get past the pervasive sourness.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 04:57:35 | More by farrago

Lazerlobe

Washington

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Begins foaming from the get-go and a gentle pour quickly turns in to a frothy mess. Body is a murky brown with an off white (and lots of it!)

S: Some weak cherry lightly covered with chocolate scents. There is a definite 'wild' smell coming from the beer, with mustiness and dare I say funk? Bizarre. This requires an immediate taste.

T: Immediately greeted by cherries jubilee with attic mustiness. Aftertaste is toasted pie crust. Alcohol is quite well masked.

M: Medium bodied and gently carbonated, pairs very nicely with the rest of the beer.

D: My final thoughts? I like this oddity though some of the previous reviews fail to pick up the cherry tartness. I wonder if this has turned since earlier reviews. What this loses with complexity it makes up with novelty.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 01:34:50 | More by Lazerlobe

avalon07

South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a goblet. Had a dark, mahogany color and a thick, murky texture. There was a big, creamy/fizzy, long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: Smelled of Belgian yeast, chocolate, and some fruit. Very aromatic.

T: A big taste of Belgian yeast, a hint of chocolate, dark fruit, and an almost nutty quality. Very complex and flavorful. Alcohol content isn't really that noticeable.

M: Lots and lots of carbonation (even for a Belgian beer) and a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

D: A very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2010 20:44:34 | More by avalon07

Beerenauslese

California

4.38/5  rDev +21%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle, at refrigerator temperature, with a huge head. Had to let this warm up awhile before imbibing. Poured at cellar temperature would probably be a gusher.

Nose of chocolate, sour cherry, and funk.

Nice cherry taste, milk chocolate, coffee, toast. A sour Belgian stout and a nice example of it.

Body is light with good carbonation. Not a chewy stout.

I enjoyed this, the alcohol is there, but not pronounced, and the flavors mask the higher ABV. Good as a night capper.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 04:03:35 | More by Beerenauslese

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Max's today. Have now tried all of this brewery's beers, all at Max's (of course).

The beer pours a darkish brown color with very good head retention and lots of sticky lacing all around. The nose is likewise attractive, with coffee grounds, licorise and dark chocolate. Flavors replicate the nose in this fairly sweet stout, though it finishes with something of a leather and coffee grounds flavor. Mouthfeel is full and long, with a soft, plush mouthfeel. For all that, the sweetness and noticeable alcohol detract a bit from this beer's drinkability.

A nice enough beer, but one I can't see coming back too all that often. The combination of sweetness and hot alcohol burn in the finish, while not over the top, is still generally not what I'm looking for in an imperial stout.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2010 21:32:48 | More by johnmichaelsen

fastsrt

New York

4.13/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured form 11.2 ounce bottle in a snifter

A: has a massive head, that is light tan and airy, deep brown that is opaque.

S: chocolate, yeasts, and some sweetness.

T: Belgian yeasts up front with a nice mellow back drop of chocolate, this beer is balanced complex and awesome.

M: highly carbonated, giving a light body

D: this does not taste like a beer that is 11%, amazingly smooth

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2010 02:56:15 | More by fastsrt