Valeir Divers - Brouwerij Contreras

metter98

New York

3.81/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is slightly hazy golden yellow in color and has a moderate to high amount of visible carbonation. It poured into a snifter glass with a two finger high white head that faded into peaks of bubbles (like meringue). It also left lots of thick lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are aromas of floral and grassy hops in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and also has flavors of fruity yeast and earthiness. A light amount of bitterness is present, and this lingers into the finish along with the fruity flavors.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There are slight bits of dryness.
O: This beer is incredibly drinkable and has no alcohol whatsoever in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 01:46:18 | More by metter98

PhantasIPA

Delaware

4.21/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This beer is a light golden color. Poured with a 2 inch head and kept a solid 1/2 inch head for the duration. Left a heavy lacing on the glass as well.

The smell is a light, earthy tone up front. Like almonds and wheat. Next is a caramel malt that is mixed with a floral scent. Not that hoppy at all.

Taste is nutty, slightly sweet, a little spicy, and a little fruity (oranges). Good mixture and balance of flavors.

Mouthfeel is light and refreshing but a little heavy on the carbonation.

Overall it is a very good beer. Duvel is still better but this is a solid beer with good balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 22:46:49 | More by PhantasIPA

djcira

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +13%

01-13-2013 15:37:00 | More by djcira

richkrull

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -20.2%

01-09-2013 23:49:26 | More by richkrull

Dank26

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +13%

01-03-2013 05:32:06 | More by Dank26

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -20.2%

12-26-2012 01:10:42 | More by ejimhof

argock

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 33cL brown bottle into a Duvel tulip. No freshness date. Purchased at Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA) for $4.49.

A: Crystal clear straw yellow with 1-finger of bright white frothy head with decent retention and quite a bit of fine lacing.

S: Light fruit aromas prevail with a lot of pear and apple, some sweet maltiness aside from the fruity ester notes, some spicy yeast, and mild herbal grassy hops.

T: Very nice flavor with a melange of light fruits including pear, gala apple, and some light pineapple, mild bubblegum yeastiness, and nice cracker maltiness. The hops are pretty subdued and background with a light grassy note. The alcohol is very well-hidden. THe bitterness is minimal -- the fruit notes are superb and not overdone at all but more steely than most BSPAs.

M: Exceptional mouthfeel, avoiding syrupy while still managing a very full body with solid carbonation that spread the beer over the palate well. Nice light fruit and yeast ester aftertaste.

O: A really well-crafted BSPA - kind of treads the line between tripel and BSPA in my opinion with more fruitiness and bigger body but comparable dryness. Super beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 03:30:13 | More by argock

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle was poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance: The beer poured a two finger puffy head and one inch of it is sticking out of the glass. It is a pale golden staw yellow with carbonation coming up through the glass. Head has retained well and only reduced a little bit

Smell: apple, pear, vanilla, spices, bready malts, Belgian candy, and yeasty goodness.

Taste: All the above flavors blended well together. Very delicious. Bready notes and slight bitterness finish the taste off.

Mouthfeel: smooth, a little dry, full bodied, medium carbonation, a little chewy, and easy to drink.

Overall: Another solid find last week and an addition to the BSPA list. Never seen it before, but had to buy it when it was marked down to $2.29 due to the store having to clear out inventory that wasn't moving. What a big win-win situation for me. I hope they have more left.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 03:36:51 | More by Flounder57

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy gold with a huge, pillowy white head.

S: Aromas of biscuits, lemon, grass, and spicy yeast dominate the nose. The scent isn't unpleasant, but does lack depth when compared to some other Belgian strong pale ales.

T: Notes of lemon, grass, caramel, biscuits, minerals, and crackers are overwhelmed by a funky yeast spiciness. The finish is tart and lingering with yeast, lemon, and cracker notes.

M: Light-to-medium in body, chalky, and dry. Carbonation is very spritzy. Alcohol presence is very restrained for the style.

O: Not a bad effort by any means, but far from the best Belgian strong pale ale out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 12:35:06 | More by mrfrancis

hyoung41

Virginia

2.75/5  rDev -26.9%

04-29-2012 00:26:54 | More by hyoung41

mychalg9

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -6.9%

03-14-2012 01:15:31 | More by mychalg9

DoubleJ

California

2.55/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

How about a nightcap? On to the beer:

A big, fluffy, soapy head forms on top of this washed out blonde colored beer. The body itself is hazy, making the color nothing of a showcase.
Bah! What is this nose? There's more than a share of apple, a strong dose of aspirin, and caramel malt sweetness, but malted the wrong way. I hope this unbalance is cleaned up when I taste it.

Well...it isn't as messy as the aroma, but there is still some flaws. It tastes "old"; the flavors aren't bright and seem musty. A little pale malt, grass, caramel, big mustiness....blah. The body is medium, the carbonation well placed, and the alcohol inserted well.

No thanks, and good night.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 06:20:52 | More by DoubleJ

zonker17

Illinois

4/5  rDev +6.4%

03-05-2012 00:52:07 | More by zonker17

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

4.3/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap between Christmas 2011 and New Year in the Delirium Bar (upstairs tap room), Brussels.

Pours a murky golden yellow with a thin white head that isn't worth talking about: it had gone by the time I'd walked back to my seat and picked up my pen to take notes.

The nose was regular Belgian, in a good way: yeasty, malty and hoppy all in one smell, not easy but some Belgian beers just do it right.

The taste was an amalgamation of loveliness in a glass: all the flavours a good beer should have were here in abundance, like the smell they were all bundled up into a single taste and just seemed right. What a pity about the head!

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2012 14:45:51 | More by BlackHaddock

TheBeerWatcher

Belgium

3.93/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Valeir Divers 33cl bottle from www.belgianbeerstation.com.
I'm looking forward to this one.

The appearance of the beer is wonderful: a beautiful cristal clear pale golden brew with lots of carbonation. A fizzy thick white head dissapears slowly and not completely, leaving a bit of lacing on the glass. This beer is very inviting in the glass.

The smell is very malty and filled with yeast. There's a little sour touch in the nose and also a clear alcohol presence.

First sip is sweet with a bitter hop finish. The body is fairly light with little carbonation. Yeast is also a dominant part of the flavour, leaving a powdery feel in the aftertaste.

Overall, this is a tasty strong blond beer that is well balanced. I'd drink this all night long.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 22:23:13 | More by TheBeerWatcher

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This brew poured out as a hazy looking golden color with a pretty good sized fluffy white head on top. The head leave a light lacing on the glass with a touch of retention also. The smell of the beer had some earthy grains and hop aromas. The taste is also more earthy and not as bright and tropical as the Valeir Extra. The mouthfeel of the beer had a solid amount of carbonation to it. Overall I found it to be a good brew, but I can't put it ahead of the Extra.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 03:48:36 | More by Knapp85

bpfrush

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +6.4%

11-16-2011 03:00:17 | More by bpfrush

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: bottle at Eulogy, Philly, PA

Poured into a stem glass, a hazy golden yellow, with a two finger white head that retained rather well, and left some nice patchy lacing. Yeasty aroma, bready, with light sugar, and some sweet fruit esters. More bready yeast in the flavor, candi sugar, and notes of banana and pear, and just a hint of vanilla. Light-medium body and delicate carbonation; a pleasure to imbibe.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 23:16:28 | More by Rifugium

Liverpool08

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very light pale orange, with a sticky white head, that fades but leaves good lacing. Not much of an aroma, a little yeasty. Taste is ok, some cloves and spice, alchohol is hidden well. Not sure what the beer wants to be. Labelled as a Tripel, but does feel more like a pale ale. Doesn't have the good funk or fruity flavors of a good Tripel. Just an average Belgian brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 17:06:43 | More by Liverpool08

impending

California

3.58/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

33cl into a tulip. Pours a hazy light golden yellow with clumping froth and superior lacing.

Aroma of bready yeast, many spices, lemon zest - sweet, lively, upbeat.

Nice mouthfeel, tingly, the nice side of cloying. The taste has less sweetness than the nose. The hints of spices mix it up. The hops become obvious before the midpoint, more so then in many spa's. The alcohol is pepper - mixed with the mild hop bitterness, the opening taste is completely erased, the aftertaste dominates.

The brewers list this as a tripel but to me this definitely is a strong pale.

Interesting
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 06:00:17 | More by impending

SolomonGrundy

California

2.38/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Pours a hazy lemonade to straw yellow, decent carbonation, very short soapy head that settles into a small cusp with decent lacing. Very thin nose, almost nothing in there which is distressing. Flavor isn't much better. Some bitter alcohol and hopishness, but not much else. Pretty crappy for a Belgian brewed ale of this style, honestly. And expensive at $4.99 per bottle. Not worth tracking down.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 22:38:11 | More by SolomonGrundy

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a hazy golden straw color with a very generous amount of white head and sheets of lacing.

S-Biscuity malt, Belgian yeast, bit of banana.

T-Outperforms the nose by a good measure. Lots of banana and clove notes with Belgian yeast, some candi sugar and a lightly peppery finish. Delicious.

M-Medium bodied, lingering sweetness.

D-Quite good. One of my favorite new entries in the category.

HV

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 00:13:26 | More by sholland119

drpimento

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I like this one! Poured with a giant off white foamy frothy thick fine head that lasts and lots of lace. Color is a clear amber. Aroma at first was definitely skunk and in fact that lingers, but caramel earth and spice start to show up too. Flavor has almost none of the not so good stuff and is an odd mix bitter sweet and dry. Body is very good and full, but not too and has champagne carbonation. Finish is like flavor: mostly light sweetness with a little lingering bitterness as it tapers off in medium length. Good burps. Recommend drinking without smelling.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 03:07:56 | More by drpimento

zeeksterusa

California

4.63/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

drinking it now...

- fantastic aroma

- easy to drink really fast

- good consistent head and not too much carbonation

- sweetness that is perfect with lemon/citrus taste right after swallow

- head is also perfect and is great in the mouth. One of the best mouthfeels I've had.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2010 22:39:54 | More by zeeksterusa

crossovert

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle. 8.5% alcohol.

Pours into my branded snifter (tulips are all dirty) with a bright, clear, pale gold with many tiny bubbles racing to the giant bright white head. It is a stunner. It is very Duvel-like in appearance. This might look even better than Duvel, though I would like to do a side-by-side.

The smell is bready and malty with a nice bit of lemon and a big hit of yeasty twang as expected form a Belgian.

It is sweeter than Duvel and not as subtly complex. But it does taste pretty damn good with hints of lemon, yeast and pale malts. The mouthfeel is a bit watery docking it mouthfeel points, but it has the right amount of carbonation, but the flavor delivery leaves a bit of watery character to the taste.

Look for this if you want a break from the everyday Duvel. In appearance it is a stunner and a great beer to boot.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 01:41:26 | More by crossovert