Bokrijks Kruikenbier - Brouwerij Sterkens N.V.

Bung

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pale yellow pour, sticky white head. The thin layer retains well enough.

Very grassy aroma, light funk. Some malt, light fruit and spice.

Taste, tons of pale malt. Musty grass/lemongrass. A pleasant spiciness, not really sure how to describe the detail. Finishes with the a dry pale mustiness.

Light bodied, alcohol is well hidden. A little thin, but that helps with the drinkability which is good. Not something I normally drink, but pretty enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 20:13:13 | More by Bung

MrHungryMonkey

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The Monsters bottle by Mat Brinkman.

Nose is delicately sweet and floral, mildly sour & malty. Smells nice.

Pours clear golden with massive head. Looks great.

Big crystal malt kind of base with floral/herbal hops to bring a nice balancing bitterness. Some funky Belgian yeastiness befitting of the monsters on the bottle - spicy cool/menthol, anise, and lemon.

Pretty good. Not worth the price, even with the cool bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 03:11:21 | More by MrHungryMonkey

srandycarter

California

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Murky light honey, near white head, small, leaves to disk fast. Some chunky cling lace.

S - Wheat and lemon, fruitiness comes through.

T - Banana, cloves, pit fruits. Lemon finish.

M - Very carbed, small bubbles, light bodied, nice balance. Solid feel to it.

D - Not too overwhelming, I would have a few. Nice choice.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 02:58:21 | More by srandycarter

GoldenChild

Michigan

4.78/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

well just like everyone else had to have it because of the bottle i brew beer and dont have my kegerator up and running yet.

A- these people know how to present their beer beautiful bottle. looks like a pale ale because of the sediment in the beer there was not a ton just enough to make it hazy. two fingers of white head. light thin bubbly lacing on the glass.

S-Belgian yeast, fruity esters,slightly sweet, banana and apricot from the yeast. light malts no detectable hops.

T-banana, orange, and apricot coming through in the flavor . not tasting the hops but they must be in there alcohol not detectable in taste. nice and bubbly.

D- thought that it was a great beer and will probably be picking up a few more of these. wish the bottle was a bit bigger ran out fast(they all do). i paid 7.99 here in michigan for it and drank it out of a glass

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2010 16:08:01 | More by GoldenChild

ADZA

Australia

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is the second beer ive drank/reviewed from this brewery and ive said it b4 and ill say it again love these bottles very eye catching and good looking,the beer pours a pale honey colour with nice carbonation that leaves a two finger white as snow frothy head with heaps of lacing,the aromas are apricots,banannas,yeasty bread and alcohol,it has a nice weighty mouthfeel to it first up which finishes rather dry and crisp with flavours of honey,pears and peaches with a touch of alcohol right at the end and it is noticeable but not overly and easy enough to drink for my palette just not a standout in style,apart from the earthware bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 06:43:35 | More by ADZA

midnite2sixman

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just like a lot of the other reviewers the bottle is the thing that got me on this beer. What a cool container! With a nice swing stop with a tight fit too so this is worth hanging onto.

Onto the beer. I poured it into three separate goblets, each one having about as much sediment in it as the one before it, which is a lot. If sediment in your beer isn't your thing then you may want to avoid this one, but for those of us who can handle a little yeast than don't be afraid!

Nice golden orange color with a light, frothy, egg-white colored head.

On the nose, typical belgian yeast smell, candied apricots, orange peel, mild and mellow.

Very balanced taste, lightly hopped, kinda creamy, hints of vanilla, citrus fruit, apricots again.

This is a winner!

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2009 18:56:46 | More by midnite2sixman

Irie

California

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a warm yellow with a fluffy white head with great retention. Has a malty alcoholic smell with hints of hops and nuts. Very good smooth feel to it with a fluffy mouthfeel and a slight bite at the end. Great ale taste with a bit of unbalance to it. Strong on the end-hop bite with a malt finish. Very smooth but a little strong on the grain finish. Good taste and easy drink means for a strong drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2008 04:02:48 | More by Irie

Dantheman4162

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

At first I wasn't sure what i thought. Had the standard belgium beer taste, darker beer. It definitely grew on me.

Must confess, I bought it because it came in a really cool ceramic bottle with a resealable stopper.

I may not get it again, but not something to go out of my way for.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2008 05:03:25 | More by Dantheman4162

bheilman

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fantastic ceramic rubber cap bottle. I must admit half the reason I bought this beer was because of the bottle and I was hoping to use it for homebrew. Bottling homebrew is my least favorite part. Drinking it would probably be the other end of that spectrum. Anyway, this beer is good. I thought it would be more like a tripel, but it's flavor has too much hops and not enough sweetness to match the tripel distinction. It's described as a Belgian Pale Ale, so I guess that does fit. It's cold now, but leaves a solid aftertaste, so I'm guessing the beer will improve as it warms a bit. Drinking it from my dogfish head snifter, so I can see that it is somewhat cloudy. Decent head retention with a nice amount of carbonation. Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2008 22:47:02 | More by bheilman

thatothermitch

California

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured partially cloudy with a big, but rapidly falling head.

S: Very sweet, with strong honey notes.

T: Opens delicate sweetness which reminds me of honey with hints of fruit, a subtle hop bitterness.

M: Slightly astrignent and dry. Hides alcohol nearly completely.

D: Bitterness and astringency are not overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2008 02:02:59 | More by thatothermitch

LumpyGuitar

New York

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up on a whim from the Belgian section. Figured it'd be a great beer to try in my new St. Sebastiaan glass.

Poured a beautiful clear golden. Obviously unfiltered, particles floating around. Crisp white bubbly head, very nice lacing.

Smell is very yeasty, mild spice and fruit. Faint alcohol presence.

Taste is immensely complex. Starts sweet with a blend of spice, cinnamon, coriander, and clove. Hop is mild and sweet. Flavor is very well blended.

Mouthfeel is sticky, sweet, and medium bodied. Carbonation isn't bad.

Drinkability is good. After it warms a bit the alcohol becomes a bit strong, but otherwise its easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2008 23:43:54 | More by LumpyGuitar

jf2

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

P - Poured from a beautiful 750 ml ceramic bottle -- a nice touch to have a real non glass bottle, but in the grand scheme of things, probably unimportant.

Drank from a burgundy wine glass, as I didn't have a snifter in my current location, but the shape still allowed the beer's nose to shine.

N - A slight earthly nose, possibly grass, but not hops, with a sugary-ness, signifying this is, indeed, a slightly sweet Belgian.

A - Poured a golden brown with a quickly dissipating head. Quite a bit of floating yeast, but likely more due to a careless pour than a problem with the beer. A medium/fine lace adheres to the glass when tilted, but quickly falls away.

T - Malty and sweet, but little lingering sugar. Finishes dry, where the alcohol/phenol-ness is somewhat prevalent, but as most Belgian ales, it hides its alcohol content well. Smooth in the mouth. Only mild carbonation.

D - Eminently drinkable. Goes down smooth and easy. As with many Belgians, IMO, it improves as it gets slightly warmer. A good representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2008 01:28:48 | More by jf2

BeerManDan

California

4.8/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

When poured in a pint glass the color was hazy light golden yellow with an orange hue. Also, loads of tight white foam and lace all the way down the glass from start to finish. The smell of fruit and spices filled the nose with a pleasant aroma. Well balanced of flavors. To bad it's so hard to find, just happen to get the last bottle at my Bevmo!

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2008 22:16:42 | More by BeerManDan

PBoegel

New York

3.55/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from the 750 ml swing top ceramic jar.

Billowing egg shell white head on a hazy yellow body.

Aromas are pilsner malt, faint caramel, touch of sugar sweetness and light fresh mown grass.

Taste is clean malt with touch of Belgian yeast peppery spice.

mouthfeel is effervescent and medium light on body.

Very drinkable pale/golden, a bit too hazy, but overall drinkable and approachable and the packaging is great for home brewing.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2008 21:36:36 | More by PBoegel

Brianmerrilyn

New York

4.55/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle with a flip cap.

Poured into goblet opaque darkish tan with blonde touches. A hearty head that has never been seen but settles to 2 finger head with lots of legs.

Smell is overpowering yeast to let you know this is not a starter beer but not hoppy.

Taste-Not a wheat but with the yeast I had to check the bottle again. Gets sweeter as you move down your glass.

M/D: Thick and hearty for all those who enjoy a good quaf.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2007 22:01:38 | More by Brianmerrilyn

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Dramatic head which does not leave very much lace (too slippery). Nearly straw in color with a very slight haze.

Warm alcohol; a lot of fruity esters, slight farm aromas.

This is a sweet Belgian that seems fairly one dimensional to me. The flavor profile is malt from beginning to end. The alcohol, while not as high as some, is assuredly present. Very creamy for such a light colored brew; carbonation is equally high. The aftertaste features a lip-smacking coating of the tongue with an almost sour-milk flavor.

If you like malty Belgian beers, this may be a good one for you. Not my style.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2007 22:03:28 | More by smcolw

micahgoldfus

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a cloudy, yellow-orange color with a pure white 2-finger head that displays the fairly high carbonation level. The smell was of wheat, yeast, honey, and a tad a citrus. In a word: pleasant. The taste was powerful: plenty of sugary, syrupy, yeasty taste that is typical of this beer style. Little alcohol presence, but still enough to remind you of the high percentage. Also citrus and fruit presence, and a little bit of spice, but not as much as I would have hoped for. I think it was drowned out a bit. Still, this is a tasty, full, crisp beer that I thoroughly enjoyed, and would recomend.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2007 16:25:51 | More by micahgoldfus

albern

Massachusetts

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

The clay jar it comes in is definitely a smart marketing ploy. How can you not notice it? The beer pours a very frothy white head with very good lacing and foam that hangs around for a while. The beer is a nice slightly cloudy orange/yellow. The smell is a wonderful melange of yeast, citrus, spices, and banana. If you like the smell of Belgian pales then you have found your beer. The smell is the highlight. The taste is very good and it does mellow as the beer warms. This is a very typical Belgian pale, you have the characteristic candy sugar fermentation, yeast backbone, spices, pepperish bite, alcohol notes, and coriander and some sweetish banana and cloves in there as well. The down side is that the yeast is a bit snappish and tart with this beer. This is a medium to full bodied beer with a syrupy consistency, that is oh so characteristic of Belgian pales. The after taste is very malty and slightly less sweet. I think Grimbergen is more representative of the style, but this is a very nice ale that is well worth seeking out and enjoying in its own right. L'Chaim.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2007 22:59:11 | More by albern

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance – Clear golden color. Foamy white head. Good retention and moderate lacing.

Smell – Mostly I get some fruits as watermelon, oranges, etc... There are some nice spices such as coriander, pepper, and some cumin. Lastly of course is the yeast.

Taste – Yeast is the backbone, but the fruits put on a nice flavor and the spices are strong. The pepper is a bit much, but not too overpowering. A little more and it would be unbalanced. They walked a fine line here.

Mouthfeel – Medium crisp carbonation on a medium/light bodied beer. Smooth and drinkable.

Drinkability – A nice example of the style. While not my favorite, it is definitely a worthwhile entry.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2007 21:58:54 | More by stereosforgeeks

beveritt

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: Poured from a 750 ml clay jar with both a cap and a swing top. A good friend of mine picked this up for me while on an out of state trip. Label has a picture of a thatch roofed building and simply says Belgian Golden Ale. It looks like there are drawings of hop cones around the border. Poured into a Duvel glass.

Appearance: Pours with about 1 inch of creamy, off white foam. This falls slowly, leaving a lot of lacing and a still substantial coating of foam. The beer itself is a honey golden color with a hint of red/orange.

Smell: Sweet, sugary, bubblegum smell of so many Belgians. Hints of caramel.

Taste: Decent level of carbonation bite upfront. Malty backbone with a not too sweet taste. Mild bitterness. Warming finish shows the alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Average level of carbonation. Body is good.

Drinkability: What can I say, I love Belgians and this one is no exception. Nice spicy and slightly sweet character without being too cloying. This is the kind of beer I can enjoy a 750ml of over the course of the night.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2007 21:00:47 | More by beveritt

dfried

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy straw orange in color, giant white head that broke apart in big chunks. Bready Belgian yeast in the aroma, syrupy malt, and spicy cloves and others. Some fruity mellon, pears, and bananas, some citrus from the hops. A lot of Belgian yeast in the initial flavor some syrupy malt and candy sugar. Slightly dry mouthfeel and aftertaste reveals an array of fruity flavors, oranges, mangos, pears, apricots, tangerines, mellons, and cantalopes, some playing off the spicy citrusy hops. Spices add to the dry/tart mouthfeel as well.

Verdict: while I now have had better strong goldens, this is one beer that helped open my eyes to Belgians a few years ago. It's a pretty good representation of the style and I love all of the fruity flavors you can pick out.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2007 19:33:24 | More by dfried

DogFood11

California

4.6/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

750ml bottle with a flip cap. Poured it into a tulip it forms an easily managed whispy white head. Chunky lacing. Golden body is cloudy and full of fine carbonation. Nice to look at.

Yes! This is the Belgian pale taste that I love. Tons of Belgian yeasty characteristics. Clovey at a nice level. Lighter fruitiness that could include pineapple, tangerines, Bananna, ginger, and a touch of sweetened lemon. The head has amazing staying power drink after drink seems to just rile this bitch up a bit.

Notes: Light and delightfull. Suprisingly refreshing and the alcohol is a complete afterthought. Oh my the beer burps on this one are something I wont forget anytime soon. Yummmy. Somewhere between good and excellent.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2007 04:48:22 | More by DogFood11

bacabuck

California

3.73/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Let's not forget that the bottle clearly states it is a "blonde ale". Too many other reviews of this brew seem to be comparing it to other Belgians that are of a different structure.

Poured into a goblet at ~45'F. Pale honey blonde in color. Good head that quickly disipates to a 2mm thick head that leaves considerable lace on the glass.

Unfiltered and smells similar to the Wonder Bread factory that used to be off the Lodge Freeway in Detroit. That's not a bad thing however. Just lots of yeast on the nose.

The first few sips displayed pear and apple flavors. Light and crisp. As the brew warms slightly to 50'F the taste slightly changes and takes on a creamy tone. May be due to the fact that the carbonation is dramatically decreased at higher temps. This seems to be the beer's perfect state.

Alcohol doesn't seem to come through until you start quaffing it down so it doesn't get too warm or you finish the bottle. Nice beer.

Other reviewers have pointed out that there are other, better ales at lower prices. They are indeed correct but this is still a fine drink on it's own merits. I enjoyed it, but most likely will try other beers before coming back around to this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2006 06:11:26 | More by bacabuck

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

3.03/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Overpriced but the gimmicky bottle caught my eye. Light bodied, low carbonation, light lacing, limited flavor. Mildly geuze like funkiness in the aroma and an oddly large amount of maple syrup in the taste. Easy to drink but not very appealing. Nice dark gold/copper body though.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2006 03:09:22 | More by DaPeculierDane

jameaterblues

New York

3.35/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

So I used to get samples at my old job and this is one that followed me a couple hundred miles...
A-So I agree these people know how to present their beer....beautiful bottle...but thats where the points are for the appearance....it really looks like a bubbly pale beer...1/4 inch white head...light thin bubbly lace...overall after it comes out of the bottle it looks kinda plain.
S-Belgian yeast...fruity esters...slightly sweet....maybe some banana...but that is also probably from the yeast too...light malts...no detectable hops...
T-OK I know that it is probably the yeast, but it tastes kinda like a wheat, and the banana is coming through in the flavor...light bitterness throughout beer...
M-light, alcohol not detectable in taste...bubbly.
D- Its not bad but these beers are kinda expensive(like $10 where I used to work) given the price I really don't think that I will pick it up...there are alot of good Belgian ales....and at better prices

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2006 04:15:24 | More by jameaterblues