La Guillotine - Brouwerij Huyghe

avalon07

South Carolina

4.29/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had a yellowish color and a clear texture. There was a foamy, two inch, long-lasting head. Lots of good lacing.

S: A powerful aroma of fruit, malt, and yeast.

T: Tasted of malt (a lot of malt - more than I might have expected), Belgian yeast, fruit, and some esters. A lively flavor, with just enough complexity and power to make it interesting.

M: An off the charts amount of carbonation (I haven't had anything this bubbly in quite a while), with a prickly finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A well made, vibrant, and very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 20:17:33 | More by avalon07

newton99

Belgium

3.31/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured a bomb of a fluffy white head. Lots of carbonation, and erm, enough bits floating around to make it look like some sort of orange snow-ornamen that you shake. No lacing (unless you count the sediment clinging to the sides of the glass). This from a half-bottle pour, so the sediment wasn't sitting in the bottom and I poured in one mighty go.

Egads! Never seen anything like it. Looks like a million small goldfish in a beer glass.

Moving on - aromas of mandarin and some strong yeast, yes we are in Belgian territory

Taste is both sweet and sour at the same time, lovely complexity. More mandarins and citrus and hops bundled together. Nicely carbonated in the mouth.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 10:14:39 | More by newton99

kojevergas

California

2.69/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

9% ABV according to the Antwerp Beer Passion Weekend menu. Served on-draught into 20cl beer fest stemware. Reviewed from notes taken in Summer 2011.

A: Pours a 2.5 finger head of nice soft cream, fair thickness, and good retention. Body colour is a semitransparent light gold.

Sm: Very light scent of barley. Bland. I get very little.

T: Light pear esters, full clean barley for the foundation, badly handled stale malt, and crystal malt. Generic floral hopping. Tries to be complex but compromises its structure to do so. It's a bit messy; not real balanced. Built alright.

Mf: Coarse and wet, not really suiting the flavours of the body.

Dr: High ABV, easy drinking, and pretty good quality, but not special. Below average.

C-

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 22:08:09 | More by kojevergas

GJ40

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light golden with incredible clarity and a big white head. Aroma is a little grassy. Flavor is fruity, spicy and slightly sweet. It's got a bit of a saisson-ish taste though it doesn't seem like it was supposed to. Thin feel but silky smooth.

This is an interesting and refreshing beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 13:30:22 | More by GJ40

einar85

Norway

4.36/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Quite big bubbles, but the head retention isn't very impressive (which could be caused by a low serving temperature). Golden in color.
The aromas are fruity and sweet of cookies.
It's a classic tripel - sweet and full-bodied. The alcohol is well covered up here. More cookies.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 19:49:22 | More by einar85

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3.69/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at 't Brugs Beertje

Clear golden body with a thick tight white bubbled head. Laces nice. Long lasting head.
Smells of grass and yeast.
Wasn't expecting all the hop flavor in this. Grassy and fruity hops. The hops provide a nice bitterness that builds up. Yeasty.
Medium bodied/carbonated.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2013 09:38:29 | More by MattSweatshirt

SpruceMoose

Australia

3.55/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Ah Belgian beer, we meet again. I can long remember the days when my father would allow me sips of his Chimay or Duvel, so I was inevitably eager to have the spiciness of Belgian brew on my lips again when I noticed La Guillotine's bottle at the local bottle shop, with its characteristic red foil and ceramic bottle that reminded me of good old Delirium Tremens, and knew I had to pay the $11 AUD for it and try it out for myself.

Appearance: A slow pour produces a deep copper tone with minimal head. Large chunks of sediment could be seen floating in the Chimay goblet I was drinking it out of, a common theme with many Trappist or otherwise Belgian beers.

Smell: Essences of red wine, fruit and cinnamon are instantly noticeable and not too overwhelming. Highly reminiscent of the taste.

Taste: Hints of apricot, grape and several other fruits are instantly noticeable, followed by a wave of alcohol (almost inavoidable given the 8.5% ABV and thin body). A mild aftertaste of such flavours lingers on the tongue.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly thin for a Belgian ale, and seems rather peculiar given the strength of the beer and the intensity of its flavour. However, it does provide a smooth drinking experience due to minimal carbonation.

Overall: It fails to reach the dizzy heights of Delirium Tremens, Chimay or Duvel, but is enjoyable in its own right. Should serve to be a great winter warmer, and I would definitely drink it again if it weren't for the ghastly price of $11 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 12:58:52 | More by SpruceMoose

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured into tulip 17/12/12 sweet label and cap with the "Guillotine" and nothing else,(except a little blood)

A hazy golden yellow with a large well sustained soapy foam that leaves lots of random lace deep down the glass

S sour green apple with some pineapple and spicy yeast, its simple but solid, just a little banana and bubblegum as it warms

T a little booze and some apple juice but lacking some of what the nose has, still decent with some fruity notes and a little sweet grains

M a little foamy and just a little heat, sweet candied pineapple finish, a little average in this department

O perhaps a little generous here but it was pretty easy to drink , the bubbles could be controlled a little better but that's my only major complaint

well priced and I really like the simple label and cap, I'd call it a triple not a BSPA but it could swing either way

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 04:15:24 | More by wordemupg

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml standard Huyghe painted bottle - hmmm...guillotines, how very seasonal...

This beer pours a mostly clear, medium golden yellow colour, with some weird, continuously rising basal effervescence, and a teeming tower of thinly puffy, bulbous bone white head, which settles in for a lazy spell, before slowly, slowly ebbing away, leaving some nice soapy webbed lace around the glass.

It smells of earthy, sassy Belgian yeast, grainy pale malts, a bit of peppery spiciness, very soft citrus notes, and subtle leafy hops. The taste is semi-sweet pale malt, some astringent orchard fruitiness, a bit of bubble gum, a slightly sugary alcohol edge, and muddled citrusy, leafy hops.

The carbonation is more than a tad frothy, i.e. in danger of heading straight up one's nose, the body medium-light in weight, and generally smooth, with somewhat of a fruity tendency. It finishes on the sweet side, the malt, sugar, and alcohol all barely tempered by the deftness of the yeast integration.

Not my most favourite style, but for what it is, it is well-made - sugar, grain, fruit and restrained booze fury. Edging into Tripel territory, this is kind of a bit off-putting to actually drink. Maybe it's my unfair seasonal expectations, maybe not.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 02:27:01 | More by biboergosum

Tone

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, gold color. 1/2 inch head of a white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of sweet malt, citrus hops, slight grass, and a hint of earthy malt. Fits the style of a Belgian Strong Pale Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp, with an average carbonation level and slight dryness. Tastes of pale malt, slight sweet malt, slight hop, hint of alcohol, and slight earthy malt. Overall, good appearance, blend, and body.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2012 10:30:29 | More by Tone

rinhaak

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours crystal clear with a very airy head that fades very quickly. A modest nose with aromas of raspberries, alcohol, and cough syrup.

Well balanced in the mouth, the beer is a little bitter up front, takes on a slightly sweet, almost cherry-like flavor in the mouth, then moves to a dry finish that reminds me of fresh cut weeds. Very bubbly in the mouth with crisp carbonation, despite smelling a bit boozy, there is little hint of the 9% (as listed on my bottle) as I sip.

Overall a nicely made offering that drinks easily and offers a worthy alternative to Duvel.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 17:34:25 | More by rinhaak

smulkowski

Idaho

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer was poured into a chalice, light honey-colored with a short but lingering head. The nose was slightly funky, with a typical Belgian yeast profile and spice, a bit of funk, and a bit of fusel alcohol. The flavor matched, but was a bit more muted...in the mouth, the texture was creamy due to the relatively high carbonation. Overall, this was a well-carbonated, very easy-drinking Belgian Pale, I look forward to drinking it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 04:41:39 | More by smulkowski

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Huyghe into Guillotine glass. Fluffy white head medium retention. High clarity.  Aroma, nice hoppy bouquet, light sweetness. Taste nicely bitter with slight sweetness. Dangerously drinkable.  Very refreshing  No alcohol noted at all. Our guide at the brewery says this is coming to the states soon and also said that the recipe has been tweaked to where they are now very happy with it. Look out. This one is dangerous. 

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2012 01:01:45 | More by KickbacksSteve

karait95

Mexico

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: a dark golden color can be seen at once and a very big rocky head is formed right away, it is white and leaves a lot of traces behind on the glass. Carbonation is rich and forms a permanent layer on top of the beer.

S: classic aroma mainly formed by the barley malts with high alcohol and some fruity spirit balanced with some little hops.

T: high alcohol but very rich flavors: starting with some fruits then barley malts and finally hops.

M: sensations are complicated well balanced with some little sweetness and bitterness of course alcohol makes a complicated sensation but not unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 04:23:42 | More by karait95

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.05/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours amber with lots of big chunks of sediment floating round. Large white head.
Nose shows candi sugar, golden syrup, sweet bread and fruit cake. Incredibly sweet smelling.
Flavours include the same sweet bready malt and candi sugar. Way too sweet and cloying.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 04:08:46 | More by CrazyDavros

beerpirates

Belgium

3.73/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured into my lost abbey stemware glasd

A: Golden yellow color with a thick, fluffy and persistent head. A little bit cloudy and dirty too
S: Belgian yeasts. Fresh malt. Sweet flowery perfume. Citrus and spices (reminds a Triple)
T: Belgian yeasts, malt and spices. Moderate sweet
M: Balanced sweetness, low bitterness and reasonable carbonation
D: High. Despite the high ABV, you cannot feel too much the alcohol. Really easy to lose the head here...

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 21:56:50 | More by beerpirates

skypup

Germany

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased two bottles in Belgium.

.33L bottle poured into a tulip glass.

A- Cloudy Deep Gold. Large, firm head; that doesn’t disperse immediately. Mild lacing.

S- Lots of yeast with a touch of fresh grass.

T- Obvious yeast and toasted malt with a touch of hops. Some honey that mellows to a bitter finish.

M- Medium bodied, mild carbonation.

D – Decent drinkability, worth having one…or two. I had this beer on tap in Belgium, but didn’t write down my thoughts at the time, except to buy a couple bottles when I saw it at a shop. After tasting it again, I definitely can place it as a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 15:34:35 | More by skypup

Mar02x

Netherlands

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I tried this beer on a tasting at my place, with thanks to my uncle 'Peer'. I had some beers from 'Brouwerij Huyghe' before (even the Frubee Banana) and for some reason I never tried this one. It was the fourth beer we tried that evening.

A- Straw colored, white fluffy head that doesn't dissipate.

S- Nice fruits

T- You can't tell it's 9,3% ABV though which is good. Good taste.

M- Nicely carbonated. A bit to heavy for a thirst quencher, but will do ;)

Overall: Good beer, but not outstanding. I will try another one in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 06:05:42 | More by Mar02x

Squelch

United Kingdom (England)

3.65/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up on a recent weekend in Brussels.

Appearance: Straw colored. Flaked with yeast cake. super white fluffy head that doesn't dissipate.

Smell: Nice belgium aroma here. You can tell where it was brewed by the smell.

Taste: Disappointed in this one. Not alot going on. Mellow on the funkiness, malt, and hop. I will say it is balanced. You can't tell it's 9% ABV though which is good.

Mouthfeel: 2nd best part about this beer. Medium bodied all the way.

Overall: Good beer. Not their best. Wouldn't pass one down if offered.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 19:26:38 | More by Squelch

heygeebee

Australia

2.75/5  rDev -30%
look: 1 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a bomb of a fluffy white head. Lots of carbonation, and erm, enough bits floating around to make it look like some sort of orange snow-ornamen that you shake. No lacing (unless you count the sediment clinging to the sides of the glass). This from a half-bottle pour, so the sediment wasn't sitting in the bottom and I poured in one mighty go.

Egads! Never seen anything like it. Looks like a million small goldfish in a beer glass.

Moving on - aromas of mandarin and some strong yeast, yes we are in Belgian territory

Taste is both sweet and sour at the same time, lovely complexity. More mandarins and citrus and hops bundled together. Nicely carbonated in the mouth.

This is really drinking with my eyes closed, tho, and in reality this is bad with that much sediment.

Will review again.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 11:09:09 | More by heygeebee

Brabander

Netherlands

4.4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This week i brought some beers to my cousing Peter because we are going to have a beertasting at his place with a bunch of newbies into beer.

Peter however has discovered the special beers some time ago, he loves the Pannepot of the Struise.

Anyway...now to this beer! He gave me this bottle and asked me to drink it and give it an honest review, that's what i did. Best before december 2013.

Poured in my Struise glass this beer has the looks, five fingers big bubble head and a cloudy fluid. Very nice carbonation, that's what i like in a beer.

The beers has the same smell like a Duvel but then a bit better. Yeastnotes and some floral scents.

Taste is absolutely superb, there are only very few strong pale ales who will score better than this one!

So Peter, this a beer which is very very good. When you see it...try it.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 10:36:43 | More by Brabander

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 33cL bottle into a cervoise glass. Best before January 2014.

A: Even a gentle pour resulted in one of the largest heads I've ever seen, filling 85% of the glass and then expanding right over the edges. After aeons of churning, it settles down, balancing out at about three fingers and leaving surprisingly little lacing in its wake. The beer is a cloudy straw-yellow, barely clear with lots of bubbles.

S: Yeasty and zesty. Peppery and floral. Delicate but straightforward.

T: Good gods...Absolutely one of the best BSPAs I've ever tasted. Soft and velvety, subtly fruity, pleasingly and delicately spicy. La Guillotine is the perfect balance of sweet and piquant, neither ever managing to defeat the other. The aftertaste is extensive and flipflops between a slightly sticky sweetness and a drying yeastiness influenced by hops (and perhaps some spices). Damn good.

M: Caressing, clinging, and beguiling. Mmmm.

O: The only other BSPA that gives La Guillotine a run for the money is Don de Dieu, which has a completely different character. Most similar to Duvel, La Guillotine pleases me far more, even if it cannot serve as such a widely-regarded stylistic benchmark. The alcohol is vaguely noticeable, but completely unconcerning. I could (and would) drink a pint or more of this beer. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 19:37:13 | More by AgentMunky

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

2.85/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Suprised to find I'd not reviewed this beer before, as I've had it many times over the years: anyway this review is of a 330ml bottle, plastic designer covered. Best before Oct 2013, taken during one of my 'mixed tasting evenings' March 2011.

Poured into a Westmalle chalice: dull orange/old gold in colour, with a large white head which stayed but produced minimal lacing.

The nose was sweet and yet with citrus notes within.

The sweetness carried on into the taste, the sour citrus smells did not. Alcohol took over the mouthfeel, which was almost too fizzy, certainly well carbonated, if not overly.

Just a bit too sweet and lacking in body for me, as well as the alcohol content being too obvious.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 12:26:16 | More by BlackHaddock

russwbeck

Virginia

3.2/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Very nice yellow pour with so many bubbles it really is ridiculous. Big white head with very nice retention and lacing.

S: Lots of candied sugar, spice, and fruits. Smell is very sweet.

T: I was expecting a bigger taste here. The cloying sweetness is there, but very watered down. Fruity up front, but not much else. It seems like it wants to be bigger, but it just isn't. The alcohol is hardly noticeable, however.

MF: Very prickly, nicely carbonated. Light in body. A real thirst quencher.

D: I was kind of underwhelmed here. The taste is very average, and nothing really stands out.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 01:16:18 | More by russwbeck

Ochsenblut

Italy

4.68/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A one centimeter white head sits atop a hazy peach colored body. The carbonation is very active, replenishing the head constantly throughout the session.

This beer smells of spice, apples, and mandarins. It is also fuming alcohol slightly.

The taste is smooth. Soon after the carbonated bite subsides, there is pepper, orange rind and medicinal phenols. This makes for a complex balance between sweet and spicy, which is especially pleasing. The alcohol is warming and is very understated. The aftertaste is medicinal and only slightly acidic.

La Guillotine is nothing short of delicate and is clearly a finely crafted beer. To reach this sort of balance whilst maintaining a smooth mouthfeel AND high carbonation is something special to behold.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 21:36:25 | More by Ochsenblut