Corsendonk Pater / Abbey Brown Ale - Brouwerij Corsendonk

ranger60

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had it on tap at Isaac Newton's in Newtown, PA.

Appearance: nice coper brown color, very clear, small very light brown head.

Smell: very fruity and spicy, picking up the raisins.

Taste: very complex mix of fruits and spices, picking up the alcohol though.

Mouthfeel: a little creamy even! moderate carbonation.

Overall: an excellent Belgian brown ale. One of the best, but a bit heavy for lunch. May have to have a couple tonight!

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 18:16:53 | More by ranger60

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from tap into a Trappe Door tulip. Poured a deep dark ruby red brown with a three finger very light tan head that subsided to one finger slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, bread, dark fruit, fruit, earth, and spice. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, bread, butter, earth, spice, and subtle alcohol. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a fairly decent brew. The aroma was pretty weak on this one if I am honest as I really had to work to get anything off of it. Almost to the point of having to put my nose physically in the beer. This was a little upsetting when I went to investigate it at first. The rest of the brew wasn’t too bad though with a good bit of complexity going on. The buttery aspect was interesting to say the least, but seemed to fit in well with everything else going on. Glad I got to try this one and I suggest you do the same at least once if you get the chance.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2012 10:55:44 | More by thagr81us

UCLABrewN84

California

3.93/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach, CA.

Pours a clear dark brown with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form everywhere around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, fruit, and some herbal/spice/perfume aromas. Taste is much the same with a flavor on the finish that is very perfume-like. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some very interesting aromas and flavors with the herbal/spice/perfume quality I am getting from this one.

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2012 02:58:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Very dark brown with tantamount head of overcreamed coffee color. Sticky foam laces in coats. Looks like a beer float. 5.0

Dark fruits and coffee in the nose. Vanilla, prune, fig, and apple. Estery awesomeness. 4.0

Mocha, berries, apple, grape, and clove. Dusty cocoa and light cinnamon stick. Hint of booze and iron. 4.0

Low carbonation, wet body. Slight metallic feel. 3.5

One of my favorite dubbels. A fully-realized beer. 4.5

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2012 02:12:16 | More by thecheapies

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap 4/25/2012 at Julian’s, in Providence, RI served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a deep brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, Belgian yeast, spices and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of caramel and maple. Then bready flavors come in from Belgian yeast and a hearty malt character. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sweet.

O: Tasty, goes down dangerously easily, not too filling, good kick, very good representation of style, this is a nice beer to drink for a while if you’re in the mood for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2012 00:25:59 | More by TheManiacalOne

erosier

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

L: Pours a nice brown color with a tall and thick light brown colored head that fades slowly and laces the glass nicely as it fades.
S: Smells of sweet roasted malts, hints of banana, darker fruits, mixes of spices and yeast aromas.
T: Tastes of sweet roasted malts, dark fruits, sugar, yeast flavors, spices.
M: Medium bodied, a little heavier feeling, smooth, rich, lots of flavors, perfect amount of carbonation.
D: Pretty drinkable beer with a lot of flavors. Really nice mix of taste and feel and definitely worth it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2012 11:37:11 | More by erosier

thehenbarris

New York

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Deeper brown than expected. Dark black/tan head that faded fairly quickly.

S- Light, sweet. Almost what I'd call perfect for a brown ale.

T- Deep spices, rum, fruits, and malts. Great complexity that isn't overwhelming. I'd run back to this brown again in no time.

S- Mild carb, different than I had expected. Went down real well.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2012 05:47:29 | More by thehenbarris

david18

New York

3.88/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had a couple of drafts of this at the Amsterdam Ale House on Manhattan's Upper West Side. I've always been a fan of the blonde but I also liked this one.

Appearance is a dark brown. Very little carbonation. Very difficult to see through the beer.

Aroma was a combination of figs, dates, etc. and belgian yeast.

Flavor was pretty typical of a dubbel. Sweetness up front and a bit of heat on the back end. You can also taste the fruit in the beer. Very nice.

Corsendonk was one of the first non BMC beers I got to like and I've always had a soft spot for it. I hope to see the Abbey Pale on draft sometime soon.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2011 20:33:52 | More by david18

farlieonfootie

Florida

3.93/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on draft in a Corsendonk tulip glass. Corsendonk pours dark brown, with a thick, three fingered head that leaves behind lacing as thick as shaving cream -- just look at that head! The beer smells slightly sweet and malty, with some belgian candy sweetness also apparent.

Corsendonk tastes mellow and refreshing, and lightly maltish with some slight hints of chocolate and unidentifiable spices. It's not overly complex, but it's very easy to drink. In fact, you could drink this one all night long, but it might come back to haunt you the next morning!

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2011 14:11:18 | More by farlieonfootie

claspada

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The aroma is extremely Belgian in nature with fresh malt initially; then quickly transitions to the traditional Belgian Yeast clove and banana phenols supported by a fruity tartness.

The tastes begin with caramel coated dark fruits, mainly raisin and fig with notes of caramel apple as well. Sweetness is held nicely in check by the yeasty clove finish. The sweetness knows its place in the flavor profile. The doughy yeast and figs/raisins come to the forefront. Some molasses and spicy/earthy hops in the finish. A complex beer for sure, but everything fits extremely well together.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with very soft but persistent carbonation. The finish is simple and smooth yet slightly tart, with hop bitterness sliding in about half way through and then fading off in dryness. Not really much in the way of alcohol noticeable.
Overall this is a nice, pleasant dubbel and a great example of the style for anyone not familiar. Nothing that will blow your mind but just really tasty and enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2011 02:37:41 | More by claspada

drtth

Pennsylvania

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

Served in a Corsendonk tulip glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: As served the beer is a clear dark rich mahogany color with a ½" head that slowly recedes. Sipping leaves very little lacing but the head does persist for quite a while.

Smell: The aroma is fresh and full of malt and yeast supported by fruity tartness.

Taste: The flavors include a touch of sweetness along with some fruity tartness that is like a mixture of sour cherry and plum

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is medium bodied with very soft but active and persistent carbonation. The finish is long and tart, with hop bitterness sliding in about half way through and then fading off in dryness. Not really much in the way of alcohol noticeable.

Drinkability: While this is an enjoyable beer and I had no trouble at all finishing it, I'll probably not go out of my way to look it again nor will I avoid ordering it. A nice dubbel but not one that is in my top five.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2010 23:54:00 | More by drtth

glid02

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Octane in Atlanta.

Pours an opaque dark mahogany color with a 1.5-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of rich dark malts - toasted and nutty like an English Brown but with less bitterness as it's accompanied by Belgian yeast aromas. Dark fruit flavors - dried fruits more than anything, prunes and raisins - back everything up.

Tastes similar to how it smells. The malt flavors aren't quite as smooth as the nose would intimate however they're still there and kick things off. Midway through the sip muted fruit flavors work their way into things, prunes and raisins as with the aroma. All of these carry through to a crisp ending on the sweet side of things.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall I was very impressed by this beer - one of the smoother dubbels I remember having with a nice balance between the flavors. Well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2010 15:45:48 | More by glid02

JTahoe

California

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Served in tulip with 1/2" fluffy off-white/tan-ish head over a slightly hazed rich toffee brown colored body. Nice lacing.

S - Caramel and yeast, with dark fruit, grapes, and some apple. Appealing.

T - Caramel coated fruit (raisin, fig), apple, some grain, and faint chocolate. Sweetness is held nicely in check. Finish has a nice spiciness with slight smokiness. Everything is working well here.

M - Full body with nice crisp, smooth feel. Warming alcohol presence.

D - Quite enjoyable with decent complexity and well integrated flavors. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2010 18:35:58 | More by JTahoe

FLBeerGuy

Florida

3.05/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at WOB in Viera
Pours black with a tan head the leaves nice lacing
Nose is malt and some sweet fruit
Taste is like the nose, very smooth, but nothing great
Not real impressed by this one, not a lot of taste here
ABV is well hidden, so it is drinkable, but I am not a big fan of this one.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2010 03:10:35 | More by FLBeerGuy

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap, served in a Corsendonk tulip

Arrived with a huge, fluffy light tan head and a chestnut brown body. A little murky. Loads of lace all over the glass.

A lightly sweet aroma of candi sugar, doughy yeast, figs, raisins, and some mild earthy hops. The doughy, brown bread-like yeast sticks out a bit, with the fruit and sugar rounding it out.

The sweetness knows its place in the flavor profile. The doughy yeast and figs/raisins come to the forefront. Some molasses and spicy/earthy hops in the finish. A complex beer for sure, but everything fits extremely well together.

A full body, creamy with just a touch of alcohol in the finish. Very well integrated.

Very enjoyable, complex, creamy, and plain pretty to look at. This is a joy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2009 19:27:51 | More by ColForbinBC

alnanderson

Alabama

4.75/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours clear but dark brown in color, with a one-finger, foamy, brownish-white head, which settled reasonably quickly (but a bit too much carbonation?)

S: Complex, and fruity, and very (very) inviting.

T: Almost sweet, yet rounded out by a tinge of bitterness - a very balanced taste.

M: Medium to full-body.

D: Very enjoyable drink.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2009 13:27:42 | More by alnanderson

whitehouse50

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Andy's. Poured into a chalice and was a deep brown color with about a 1 inch thick white head.

I could not smell much on the nose. Maybe some sweet aromas? I really tried to pick up something but could not.

The taste was of pleasant sweet malts, not bitter at all with some fruity flavors as well that leave you with a nice aftertaste that slowly fades away. Very nice flavor which make this beer solid.

M & D were very good. This is full bodied, very smooth, and very easy to drink. Overall a good beer that I would order again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2009 12:50:45 | More by whitehouse50

BretSikkink

Mexico

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Comes in a chalice mahogany colored with a large tan head. This retains almost nothing by the middle of the glass, not even a collar. Some lacing. Aromas of dark fruit and malted grain sweetness, pretty so-so for style. Sweet and full of flavor, pretty well balanced with the dark fruitiness and a touch of mild candi sugar. The mouthfeel is firm but a little light and over carbonated for the best of the style. Bottom line: a tasty beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2008 02:28:31 | More by BretSikkink

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with a creme head. Nose is like tea leaves! Amazing. That's a first. Flavor is tea as well. Wtf? Sweet, we. But man this is like drinking iced tea beer. And I hate iced tea. Smooth feel on both sides. Nice to drink, but this tea thing trips me out. Is it really like this, or is this a fluke, I wonder.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2008 22:56:09 | More by RblWthACoz

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Thick rich brown color. Small tannish head.

S: Lots of smells hitting the nose. Chocolate and caramel hints, with plums/raisins/dates and alcohol.

T: Creamy complex taste. Lots of caramel taste, with some wood undertones as well as raisins and plums. Despite the smell of alcohol, it could not be tasted.

M: A good medium body beer, leaves a nice dry finish on tongue and mouth.

D: 7.5 ABV which will not allow for drinking it as a session beer, but a very complex and robust beer worth drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2008 13:36:44 | More by IronCitySteve

Atron67

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Brasserie V in madison tonight

A- arrived at the table in the corsendonk tulip glass with a big fluffy tan head and a dark brown cloudy body.

S- yeasty, slightly sweet probably from some dark candy sugar, near molasses but it might just be the yeast making it seem different. light fruit character to it. little hops, as i said slightly sweet finish

T- very good, a malty beer. caramel and crystal flavors, belgian candy charachter, has a very yeasty finish but it works well here and pretty much replaces any hop type finish. clean smooth and delicious especially for an ~8 % er.

M- pretty highly carbonated. medium body, lighter than expected.

D- went down smooth

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2008 01:31:37 | More by Atron67

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hadn't seen this always solid beer in some time. It was on tap at Max's the other day, so I grabbed a glass.

The beer pours a dark brown color with decent head retention and good lacing. On the nose I get the unique, soapy cola aroma distinct to Corsendonk. As the beer sits in the glass a lot of the soapy aroma subsides, and one gets more caramel and chocolate. On the palate the beer is fairly simple, but with pleasant flavoros of chocolate and cola. The beer is not the least bit heavy, with a nice mouth filling mouthfeel. Abv. is well disguised, and the beer is quite drinkable.

Though nothing special, I always enjoy this beer from Corsendonk.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2007 15:18:31 | More by johnmichaelsen

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

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

This was the first Belgian beer I had, so it holds some sentimental value. Brown in color and fluffy white head. A bit sweet and small fruitiness, and a bit nutty. A great beer to enjoy in early spring or late fall. I feel that this is a great beer to start to understand Belgians, well at least it was for me.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2007 20:38:52 | More by OWSLEY069

jmc44

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a .33l Chimay glass.

Deep brown with 2-finger tan head; head dissipated fairly quickly. Some light lacing, and always a fine covering.

Theres some spice in the aroma, along with heavy notes of dark fruits and a hint of caramel.

Lightly spicy, fruity, and sweet flavors. Some roasted malt in the background and a citrus note from the hops toward the end. A bit sweet for me, but otherwise nicely done.

Velvety smooth, medium bodied. A pleasant drink, but the ABV and alcohol presence hinders its drinkability. One glass goes down easy, but more would be difficult.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2007 18:05:48 | More by jmc44

Matteox3

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Purchased on tap at Trooper Thorns, Reading PA. Consumed in proper glass for aromas.

One of my first experiences with Belgians, so take this review for what it is worth.

This beer was dark and smooth, good pour, head was wonderful. Aroma was very bold as was the flavor, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Alcohol was more prominent in the taste than Chimay (which I dont like), but the taste was more complex and enjoyable overall.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2007 19:21:09 | More by Matteox3