Kasteel Donker
Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.

Kasteel DonkerKasteel Donker
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From:
Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.
 
Belgium
Style:
Quadrupel (Quad)
Ranked #52
ABV:
11%
Score:
92
Ranked #5,357
Avg:
4.12 | pDev: 13.59%
Reviews:
425
Ratings:
975
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 02, 2024
Added:
Oct 14, 2001
Wants:
  111
Gots:
  190
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by 3toed:
Photo of 3toed
Reviewed by 3toed from Michigan

3.92/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
When I first tasted the Kasteel Bruin six years ago, I had a bit of an epiphany. At the time I was on a Belgian Ale kick (specifically Belgian Browns), drawn in by their complexity and depth. I bought the Kasteel Bruin on a whim; it graciously complemented the end of a delightful dinner, pairing well with a desert of Pears in Fig Syrup over Cinnamon couscous. At the end of the meal it was bliss. But, then again, maybe it was the 11% ABV. The beer became a favorite—it was relatively inexpensive ($7) for its intricacies (and heft), and it was always stocked my the choice dispensary in Richmond, VA.

I hadn't come across a bottle in quite sometime (now living in Boston) until this evening, when I happened upon the "Donker", which I had known was it's other moniker, "Bruin". At $10, it was slightly more than what I had paid prior, but it seemed to jive with all other price increases I had become accustomed to. Little else seemed to jive, however.

Appearance: Dark brown/murky amber in light, the dark cream colored head rings the circumference of the glass, creating the thinnest of shoreline. Very minimal head retention, no lacing.

Smell: Figs, roasted malt, oranges, warm fresh baked rye bread, honey and candied fruit.

Taste: Primary / Syrup, bright fruit (lemons, orange), Secondary / Robotissin, Prune Juice; Final / Alcohol, Molasses, Ginger, Fig Pudding.

Mouthfeel: Touches the tongue lightly, but quickly becomes expansive and coating, cloying with alcohol burn.

Overall: This beer is big, full of figs, and stays with you (in several ways...). It's cloying, and somewhat disappointing from my earlier exhalations. I hesitate to write that my palate has changed, or the beer has changed because, looking back I believe that there is a lot to be be said about context—

Firstly, in the past, I paired the drink with desert, which I think is a wise decision. I could also see it going well with a triple cream brie or a dry, sharp cheese. Think of the Donker as a port or desert wine. Drinking it on it's own this evening was like trying to chase cough syrup with my mother's fig pudding. Like Blueberry Pie and Sizzurp. Ugh.

Secondly, it's the middle of the friggin' summer. Unless you are spending 8 hours in a Michigan basement, there is no need to consume a Baltic Porter, an Imperial Stout or a dark quad in July. It's just silly.

Thirdly, I admit, like so many others, I have changed. I've become a hop head. My taste buds seek them out, especially in the sweetest of situations. But, the Bruin offers no light from it's syrupy sludge. It refuses to change with me.

At the risk of sounding prudent, the Donker is sweet indulgence at 11% ABV. Like a still life from the Dutch Masters—it is deep, dark and decadent, sinful, pouring over with color and life. And like the Master's, it's imbalance is overt, with opulence overbearing from the deep... leaving me searching for a bit of light in it's darkest corners.
Jul 15, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Date Stamp: 45119A KADO

A - Dark raison color with soapy light caramel colored lacing.

S - Dark fruit, light plumb, raison, and a little bit of spice.

T - Malt base is sweet from start to finish with just the right amount of spice and bittering over the top with a little bit of dark fruit.

M - Big medium body that's silky smooth and slight warming in the back of the throat.

O - For a Quad, this is surprisingly sweet.
Jan 02, 2024
Photo of EmilyJV
Rated by EmilyJV

1.34/5  rDev -67.5%
look: 5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5
Insanely sweet. Like carbonated maple syrup with a slight breadiness.
Dec 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by RaulMondesi from California

Sep 07, 2023
Photo of kdd230
Reviewed by kdd230 from England

4.34/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
330ml. bottle in Vientiane, Laos. Pours a clear reddish brown with a minimal head. Aroma of malts and clearly defined alcohol. Taste of sweet malts, caramel, very rich. Less alcohol in the taste than on the nose; hides the high ABV rather well. A good beer.
May 22, 2023
Photo of guidodewaal
Reviewed by guidodewaal from Netherlands

3.33/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Dark with a creamy head. Smells fresh but not very strong. Tastes very sweet and a bit starchy. The sweetness doesnt feel artificial, but it is very sweet. A bit too sweet for me personally. The starchy mouthfeel is also not very great in my opinion. Still a good beer non the less.
May 01, 2023
 
Rated: 3.96 by SteveinBelgium from Belgium

May 01, 2023
 
Rated: 3.5 by Dovers from Wisconsin

Mar 14, 2023
Photo of Hond
Rated by Hond from Netherlands

4.69/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Got about a pint in a special Vanhonsebrouck glass from a friendly waiter. A great way to spend a rainy afternoon in good company. Fantastic beer.
Feb 21, 2023
 
Rated: 3.92 by MrJones07 from Spain

Aug 23, 2022
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

4.43/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured at fridge temp. Pours very dark brown with off-white head. Nose is dark bread, toffee, figs, prunes, spice, and tons of malts. The taste is amazing. Tons of toffee, chocolate, dark malts, figs, dates, and prunes. I love this a lot. The aftertaste is sweet and malty. Mouthfeel is pretty thick and creamy. Overall, an absolute winner.
Jul 11, 2022
Photo of misteil
Reviewed by misteil from Ireland

3.77/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
man i am getting lazy with the reviews these days… oh well. carnaval festivities are in full swing, haven’t exactly been drinking the finest beers over the last few days, but this one is pretty good. super milk chocolatey, really quite sweet, some dark fruit also, typical spicy belgian flavours (although somewhat subdued), could do with some heavy malt flavour to cut through the sweetness, the chocolatey flavours and thick creamy body reallt makes it seem as if you’re drinking liquid chocolate, there is some alcohol warming but the 11% is pretty well concealed, no real bitterness to report, medium carbonation, all in all for me it is a little too monotone and lacking in depth, but it’s a pleasant beer for sure.
Feb 27, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Feb 22, 2022
Photo of tekstr1der
Reviewed by tekstr1der from New Hampshire

4.6/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Absolutely one of my all-time faves, full of dark ripe fruit flavors, sweet sugars like plums. If only it were distributed in my state which oddly carries other Kasteel brews.
Feb 12, 2022
 
Rated: 3.5 by altrio

Oct 04, 2021
 
Rated: 4.2 by marcrech from Brazil

Sep 18, 2021
Photo of hank_and_als_beer_reviews
Reviewed by hank_and_als_beer_reviews

1.38/5  rDev -66.5%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.25
7/11/2021 11:57pm EST
Fort Myers Beach, FL

Poured from a 11.2oz bottle into a weizen glass

Look: Dark as a midwinter night; hold a torch up to reveal its true medium garnet color. SRM 40+. Some lacing and head retention.

Smell: Malt-soaked dark fruits and molasses. It's syrupy in the nose, even from a strong distance.

Taste: Intrusive sweetness saturates the experience. The only redemption here is the escape from the matiness. Black fruits drown in a lake of sweetness, likened to a dinosaur in a tarpit. Surprisingly, neither boozy nor warm--simply syrupy.

Feel: It's physical labor to get this down your throat. Heavy bodied.

Overall: Every beer needs to arrive on the shelf in a drinkable state. This beer needs another year or more to ferment and cut down the sweetness so it can start tasting like a beer.
Jul 12, 2021
 
Rated: 4.71 by KarlHvK from New York

Apr 18, 2021
 
Rated: 4.23 by eagles22 from Pennsylvania

Mar 21, 2021
 
Rated: 3.8 by ZombiePlus from California

Mar 19, 2021
Kasteel Donker from Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 975 ratings