Brigand - Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a slightly hazy peachy amber with a fine two finger slightly off-white head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of stone fruit and apple juice, caramel malt and Belgian yeast, slightly sour at first. Flavor follows with sweet caramel malt, light stone fruit, apple juice, slight fruit rind and Belgian yeast. Finishes somewhat drier with mild sharpness from bittering hops and Belgian spicing. Medium bodied with good mouth feel from active carbonation. A nice, reasonably complex Belgian strong pale ale. This recently purchased bottle had a "bottled on:" code of 071024; could this really be a 5 year old bottle? I'd like to know because my last Brigand (drunk many years ago) was sour and astringent, which I attributed to being an old bottle. If this one is 5 years old, it has held up quite nicely with minimal oxidation.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:16:11 | More by LiquidAmber

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours all crystal white head, with a strong sizzeling sound. As the light head settles the clear golden liquid rises. Somewhat decent lacings.

S: Lots of spices, herbs and yeast. Doughy malt and rich citric notes makes this quite complex. Semi-sweet.

T: Dry sour bitterness at first. Lots of yeast and lots of spices. Citric notes. Nice bready malt. Sweet, honey-like.

M: Sour, rather long aftertaste. Body is full, with some warmth from the alcohol. Carbonation is moderate.

O: NIce, but the high ABV is too obvious in taste and mouthfeel for my flavour.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 17:43:18 | More by Sunnanek

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.66/5  rDev +23%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Brigand Belgian Ale has a thin, almost nonexistent, grayish-white head, and a dank, opaque, peach-colored appearance, with essentially no lacing and some gray-brown chunks sinking down, once the caked sediment at the bottle’s bottom is swished and poured in. The aroma is super rich- apricot, dark, slightly turned fruit, some citrus, candy sugar, and lighter fruit cake, with maybe some strawberry shortcake and cream cheese. Taste is also extraordinarily rich- dark, slightly turned fruit, apricot, citrus rind, lighter fruit cake, cream cheese, peanut butter, sweet bread, white bread, lemon, and even milk, of all things. Mouthfeel is light to medium and extremely prickly, and Brigand Belgian Ale finishes not so dry, cloying, rich, sweet, and wonderful. This is not for beginners. What a substantial beer! Outstanding!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 18:00:36 | More by RonaldTheriot

smakawhat

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the 1 PT. 9.4 fl. oz. bottle into a tulip glass. Bottled on 070418, cork says 06-2007.

Body color is very opaque and dull looking. A mix of yellow murky brown, and faint hints of yellow like orange on the edges. Carbonation though is white pinhead and very lively, huge streams continue throughout. Head is a little bit of retention, makes large about two fingers easily, settles to a nice fluffy cap. Some good qualities and not so appealing.

Nose is very impressive. A distinct yeast profile on this that is hard to pin down it seems. A mellow sweetness with a clove and spicy cardomom or some very nutty bark sense. Really good sense of hop tea like English bitterness, mixing with sweet Belgian malts and sucrose. Liking this.

Hits the palate in the right spot. Everything plays out on first sip. Playful carbonation, hints at bubbly champagne but dialed back with a good effervescence and malt depth. Sweetness brings honey and clove, and Belgian candy, but a good hop angle. Honey coats all around with nutmeg and brown dark toasted sensing spices. Warm feeling aftertaste without a big alcohol burn. Hints at depth with crispness.

Overall this is just wonderful I really do enjoy this.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 01:28:34 | More by smakawhat

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 070418
Cork says 06-2007
(Served in a tulip glass)

A- This beer pours a hazy butterscotch color with a loud fizzy beige head that turns rocky after a bit. There is a good carbonation of bubbles gliding to the finish.

S- The clean aroma has a club soda and yeasty ester notes with a soft green wood hint in the finish. There are some paper and cider notes that grow as it warms.

T- The soft slightly dry candy flavor has hints of slightly fruity yeast esters and a cider taste that grows in the finish.

M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a tight fizz that hits the back of the throat. No alcohol heat noticed.

O- This beer has a soft mellow flavor and I didn’t realize how old it was till I pulled the cork. I think the cider flavors are from age and it would be interesting to taste a fresh sample, but it seemed to hold up ok for so long.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 20:39:07 | More by rhoadsrage

Douberd

Netherlands

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330 ml bottle, poured into its original glass. Deep golden colour. A little hazy on the second pour. Huge head, going down slowly untill it becomes a thin layer on the surface. Leaves some light lacing around the glass.
Aroma is fruity , with obvious banana notes. Dark fruits too, plum and dates.
Taste is sweet, with the dark fruits very obviously there. The high ABV gives a warming feeling and although is very nicely concealed, you will feel it.
Thick body and quite carbonated .
Overall another specimen of great Belgian beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 22:28:36 | More by Douberd

avalon07

South Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had a brownish color and a dirty, murky texture. There was an inch of foamy head that lasted a fair amount of time. Not much lacing.

S: A super-sweet aroma here (like toffee), with some malt and fruit as well.

T: The flavor on this beer was dominated by butterscotch (or toffee). It's sweet and strong and inviting. Also had some mild yeast, malt, and fruit (apples, making the beer almost taste like a candied apple). A very enjoyable flavor.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a crisp, lively finish. Medium-bodied.

O: Probably not your typical BSPA flavor, but definitely well made and super tasty. Drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 13:09:18 | More by avalon07

Everydayoff

Thailand

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured into a tulip by freshness date.

A:
Slight hazy yellow honey hue with a hint of light coppery tinge, the pour yields thick fluffy white head with good retention. High active carbonation generates plenty of bubbles running from bottom to top. No real lace from head’s dissipation but there is some when swirl.

S:
Barley malt that is slight bready, citrus, lemon rind, mint, slight medicinal and herbal hop along with hint of honey and candy sugar. What the complex yet fragrant aroma.

T:
Sweet components are from malt, honey and burnt sugar. Alcohol ester adds a warming and sweet touch. Fruity ester in the middle with hint of citrus and lemon, yeast generates some medicinal mingling with moderate bitterness from hop that also produces a note of herbal.

M:
The body is medium to bold, smooth with fine crispness and lively carbonation, dry finish.

O:
Rather complex brew, the quality itself is more than worthy.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 08:00:52 | More by Everydayoff

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.13/5  rDev -43.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

11.2 ounce bottle - $3.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a hazed, dirty gold body with a smallish, tight, white head.

Smell: Damp hay and straw, some cutting fusel alcohol tones, decaying, moldy peaches, and with a faint but noticed funky, butyric note to it. Just not at all appealing.

Taste: A sweetness of crushed sugar cookies given an extra generous sprinkling of table sugar. Straw-like lightly malted barley. Hint of white peaches, cheap cider. Still quite sweet, then, some hot, astringent alcohol, that underlying unclean funkiness from the nose carrying over. Dirtied, hot finish with a lingering throat burn.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-plus, fizzly carbonation.

Overall: Brigand is like a Belgian malt liquor.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 04:41:25 | More by ChainGangGuy

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass.

A – Cloudy yellow-orange with a thin fizzy head of less than a finger’s width that seems to fizz away almost instantly. Small amounts of clumpy lacing. Not much to look at. By the mid point of the glass there was actually ZERO head and lacing left. Unusual.

S – Whoa. Strong, complex aroma of caramel, citrus fruit, Belgian yeasts, and butterscotch. Definitely inviting.

T – Hot damn. Huge, rich butterscotch character with additional esters of apricot, nectarine, caramel, raisin, date, vanilla, banana, and prune. Fruit flavors are lush and non-acidic. Malty toffee like underbody. Earthy hops help bring some balancing bitterness to the finish as the sweet fruit esters fade. Outstanding! 9% abv almost completely undetectable until it warms a bit. Honestly if it was possible to rate a beer as a six in taste, this would earn one.

M – Prickly carbonation bordering on fizzy, but for this style it works. Thin bodied without degenerating into wateriness.

O – Holy crap, this is good. All the taste elements come together to form a rich blend. Enough complexity to keep the tongue continuously engaged. I could see some people not liking this as it’s a little…strange, but I found it to be ambrosia, and I will definitely be buying this again (when I can find it, as only one specialty store carries it in Tempe AZ)

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 03:09:38 | More by TempeBeerMan

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

1.98/5  rDev -47.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Pours a clean deep yellow color with a small white head. In the aroma, a small fruitiness and a small candy sugar presence. In the taste, a small fruitiness and then nothing. A small bite and medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a dry small fruitiness in the aftertaste. No taste, and what little taste it has, it is a bit too fruity.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2012 14:58:13 | More by OWSLEY069

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Brigand
Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.

Pours a cloudy straw yellow with a white fluffy foam that retains and laces very well. Aroma of Belgian yeast, subtle fruityness and a good helping of earthy, stewed hops. In the taste, mild tartness, green apple, yeasty and bready. Little alcohol taste, small wheat, and semi dry on the finish. Lighter bodied. Overall, a pretty average Belgian, but worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2012 19:45:27 | More by Stinkypuss

cwguy5

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Enjoyed in my hotel in Amsterdam, 10.20.10. Poured into tulip from bottle. Reviewed from notes.

A - thick, bubbly off-white head; honey colored with slight cloudiness
S - sweet smell of banana and toffee
T - more dry than the smell would suggest; banana, dark fruit, Belgian yeast, bread
M - medium amount of big bubbled carbonation; dry, bittersweet finish
D - balanced and drinkable; not as smooth as could be; doesn't stand out really from others of this style

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 03:52:35 | More by cwguy5

kojevergas

California

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served on draught into 33cl stemware in Rome, Italy. Reviewed from notes.

A: Two finger head of nice soft cream, decent thickness, and average retention. Colour is a clear yellow.

Sm: Souring hops, cream, and light non-citrus esters. Aroma is moderate in strength.

T: Slight souring hops, refreshing light cream, and restrained barley. Bold but simple. Built well and nicely balanced.

Mf: Smooth and wet, but not overly so. Complements the flavours of the body.

Dr: A bit pricey in Italy, but pleasant and inspired. Very drinkable, with a nicely subtle smoothness.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2011 01:56:06 | More by kojevergas

BeerDocT

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle into a (unchilled) wide-mouthed glass.

-Appearance 4.0: Slightly murky deep golden color. Nice sized head after pouring, less than one inch. Head dissolved to a small, attractive ring of bubbles that remained during the entire time I drank the beer. Very small carbonation bubbles are visible rising all over the beer.

-Smell 4.5: Very pleasant smell of barley and straw and caramelized sugar. Wonderful!

-Taste 4.5: Slightly sour at first with a big hop bite. This fades into a wonderfully warming sweetness that delivers a burnt sugar flavor along with a slight citrus taste. After swallowing, there is a sudden dryness and crispness followed by a delicious malty and hoppy taste that stays in the mouth for many minutes. No discernable taste of alcohol despite its 9% ABV. Just delicious.

-Mouthfeel 4.0: This is a bottle-conditioned beer, but has what I would consider to be a "normal" amount of carbonation. The carbonation is pleasant and not overpowering and enhances the beer drinking experience.

-Overall 5.0: Exceptional beer, nearly perfect. Very refreshing, but with a cloying thickness that separates it from lagers or lighter ales. This is a wonderful beer that should be sampled by any beer aficionado.

Since so many others have done so, I will do so as well: the label states that this beer was brewed 7/17/07. Brewed by Castle Brewery van Honsebrouck. $11.99 for four at Total Wine in Atlanta. Worth every penny.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 03:58:16 | More by BeerDocT

gdrydenc

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured out of a 750ml bottle bottled on 070418, which I assume is April 18th, 2007. Paid $3 for the bottle.

A - Pours a medium straw, slightly orange color with quite a bit of large carbonation. With even a slow, steady pour it comes out at 1.5 fingers.

S - Quite a bit of sweet malts in the nose. Also a little bit of farmhouse funk to it. Very Belgian, and has quite a bit of fruit.

T - Much like the smell, but there's an odd sharpness (I can't think of a better word for it) to the taste. I'm afraid this beer may be past its prime, moving into a bad state.

M - The mouthfeel is still quite bubbly, even for its age. The flavor may not have stood the test of time very well, but the carbonation sure did.

Overall, this was worth the money, but I don't see myself buying it again. A bit of nasty taste to it that I think can be attributed to its age.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 02:43:34 | More by gdrydenc

Schwarzwald

Tennessee

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The pour was a little underwhelming but I was ready t taste not pour. Had a nice plate of cheese (imagine that) and crackers. This was a great ale. Very strong high ABV, nice notes of caramel, bread and yeast. Taste is amazing... for such a high ABV, you really get all of the flavors and are able to savor each sip and enjoy. What a treat. I picked it up on the bargain bin and will be looking for more of this. NICE!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 19:46:29 | More by Schwarzwald

megahurts4

Louisiana

3.38/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Castle Brigand

Appearance: honey, small head, and some lacing.

Smell: apples and raisins.

Taste: dry bitter barley and light fruit.

Mouthfeel: medium and bitter.

Overall:
This isn't bad. The aroma indicates a sweetness, but it is not present in this brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 05:07:42 | More by megahurts4

UCLABrewN84

California

4.22/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on 070327. Hmm, I will take that as 3/27/07 which makes this beer over 4 years old. Let's see how well it has held up.

Pours a semi-clear light yellow color with a 2 inch white head that fades to a small cap. Random pieces of lace slide back down into the remaining beer on the drink down with only a little bit of lacing sticking around. Smells of sweet malt, apple skins, grape juice, some yeast, and slight alcohol. Taste is of grape juice, apple rinds, sweet malt, and some spices/yeast. A very nice balance of fruitiness and malt. A subtle alcohol presence is felt after each sip. Good level of carbonation makes for a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good BSPA with some very nice fruity elements. I think that this one has held up very well and is drinking very nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 02:55:11 | More by UCLABrewN84

dstc

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudy, burnt, amber color with a full, airy, light tan head. Head falls slow to a minimal one. Nice lace.

Nose is of malts with a pleasant earthy quality. Touch of alcohol.

Awesome taste. Big, sweet malt backbone. Lots of spice and a bit medicinal. Slight tartness and mild hops.

Medium bodied mouthfeel with just the right amount of carbonation.

Good stuff, I really like it. Give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 14:28:57 | More by dstc

tchenery

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Great light orange/light amber color with a frothy head on top. Body shows a slight amount of cloudiness, probably from the yeast.

Smells very Belgianesque and very fruity. It smells like apples and grapes.

The taste is very fruity and almost sour, but not exactly sour. It's a tarty taste that is followed by a soft raisin-bread flavor. It's good but it doesn't have that Belgian 'snap' that you really look for in a Belgian pale.

Mouthfeel is pretty creamy. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 00:33:47 | More by tchenery

boudreaux

Alabama

4.22/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on 10/24/2007

A: pours a clear gold color with a white head that comes thin, about 1 finger thick at most

S: aroma of malts and vanilla with some sweetness of the familiar candied sugar

T: flavors of malts with smooth carbonation and with some vanilla and spices from hops; the candied sugar is also there, as is a nice touch of booze

M: dry but a bit creamy ending, with a sweet and bitter feel

D: a great beer to sip; not wanting to session this one, though; perfect for the style

A fine beer

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 04:42:06 | More by boudreaux

ronniebruner

Arizona

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: semi clear, honey-colored beer. I see a little bit of yeast in my glass, and virtually no yeast cake in the bottom of the empty bottle. Little head when poured, but picks up a bit when agitated. Little to no lacing.

Smell: Very fruity. Apple-juice. Honey. a little spicy. Not smelling any heat.

Taste: Sweet and malty with a hint of caramel/light toffee. Nice little bitterness as well. Very well rounded beer. A little warming in the throat. Spicy finish, like white pepper.

Mouthfeel: Fairly light. Works well with the flavors.Flavor slightly strong and slightly bitter, but not overwhelming.

Drinkability: If it weren't for the alcohol, I'd call this one refreshing. I really enjoyed this beer. The alcohol content is pretty high for me, but this is a great beer. I would love to drink more than just one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2011 02:42:17 | More by ronniebruner

Pencible

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: This poured a clear gold with fluffy white head.
S: It smelled like candi sugar and cane sugar, with raisins and light fruits and some wild yeast.
T: It tasted like raisin and candi sugar and cane sugar, with some wild yeast and bready biscuit malt. It had a sweet and pretty clean aftertaste.
M: It was watery with lots of natural carbonation. Pretty nice body.
D: This was a nice light Belgian ale that was very sweet (although not very complex). The body was good, and the alcohol was well hidden, so it was fairly easy to drink. Very nice beer, but sweetness could eventually become tiresome.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 21:23:04 | More by Pencible

beertunes

Washington

3.08/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on code on this 750 reads 070418. Poured into 10oz glass and shared with a couple of friends. Poured a clean golden yellow yellow with a tall, fluffy white head that had very good retention but surprisingly low lacing.

The first aroma was a somewhat atypical skunk note (perhaps a result of the green bottle). The expected spice and yeast notes are supported by a nice grain foundation. I also picked up a trace of apple. On the tongue most of those features were also noticeable. The skunk didn't show up and the apple became more pronounced. But mostly this was an average tasting example of one of my favorite styles.

The body was typical for the style, lots of carbonation, slightly sweet, a little sticky and with a dry finish. Drinkability was very good, as I find this style to generally be.

Overall, not a bad beer, but also not an outstanding example of the style. Worth trying if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 01:19:04 | More by beertunes