Jan Van Gent - Brouwerij Liefmans

jbonapar

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased a bottle, never seen this one before so was very interested!

Poured a hazy amber color with a wonderfull head.
Smell is fascinating to me. I can't place it, perhaps a touch of vanilla.

Taste: Smooth is the key word. Its almost creamy. Vanilla is strong, very strong. Subtle spice undertones. Bitterness creaps up at the end, but is very low and mild.

I'm actually really impressed with this beer. Simple, tasty, easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2010 01:04:20 | More by jbonapar

gory4d

New York

4.03/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

375-ml. bottle; the cork is dated 2004.

Pours a hazy orange with a thin skein of white bubbles and a little floating yeast. The smell is cashews, apricots, golden raisins, toffee, clover, raw yeast, and a little alcohol. The taste is clean minerals, apple cider that's started to to turn, caramel, mild citrus, whole-grain bread. It's highly carbonated - a little fizzy, even - and thin. Easy going down. Really quite pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2009 14:27:29 | More by gory4d

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.2/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Coming in a 375ml green bottle, corked and caged; BB 12/2009, served lightly chilled in Tripel Karmaliet's long-stemmed tulip-shaped goblet.

A: pours an incredible colour in between ruby, pink and dark blood-orange... a beige frothy head builds up patiently during the pour, on top of a lively yet finely-carbonated body with plenty of chunky yeasts swimming inside.
S: densely sweet, showing plenty of syrupy candy sugar coming before almost everything else, with notes of simple-flavoured sweet plums, sweet tangerine juice, and a slightly zesty and yet also creamy note likely from the bottle-conditioning yeasts. As the sweet edge softens a bit, a more colourful yeasty-fruity aroma is finally arrived at, hinting at sweet citrus, ripe Chinese pears and not-so-ripe peaches, aromatic hops, actually reminiscent of Young's Special London Ale that uses Styrian Goldings and Fuggles. If not for this belated joy, the overall aroma is slightly off balance for an ale at just 5.5%abv.
T: just like my expectation based on the aroma, the candy-sugary elements and flat-bodied fruitiness dominate the palate, showing lots of dull-flavoured dried plums and hawthorn-fruit-flavoured candy. A mildly (sweetened) camomile-tea-ish undertone does emerge from the back of the palate, as do a lightly tangy edge of hops and a semi-powdery palate from the yeast sediments, but overall the profile is quite mediocre for me.
M&D: the carbonation goes light as well as soft while the body is just about right for a 5.5%abv. ale, yet the overall flavour profile is unbalanced with really too much sugary-influence at the expense of more possible pleasant flavours.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2009 16:29:06 | More by wl0307

thierrynantes

France

3.85/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer bottle (37,5 cl.), tasted in 2003.
Jan Van Gent, is the name of Gannet.

Appearance : amber color, with white foamy head (fine bubbles, good persistency).
Smell : fruity aromas.
Taste and mouthfeel : malty and fruity. Rich flavor, a small acidity and a hint of yeast, no significative bitterness.
Drinkability : a good beer in the style Belgian Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2008 20:00:12 | More by thierrynantes

tendermorsel

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I scored this while up in Quebec recently. Poured into a over sized wine glass.

Whoa! Suprising color. Much darker than I expected. Light brown in color with a good amount of sediment. Great foamy head. I would consider this more of a Belgian white beer. A good deal of wheat flavor. A bit of a sour finish. A very delicate beer. I would recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2008 21:45:57 | More by tendermorsel

rodenbach99

Quebec (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

bouteille brune avec papier de 375ml. bouchon de liège 2006

belle couleur ambrée trouble avec une belle mousse blanche compacte et durable. nez épicé agréable. bouche épicée belle longueur et bel équilibre. j'aime cette bière qui me rappelle la Belgique.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2007 22:47:59 | More by rodenbach99

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Corked mini champagne bottle.

Poured a clouded amber ale in the glass with a decent rocky cap which reduces to a glass lacing surface froth.

Aromas of spices, honey, grains, mustiness some pear and apple notes.

Spritzy personality from bottle conditioned natural effervescence, peppery mouth feel, bright spicey-fruity character.

Up front a quik chew on rising bread dough then a wash of fruits and spices flush the palate to balance...more fruit and spice tones develop mid palate and mingle with a musty-bready undertone....finish is dry crisp and clean with light fruit tartness. Light bready aftertaste.

A bright less demanding Belgian ale that left me with an impression of being a cross between a pear cider and a German hefeweiss...pleasnt enough to sip on a summer evening.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2006 22:49:34 | More by pootz

JOaikido

Quebec (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Best before January 2007 stamped on cap. Wrapped, corked and caged 375 ml green bottle. I like this presentation. As an ornithologist that has been to a Northern Gannet colony, I couldn't resist trying this one.

A- Big foamy head of big bubbles that decreases quickly. Opaque (cloudy) amber/light brown colour with red highlights. Good bubbliness.

S- Sour fruit. Touch of yest and malt.

T- Pleasant but mild. Yeast, malt. Good balance but a tad watery.

MF- Nice bubbly, full mouthfeel.

D- Good beer, but yeastiness and alcohol feel detract from drinkability.

Good,but not worth the price over here.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2006 00:39:23 | More by JOaikido

therica

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very interesting and probably somewhat unusual beer, even for a Belgian. A "Summer Belgian," if you might. Corked like a champagne bottle, this cork was dated "2,004" and "26" and "Q" and consumed in September 2006.

Appearance-- very light nearly-clear pink-lemonade orange-yellow tint. Poured a massively huge foamy head that took a while to settle enough just to get a taste of the beer.

Smell-- very interesting light but unusual fruity smell at first. After consuming half of it, the smell began to take on a more pungent toxic smell that wasn't unpleasant, just as long as you understand the taste, first. It's the same scent one finds in a grapefruit mixed-drink.

Taste-- not overpowering at all. More like a summer beer, with ruby-red grapefruit traits, possibly pear, and traditional Belgian almond-malt flavor, with a light acidic characteristic. Very nice.

Mouthfeel-- watery with some fruity aftertaste and a very subtle acid bitterness. All combined, it kept my mouth watering for a while afterwards.

Drinkability-- not quite a mood beer, but if you like the taste, you could probably drink this one for hours, especially on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2006 03:41:44 | More by therica

crwills

Ontario (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Sample glass from tasting with northyorksammy, grub, and biegaman. Thanks to biegaman for bringing the bottle (I think) and pointing out the 'Booby' on the front. :)

Aroma is faint but mildly fruity. Taste is surprisingly spicy, with definite notes of allspice or nutmeg in there (real, rather than imitation). A bit weak on flavour for the style, with a faint, unmemorable aftertaste. Mouthfeel is actually quite nice, making this relatively easy (if not particularly pleasant) to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2006 22:56:03 | More by crwills

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The aroma is sweet and yeasty. Fizzy carbonation. Creamy grainy mouthfeel. Cardemon, bubbly milk, almond from the yeast, otherwise not all that much taste. Lighter alcohol a plus. On the sweet side.Liefman is an interesting and above average brewer. Thanks Jan Biegaman.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2006 00:26:18 | More by northyorksammy

grub

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

tasting party sept 11/06 with northyorksammy, crwills, biegaman and me (grub). everyone threw in a few bottles and we had an interesting mix of beer and mead. not sure of exactly who contributed what, so i'll just thank everyone.

pours a murky brown colour with a thin off white head.

the aroma is nice. spicy and malty. definitely a bit of clove or cinnamon in there.

the taste is kind of plain. mostly just malt in there, and a bit of orange peel. don't really pick up on the spices in the taste.

mouthfeel is ok. fairly high carbonation and medium body.

drinkability is ok on this one. i really enjoyed their frambozenbier, but didn't find this one quite as exciting.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2006 14:57:25 | More by grub

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Neat bottle, is that the blue-footed booby on the label? I think it is a booby...hehe. Anyhow, poured with decent retention. Aroma of dried fruits, some corky notes, and lots of yeast. I would most defintely say this is as close to a gueuze as a Belgian ale. Borrows that same yeast character. If I wasn't told otherwise I could swear this was a gueze. Spritzy is a good word to use. Taste and mouthfeel dominated by rather tart and considerably sour notes. A mucky orange, bordering brown colour. Nice with dinner. This beer isn't too tasty neccesarly, but something a little unique and I enjoyed it. I would recommend it all the same

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2006 00:22:11 | More by biegaman

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy orange, big white head forms, fluffy lace. Smell is citrus, apple/pear, honey, yeast and spices. Taste is malty and grainy, citrus, fruits and yeast. Mouthfeel is light bodied, and highly carbonated. Not a bad ale, clean and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2005 21:07:26 | More by Viggo

Tim2000

Quebec (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

375 mL green bottle wrapped in paper.

Pours a golden orange, slightly hazy with a vigorous carbonation and a thick, white, fizzing head.

Spicy, yeasty aroma with hints of peaches. A faint metallic odour is also present.

Sweet and fruity, mainly apples and peaches. A subtle phenolic flavour follows accompanied by spicy notes of coriander and a mild tartness, probably from wheat. Hops are undetectable. Finishes sweet. Creamy mouthfeel and adequate carbonation.

The whole experience is over in under 5 seconds. Not much of an aftertaste at all, which I find somewhat disappointing. A pleasant and refreshing belgian pale, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2005 01:38:32 | More by Tim2000

3Vandoo

Quebec (Canada)

1.88/5  rDev -47.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Darkish, brownish, a dark belgian blonde, with a shy head, actually where is the head? Lot of yeast deposit at the bottom of the glass. Smells very hoppish and sour. Her taste was very alcoholic, and watery reminding me of a bad wine actually. I think I probably had a bad bottle, will try again in a few weeks.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2004 02:01:04 | More by 3Vandoo

GreenCard

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled in 2002...

Appearance: amber color, a bit hazy, thin layer of tan foam on pour that quickly flattens to a thin film

Aroma: slightly oaky and a twinge of sour (is it aged in the Liefman barrels?), dry malt backbone with a slight toasty quality, wisp of herbal hops

Flavor: 50/50 balance between mild malt sweetness and mild tartness, slight taste of black tea, finishes quite dry with an aftertaste like cider, very slight residual bitterness

Mouthfeel: medium body, great effervescence, refreshing

Overall Impression: Pleasantly surprised! Wasn't sure what to expect from it. Was told it was a "normal Belgian Pale" (i.e.- Palm, De Koninck, etc.). More like a Belgian Pale crossed with a Flanders red.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2004 17:21:10 | More by GreenCard

CRJMellor

Arkansas

3.68/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light amber with a small relatively small white head.
Aroma is mild but has some toffee and dark fruit and some lemon with some crystal malt.
Flavor of medium toffee malt balanced with some herbal hoppiness produces a well-balanced beer.
Mouthfeel is smooth and biscuity on the palate.
Drinkability is defined by solid combination and transition and makes it a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2004 03:23:01 | More by CRJMellor

RBorsato

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Orange-ish brown color with lots of sediment, a nice tan head, good carbonation, and sheets of lace. Nice balanced fruity and Belgian malt aroma; soft. Very fruity malt flavor but lightly acidic. Light bodied, airy, and refreshing.

Per label: "Natural, unfiltered non-pasteurized Liefmans Beer refermented in bottle"

Per M.J. notes: 12.9 P, Aromatic and Pale Ale malts, 20 IBU, English Challengers and Goldings hops.

(11.2 oz.)

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2003 17:00:59 | More by RBorsato

Popsinc

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

*on tap at Waterhuis aan de Bierkant in Ghent

Appearance: a ligt amber pour with a small white head.

Smell: very mild nose and i must mention im also starting to get a little stuffed up...it might affect my judgement.

Taste: a nice combination of malt and hoppiness along with the subtle fruity character make for a well balance and well bodied beer. decent backbone although the flavours are somehwat lacking.

Mouthfeel: smooth, great body.

Drinkability: great body makes it an easy drinker.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2003 15:36:04 | More by Popsinc

beerguy101

California

3.2/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Orange gold color, small white foamy head, citrusy and fruity aroma. A lighter bodied "pale ale". Light and refreshing. Spritzy with a lemony coriander flavor. Mouthfeel is Spritzy. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet. Very drinkable. Interesting.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2003 02:56:49 | More by beerguy101

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very nice head when pourred into glass, almost creamy, did not disapear and left line in the glass; to me this is a very impressive start. Very refreshing taste with a fruity aftertaste (Leifman knows how to add fruity taste to their beer). I'm not sure this a pale ale per say but it is still a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2003 06:44:36 | More by Phyl21ca

Realale

Missouri

3.08/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Light muddy brown. Huge rocky head settles to a rocky, but incomplete cap.

Nose is dark malt with some nice subtle estery notes of banana, raisin and pear. The palate is lightly malty, just a hint of fruit, and that's about it. Its got a good mouthfeel from the bottle-conditioning, and there's good length with some minerality. Its OK, but why does such a great brewery turn out such a pedestrian brew?

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2003 08:12:56 | More by Realale

stcules

Italy

3.08/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Blonde - amber colour,with a little turbidity (it's not filtered). It has a good foam. Smell of orange (orange flower, too?), snowdrops. At the taste is noticeable some licorice wood, with notes of herbaceous, more than in the smell. The body is medium - thin.
In the aftertaste bitter an pepper notes.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2003 10:47:17 | More by stcules

Gusler

Arizona

3.93/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

As I have been inventorying my “Beer Stash”, I stumbled upon a box of beers hidden amongst my boxes of “Beer Glasses”, and in it my last bottle of Jan Van Gent, that I had gotten from a beer club back in September 2001. So after a nice 24-hour chilling period here is my updated review, from another site.

The pour a deep copper color, the head portly in size, frothy in texture and the lace a nice covering sheet to seal off the glass. Nose is malt, light hint of lemon peel, maybe even a touch of yeast, start is mostly malt a bit tart, the top skinny in feel, the finish stinging in its acidity, delicately hopped, quite dry aftertaste and a drinkable beer, but as before I expected something more?

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2003 13:54:41 | More by Gusler