Affligem Blond - Brouwerij De Smedt / Brouwerij Affligem

Todd

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bright golden/amber in color topped with a very tight and thick white foam head, which retains very well and creates a fine clinging lace. I left the chunky goodness in the bottle, to consume after the review.

Big floral and herbal nose, with spicy pepper and blossom honey.

Sharp-ish on the palate. Creamy and lively carbonation action on the palate that tingles and bites. Near astringent puckering bitterness blends with a dry and quenching edge. Phenols (faint medicinal) and pepper add complexities, while a soft honey-like sweetness provides perfect balance. Some bready notes as the beer warms, with a pronounced sweetness. Dry finish, touch of floral oil and powdery grain in the finish. Bone-dry linger.

A gorgeous blond. Balanced, interesting, quenching, highly drinkable and strong.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2005 17:55:42 | More by Todd

Jason

Massachusetts

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

Presentation: 12 oz brown bottle with a "Best Before" date clearly printed.

Appearance: Bright golden with a more than decent white lace which leaves patches all around the glass.

Smell: Sweet and fragrant with hints of honey, candied fruit and grain. Light herbal nose also.

Taste: Very smooth and slightly crisp with a moderate body. There is a sweetness through out that changes hand from the honey like malt to the sweetish alcohol that veers towards spicy also. Hops are subdued and give only a faint bitterness and flavour, mild phenols lend an herbal quality which follows the grain right into the finish. As the alcohol still warms the mouth there is still a trace honey flavour in the end.

Notes: Just strong enough to cut the chill out of a damp fall day yet deceivingly light where I could drink more than one.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2002 16:05:06 | More by Jason

apasternak

Ohio

4/5  rDev +2%

05-22-2013 08:16:52 | More by apasternak

johntfox

Florida

4/5  rDev +2%

05-21-2013 00:49:36 | More by johntfox

shanny1981

Georgia

3.41/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

An okay beer. Definitely a little over the top when it comes to unnecessary carbonation. I hate overly carbonated beers that keep you belching for 24 hours straight. Husband and I both had a tummy ache after consuming a single bottle. Won't be trying this again. However, loved the color, smell and after taste. A very pretty beer in terms of appearance.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 13:22:51 | More by shanny1981

mquinn919

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%

05-12-2013 01:44:25 | More by mquinn919

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

05-11-2013 03:35:22 | More by BigBry

rph97

Texas

4/5  rDev +2%

05-10-2013 20:13:16 | More by rph97

NikD

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%

05-05-2013 13:18:58 | More by NikD

schnarr84

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2%

04-28-2013 19:26:39 | More by schnarr84

smbslt

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

04-24-2013 02:26:40 | More by smbslt

rangerred

Tennessee

4.19/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

330ml bottle into a goblet.

Pours a slightlly hazy medium gold with a few chunks making it into the glass. I downed the rest out of the bottle.

Pears really dominate the aroma along with some floral hops and light bready malt. A really pleasant aroma that lacks much of the clove/banana of other Belgians but is unique all its own.

The Belgiany character comes out more in the flavor with clove and bubblegum but the abundant pear is still there and provides a great citrus touch. A nice pilsner malt character and some light floral/grassy hops round it out. A soft drying mouthfeel makes this a real refreshing beer to drink.

Overall, a great Belgian that is very refreshing and light. It may not have all the complexities of some of the stronger Belgain ales but it is a pleasure to drink nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 02:23:38 | More by rangerred

augustgarage

California

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Seems a fitting libation to accompany my viewing of Paris Roubaix. Poured from a 330mL bottle into my Troubadour tulip. 7% alcohol pushes the limits of a BPA, but let's see:

Golden poppy liquid, clear (appearing filtered despite "the yeast in the bottle"), capped by a fat finger of beige merengue. Superior retention. Pasty (almost clumpy) lacing.

Yeast is prominent in the nose - phenolic and bready, accentuating the malt nicely. Floral with hints of honey as well. Some peppery/spice notes come in as well as the beer warms.

Spice-like yeast notes are more prominent on the palate - slightly tart with coriander and white pepper elements. Soft mellow pale malt flavor and a mild noble-hop bitterness add interest though not much complexity. Dry malty/fruity (from yeast) finish.

Carbonation seems just a little high perhaps, though it makes the ale seem crisper and further conceals the alcohol.

A pleasant example of the style - easy drinking and deceptively strong.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 20:59:45 | More by augustgarage

garuda

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2%

04-07-2013 14:04:12 | More by garuda

samEBC

Belgium

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

04-01-2013 20:35:14 | More by samEBC

mshanecrowe

Mississippi

4/5  rDev +2%

03-30-2013 22:40:56 | More by mshanecrowe

Bnoise11

California

4/5  rDev +2%

03-28-2013 02:29:41 | More by Bnoise11

ThinkAgain

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

03-27-2013 01:38:10 | More by ThinkAgain

NoleDoc

Florida

4/5  rDev +2%

03-25-2013 03:53:01 | More by NoleDoc

FLima

Brazil

3.76/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Golden amber color. Poured lots of thick white head leaving laces. Last poured brought some floating particles.
Nice aroma of Belgian yeast, matured oranges and sweet vanilla.
Similarly, sweet malt taste well balanced with hops, notes of Belgian yeast and presence of matured fruits and a hint of condiments, especially coriander.
Medium body with good carbonation with an effervescent and spicy sensation. A bit dry and with good drinkability, being a bit less complex. 6.8% ABV is perfectly hidden.
It is the type of beer that grows as you drink it, from an average Belgian blond to a pleasant beer. I would recommend this beer for starting into the Belgian world. Liked the fact that it is not too sweet and you can still feel some hops. Don’t mistake this one per a Dubbel, Tripel etc…, those are bolder off-course.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 00:11:28 | More by FLima

lccrunchy

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

03-17-2013 23:59:39 | More by lccrunchy

TimeLincoln

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%

03-10-2013 18:49:46 | More by TimeLincoln

lgmol

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%

03-08-2013 23:44:02 | More by lgmol

Duvel

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +2%

03-08-2013 16:14:06 | More by Duvel

JuliusCaesar

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +2%

03-04-2013 02:27:35 | More by JuliusCaesar