Kasteel Donker - Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Love the stubby bottle, it's like I'm drinking a Canadian lager or something...only the pour clearly shows I'm not. This is an ultra-dark brown color, fudge-like and opaque, and the head is a dirty white thing, creamy and long-lasting.

Aroma is dessert-like, also earthy/yeasty, but mostly I'm reminded of chocolate cake, port, fig, chocolate-covered cherries, strong herbal tea, mint leaves, toffee. Alcohol is a faint background trace, which is impressive for any 11% beer.

Taste is rather rich, with plenty of complexity and depth. Not rich or sweet in any detrimental way, it remains even-keeled all the way. Characteristics of brown sugar, caramel, graham cracker, sweet spices / mint / strong herbs, cola, root beer, grape, raisin. Extremely well-controlled alcohol, which acts as a supportive layer, raising all the aforementioned taste impressions up to a lofty height. A mild candy-like finish, although it's a pretty faint finish all around.

Super velvety smooth feel, with an airy yet not limp body. Silky smooth, silky smooth, and silky smooth. There's just no need to describe it otherwise.

As drinkable as any 11% quad is ever going to be. This beer exhibits absolutely amazing balance and does everything right. It also reminds me exactly which country first awakened me to the vast possibilities of beer. Time to refocus my buying habits toward Belgium again. This is superb.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 21:50:10 | More by Metalmonk

GbVDave

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured form a 11.2oz bottle into a St. Bernardus chalice.

A: Pours the color of Coke. Dark brown with purple and ruby tints. No head to speak of but the foam ring leaves some minor lacing. Very still.

S: Aromas of caramel, figs, plums, green apples, and brown sugar. Tiny hint of alcohol hiding amongst the other aromas.

T: Tons of sweet flavors in this one. Dark candi sugar, plums, figs, caramel, cola nut, did I mention it's sweet? I like my Quads with more balance than this. This beer is crying out for some roasted malt and hops to balance out the sweetness.

M: Big and thick if a tad too syrupy. Rich and creamy.

D: I rate this one just above average. The large (11% abv) alcohol content is very well hidden but the overly sweet flavors make a dent in the drinkability factor for me. With more balance this beer could be quite good.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2007 01:44:46 | More by GbVDave

superspak

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11.2 ounce bottle into chalice, bottled on 090901. Pours fairly clear super dark brown color with a small off white head that recedes quickly to a ring of lace. Small amounts of spotty glass lacing; with slight carbonation streaming up from the bottom. Aromas of big raisin, grape, prune, molasses, caramel, candi sugar, red wine, bread, and slight yeast spiciness. Some nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big raisin, grape, prune, caramel, molasses, pear, apple, toffee, candi sugar, bread, red wine, earth, and slight yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of raisin, prune, molasses, caramel, bread, toffee, and earth on the finish for a good bit. Very sweet with minimal spiciness; but it is not cloying at all. Fantastic flavor balance and good complexity. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a nice creamy and fairly slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a very slight warming noticed on the finish. Overall this is a fantastic Belgian quad! Big flavors with good balance and complexity; and very smooth to sip on for being 11%. Loved this one, and will get it again sometime.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 03:13:34 | More by superspak

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle served at room temperature. It pours a deep amber to ambered brown color with a finger of off white head that falls to a solid coat over top. Solid lacing remains as things recede. Nose is full of big dark fruit, fig soaked it rum. Light puffs of alcohol. There is also a healthy dose of bready and spicey notes as well. Flavor is very mellow. Good sweet fruity fig with a healthy but not offensive alcohol in the background with light doughy breadyness and a healthy spicey yeast character in there as well. I like it. Feel is big and thick, almost chewy, with a light carbonation. I enjoy this beer. Even with the alcohol presence, it is pretty drinkable. I can feel it going to my head a bit as I drink it more, so I know one of these a night would do me just fine.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2006 02:16:48 | More by kmpitz2

dsa7783

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750 ML green Belgian bottle copped caged and corked from Total Wine and More in West Orange... "Kasteel Donker" on the logo sticker... this beer packs a punch at a whopping 11% ABV... Pours a grape-colored hue with minimal frothy head that left apparent lacing around the top of my mug... Strong alcoholic and prune aroma leads to a taste complete with dark, dehyrdated fruits, raisins, currants, figs, caramel, and cinnamon... the strong alcohol content is certainly noticeable in both the flavor and aroma and makes itself known after a few sips with a warm, inviting glow... definitely a beer for colder-weather days... Although labeled as a quadrupel, this brew could easily pass as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale with its syrup and molasses quality... not my favorite-tasting sample, but a quality brew nontheless... strong, rich, and dark flavor is really highlighted... Worth a try...

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2008 22:36:09 | More by dsa7783

cjgator3

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle
Bottled on 03/05/2009

A- Pours a dark cherry red with some dark brown color as well with a light tan colored head that turns into a ring of lace.

S- The aroma is definitely dominated by the malt. Dark fruits (most notably raisin and plum), dark candied sugar, caramel, cherries and a yeasty spiciness. The aroma is very complex, really liking this one so far.

T- The taste like the aroma is full of sweet malt with lots of raisin and hints of cherry flavor with some alcohol soaked plums in the finish. The alcohol is definitely present in the taste, but is remarkably hidden for a 11% ABV beer.

M- The mouthfeel is full bodied with a perfect amount of carbonation.

D- Overall, I really enjoyed this one. This is a world-class beer without question. I think it is a little underrated here on BA. Definitely worth seeking out!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 03:22:52 | More by cjgator3

Crosling

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ruddy brown, with a small white head. Fairly powerful nose hints of Brown sugar, plums, dates, red apple, golden apple, caramel, toffee and a bit of barnyard. Flavor is extremely sweet and very fruity. Honestly, I think it’s a pretty tasty beer. Well hidden alcohol, with a balanced flavor. This is a fairly tasty, enjoyable Belgian.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2007 07:03:22 | More by Crosling

Pencible

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: This poured a nearly opaque dark mahogany with a bit of light tan head.
S: It smelled like bready yeast and prune and molasses, with banana and a bit of cocoa powder.
T: It tasted like very sweet caramel and a blend of dark fruits, with bready yeast and a bit of banana. It had a lasting sweet aftertaste with a bit of alcohol.
M: It was fairly thick with smooth and subtle carbonation.
D: This was a solid dark Belgian ale with a very sweet character. It had great body, and the alcohol wasn't bad (even though it was noticeable), so it was easy to drink. Great candidate for aging, but also enjoyable fresh.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 19:10:55 | More by Pencible

clayrock81

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured an almost black body with a constantly there one-finger tan head in a tulip glass. A strong fruit smell, like orange and a little grape (dark fruit), and some hints of sweet and bread malts. A great smoothness is what first struck me with this beer, as there is a balance between the malts (some sweet and bread, little oaky even) and dark/heavy fruits (orange, grape again). A little sticky and syrupy, like there's some molasses in there, but finishes clean with a little bit of a hop prickle on the tongue. A solid beer to sip and relax with as the ABV is well-hidden.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2009 14:11:01 | More by clayrock81

bditty187

Nebraska

4.65/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Dark brown hue with maroon influences, brightly reddish highlights were the light penetrates it, the beige head reached a modest finger in height but it held like cement. As I quaffed sheets of lace were formed. An impressive sight visually. The aroma wafting from my glass is delightful with tart fruitiness, hints of oak, and toasty malt. I was expecting more, especially in hindsight after I tasted it. The nose lacks the complexities of the palate. Chocolate-coated raisins soaked in brandy aged in oak barrels starts the palate, glorious sweetness settles in and then explodes on the tastebuds, igniting a fire of alcohol, tropical fruit, and traces of pepper. The sweetness is absolutely wonderful, simply perfect. It isn’t cloying and offset perfectly with the bourbon, brandy alcohol heat, then add in the complex fruitiness and WOW! The maltiness is damn near identical to cake. Where did that toffee come from? Apples? The finish is sweet like a chocolate cake soaked in alcohol topped with a tropical fruit jelly spiced with peppery-cloves. Low but playful carbonation, nearly perfect for this beer, the body is slightly fuller than medium, near ideal. The aftertaste is long and wonderful with qualities similar to an aged Barleywine but with so much more. The alcohol potency is not noticeable on the taste, impressive, it is easy to drink but so tasty you want to sip and savor it. As I did. This is seriously one of the best beers I have ever tasted and shockingly I bought it in Nebraska! Lincoln to be exact, I must go get more 750mls to cellar, even if they did run $12 each.

Seek this out.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2004 20:42:54 | More by bditty187

Boto

Connecticut

4.6/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

33cl bottle: This one pours a slightly hazy caramel brown. There was a very small head on mine. The aroma is quite nice. Caramel malt comes through, with some breadiness. Some fruits in there also, possibly raisins and plums. Very full, rich taste. Some candi sugar, plums, breadiness, many others. An exceptional brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2006 20:10:36 | More by Boto

TastyTaste

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

O! Chateau Donker, why must you put hard-to-remove gold foil on your caged and corked beer?

Appearance: Deep maroon-purple body, medium tan head. Sticky lacing around the glass.

Smell: Sweet carmel and honey, very sweet, with some pineapple, brown sugar, and a little earthiness.

Taste: Rich and very sweet, carmel and honey flavors are up front. More mellow than I remember the on-tap version being. This is a differently styled beer, one that would be good with a slice of apple pie, i think.

Drinkability: The sweetness is more subdued than on tap, if my memory serves, making this a more balanced and mellowed beer. A great dessert beer, above average vs. the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2006 03:32:51 | More by TastyTaste

rye726

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark cherry wood color with a creamy tan head. Good retention and lacing.

Nose is very fruity with lots of plums and sweet cherries. Sweet malts, caramel and earthy Belgian yeast.

Again a big fruity complex malt profile. Starts rich and finishes with strong flavors of sweet pitted fruit. Dark candy, raisins, plums, toffee, caramel and musky yeast. A port like alcohol flavor in the finish.

Thick and silky with ample carbonation. A very complex dark Belgian brew. Has a long shelf life, but I think it is best a around 1 year. I have aged a few for longer, but the sweetness gets out of balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2008 04:06:59 | More by rye726

lackenhauser

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice ruby brown color with an admirable sized head. Soft peppery aroma with a mild malt note. Huge malty flavor with a moderate caramel sweetness. Very slight hop bite. Mellow dried fruit flavor. Lacks the yeasty/sulfury notes most Belgians exhibit. No trace of alcohol at 11%. Must use quite the clean yeast to ferment. Great body-has a slight creaminess to it. I find this to be a great beer, rather sweet but I like them like that. This would be a great Belgian to turn someone who has never had one on to. Might not be to style but I really like this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2009 00:07:42 | More by lackenhauser

clvand0

Kentucky

4.83/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This brew was shared by a fellow homebrewer. Pours a red/brown color with a large head that has ok retention and leaves plenty of lacing on the glass. The aroma is excellent. Filled with all the goodies: Dark fruits, raisins, alcohol, toasty, spice, sweetness, yeasty, malty - all just jumping out. The flavor is equally complex and great. As it warms, tons of dark fruits and raisins come across with some spices, citrus, alcohol and plenty of caramel malt. The mouthfeel is on the high end of moderate and the drinkability is great. This is one of the better Belgian beers I've had (except Westy and Rochefort) and probably the best brew I've had in a long while.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2005 18:18:06 | More by clvand0

thierrynantes

France

3.03/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Beer bottle (33cl.), tasted in 1999.

Appearance: glowing brown color, with tan foam head (not persistent).
Smell : fruity aromas.
Taste and mouthfeel: soft palate, taste of Porto and coffee, strong sweet sensations.
Drinkability: a beer in the style strong dark ale, too strong and too sweet.

Review translated from french 6-11-2008.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2007 19:33:43 | More by thierrynantes

Offa

California

4.68/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

This is a wonderful, rich but very drinkable quadrupel that belies its strength and is a great after-dinner/dessert ale in particular. but also great with cheeses, etc.

Extremely dark red-brown, almost black, it has a small tan head steadily shrinking to foamy ring and wisps.

Aroma is wonderful zesty fruit and spice, gingerbread, dried figs and cherries, dark toasted bread crust.

Taste is not quite as complex as the aroma but is wonderful, full, well-rounded and approachable despite the richness and strength. It has sweet-spicy dried fruits, ginger cake, port, sweeter up front but a slightly direr finish of dark toast and dried fig. It is not extremely complex, but has some complexity and a nicely well-rounded character. Feel is firm with a hint of oiliness but also a bit lively, and it is not heavy or truly oily, much less viscous. The high abv is hinted at in the port-like element, but otherwise the boozy alcoholic quality is nicely restrained, adding an enriching warmth without making the booziness overtly noticeable, much less harsh in any way.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 00:30:29 | More by Offa

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.91/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle at Poo Restaurant in Sukhothai. Bartender poured the entire contents of the bottle into a Kasteel glass, which is an unorthodox practice with Belgian beers. This is the first 'craft beer' I've had in about 3 months.

A - Poured murky brown with a half finger white head that faded fast. Good carbonation. Decent lace down the glass and head that maintains as film.

S - Vinous, rich dark fruit, lot's of sugar and brown sugar, vanilla, really smooth aroma.

T - Lot's of sugar, grapes, shark dark fruit, vinous, brown sugary fruits, a touch of alchohol that works well.

M - Nice full body, sweet finish, not cloying, nice carbonation.

O/D - Very little alcohol which is surprising for the ABV. A tad sweet, otherwise quite nice. Warms up to become nice and smooth. Doesn't break the mold but definitely does the trick.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 05:38:17 | More by tbeckett

aerozeppl

New York

3.9/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2008 Bottle.

A: Dark brown in color. A minimal amount of white head being replenished by a steady flow of bubbles in my chalice. It lacks that special look a beer has when held up to the proper light but it is still a nice looking beer.

S: Belgian candied sugar right up front. It has a nice sweetness to it that only the Belgian brewers seems to obtain. Little bit of figs in there as well. Nice nose.

T: Sweetness right up front. Quite a bit of it. The yeast gives out some nice fruity esters to hold it in check. Figs like the nose. A touch of raisins as well.

M: A little bit of a chewy mouthfeel. This is a big beer so that is ok. I do expect the Belgian big beers to be light then beat me in the liver though.

D: One of those good Belgian beers that gets stuck in the middle. Good beer for sure but not excellent. I got this one for free so for me it is a steal and a good beer. If I paid over $10 for it then it would be a bad beer. Horrible economics but facts.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2010 00:41:18 | More by aerozeppl

Globetrotter

Virginia

2.8/5  rDev -31.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Purchased in Antwerp and hand-delivered to Moscow (thanks Marjut and Michael!), this 33cl brown stubby features a big bulge in the neck and a tan and yellow label centered around a drawing of some seventeenth century palace. Ingredients conform to the purity law. Best before 9/09, I opened it on 3/25/05.

Clear but very dark cola like brown hue under a thin 1/2 finger head that fades to collar almost immediately, but then leaves some pretty impressive lace strings along the side. Sweet caramel malt nose, like candy. Mildly carbonated and pretty sticky, basically the consistency of a semi-flat coke (but in a good way...). The opening taste is way too sweet (what? no sugar in here? Ha!), almost like maple syrup. Some hops try to fight their way through the sweetness, and manage to get noticed before falling back into the sugary swamp. The overall impression is way too sweet for me. I can't recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2005 19:20:49 | More by Globetrotter

Absumaster

Netherlands

2.6/5  rDev -36.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

This beer pours a dark brown, red colour with a small head and glass sticking foam.

Smell was roasted and malty, it reminded me of tobacco. What was striking, was the lack of smell, especially for a beer with 11% alcohol, I expect to have a little more smell.

Taste was SWEET!! My teeth almost fell out of my mouth! Unbelievable. The alcohol is also very apparent and off course the beer is sticky. I could barely get my lipps off each other. Every other taste that is possibly in there is masked by the sweetness of the beer. I would not advise this to anyone who is a serious beeradvocate.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2006 22:07:55 | More by Absumaster

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.47/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

11.2 oz bottle with the new graphics.

Pours dark mahogany with amber edging. A beige head of a half-inch rose up with a longish pour. Traces of finely beaded lacework throughout the glass, with whisps on the surface.

Aromatics lead off with rum-soaked raisins, caramel, nougat, vanilla, and fresh figs.
Alcohol warms the nose and dark fruits step forward.

Medium bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. Slickish and slightly chewy.

Dark rum, plump raisins, toffee, and a hint of Kahlua start the pallet. Drizzeled caramel, cocoa-dusted fruit, and warming alcohol follow through.

Finishes with lingering figs, dark rum, caramel, and brown sugar.

Pretty damn flawless and tasting like a real freshie. Quite a bit of fresh dough and lively hops (for a quad).
Way too drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2008 01:17:09 | More by brewandbbq

marc77

California

4.63/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Crystal clear deep garnet hue, w/ a head that quickly dissipates into a tight tan ring due to the high apparent alcohol content. Spotty isolated bubble inlands are left. The aroma is dominated by vinous, alcohol soaked dark fruit w/ a contrasting dark caramel and chocolate malt. Hint of dry, coffeeish roasted barley is present as well. Earthy Styrian Goldings hop nose. When combined with the light clove phenol, bubblegum esters and pleasantly peppery alcohol the nose knows this is a potent Belgian. Unfortunately, there's a slight hint of lightstruck derived mercaptans (curse of the green bottle) that prevents the aroma from acheiving greatness. Assertive, molasses like, dark candi sugar sweetness is perceived initially in flavor, then is ceded by a melange of dark, dried fruit including raisin and sugary dates. The dark fruitiness then melds with dark caramel malt, light chocolate and pseudosweet alcohol to lend an overall impression of bourbon soaked chocolate cake. Yeast derived flavors emerge late and mirror their presence in aroma, consisting of clove and mild bubblegum. Ethanol flavors are well controlled, w/ only slight peppery notes percpetible. Hop bitterness is paltry and leaves malt sweetness virtually unhindered, yet sweetness doesn't become cloying, due to this brew's inherent complexity. Moderately bodied, w/ a sugary and dextrinous mouthfeel. Finishes both sweet and lightly roasty, with enveloping alcohol warmth surfacing concomitantly. Kasteel Donker is a tremendously flavorful brew. Although sweet all around in character, the sweetness is multi faceted and contrasted by both yeast esters and mellow dark grain. Considering its strength, the drinkability is supreme. Donker is an oxy moron of a brew-- ballsy and refined. Bottled 8/2001.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2002 18:33:04 | More by marc77

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

2.3/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Bottled. Typical Belgian stubbie. Pours a flat cola -red with little or no head. Aroma is alcohol mixed with spice. mouth feel is oils and sweet...pronounced molasses-cola tastes some malt body and the ever pervasive alcohol....very much like a Carib sweet stout...bad job of hiding it and too sweet with adjuncts to be considered a serious for a European ale...these Belgium mutants should have their own category...maybe "rot yer teeth hi grav rummy beer" ...woof , I won’t be going back here.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2004 22:03:46 | More by pootz

Phelps

Arizona

3.65/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at Tops, served up in a goblet.

A: cranberry-colored and mostly clear with no head to speak of save a very thin khaki ring.

S: plums, cinnamon, lots of maple, molasses and some light tart cranberries. Sweet and deep.

T: maple, cinnamon, molasses and brown sugar, in that order. There's an interesting toasty backbone reminiscent of ritz crackers and a tinge of vodka amidst the slightly drying finish. It's decent, but has none of the depth of the top-tier quads.

M: medium, massaging carbonation amidst a smooth medium body. It's lightly fizzy as I swish it about, and there's a slight alcohol burn on the way down.

D: it's a respectable quadruple, for sure. But this 10 ounces cost me $11 (!) and at that price, I expect to be gobsmacked with pure deliciousness. On this front, sadly, Kasteel did not deliver.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2010 23:26:22 | More by Phelps