Grimbergen Optimo Bruno - Brouwerij Alken-Maes

Radome

Spain

3.08/5  rDev -17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Served from a 33 cl bottle bought in Spain.

A - Perfectly clear. Deep amber/medium brown but with red highlights and lets lots of light through. Off-white head started out about 1 cm thick, then faded to a thin layer with thick ring at the edge and lots of lacing. Very pretty beer.

S - Aromas are very muted and hard to pick out. Just a little wet malt, a little brown sugar, a faint grassy note that could be hops, and a hint of vinegar that always jumps out at me in Oud Bruin ales. That vinegar note seems to indicate some aging, maybe in wood. Nothing smells bad or off, it just doesn't have enough good aroma to be rated higher.

T - Again I get some hints of an Oud Bruin, but without any depth or complexity. There is very little malt. No hops flavor. There is a lot of caramel/brown sugar flavor, followed by a slight vinegar tang. A hint of alcohol in the moderately sweet finish. No overt oak or wood flavor to go with the "aged" impression.

M - Medium mouthfeel--seems appropriate. Some hops bitterness and a bit of alcohol burn. Light carbonation.

O - A beautiful looking beer that disappoints on the nose and tongue. Some nice flavor hints, but lacking in malt background and depth.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 21:57:08 | More by Radome

desint

Belgium

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

05-24-2013 11:06:45 | More by desint

randomNBGD

Serbia

4.5/5  rDev +21.3%

05-22-2013 19:15:20 | More by randomNBGD

Jungleyors

Spain

3/5  rDev -19.1%

04-25-2013 14:23:57 | More by Jungleyors

RD1163

California

4.5/5  rDev +21.3%

04-06-2013 03:52:06 | More by RD1163

korene84

California

4/5  rDev +7.8%

04-04-2013 23:10:32 | More by korene84

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

03-11-2013 04:54:47 | More by spycow

AMCPhD

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +21.3%

02-08-2013 20:07:01 | More by AMCPhD

Giannis

Greece

4.25/5  rDev +14.6%

02-04-2013 11:59:18 | More by Giannis

sagath

4.5/5  rDev +21.3%

01-23-2013 02:30:14 | More by sagath

crosenkrantz

Switzerland

2.5/5  rDev -32.6%

11-26-2012 14:38:19 | More by crosenkrantz

Bellonc

Spain

4/5  rDev +7.8%

11-09-2012 22:10:01 | More by Bellonc

warpedrevolution

Washington

4/5  rDev +7.8%

08-26-2012 08:41:44 | More by warpedrevolution

RudyD

2/5  rDev -46.1%

05-26-2012 13:15:50 | More by RudyD

StJamesGate

New York

3.68/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear chestnut with rocky taupe foam that instantly rims and leaves intricate trailers. So toasted malts and cranberry sauce but also lots of phenols and a whiff of booze - not the best nose.
Juicy red berries, some clove and woody spice, Balsamic oakiness, gingerbread, prunes and raisin toast plus just a hint of herbal hops.
Big sour cherry finish and root beer linger. Medium, some chew, but crisp and hot.

Serve chilled, says the label to my surprise.

The "other" site has this as a Quad, so not sure what to make of it. Fruit and clove, almost like a Christmas fruit cake, and lots going on but complex without being deep, if you know what I meant - flavors hit one at a time. Overall, too sweet, thin and boozy.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 22:44:16 | More by StJamesGate

LvanB

1/5  rDev -73%

02-28-2012 17:41:08 | More by LvanB

Campodog

Spain

3/5  rDev -19.1%

02-26-2012 09:24:03 | More by Campodog

dfaranha

Brazil

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

02-01-2012 22:56:36 | More by dfaranha

6string

Germany

5/5  rDev +34.8%

01-21-2012 22:12:01 | More by 6string

phaedrusovchaos

Romania

4.5/5  rDev +21.3%

01-16-2012 12:22:50 | More by phaedrusovchaos

Stoutsman

Kansas

2.5/5  rDev -32.6%

01-14-2012 22:07:21 | More by Stoutsman

educorgan

Portugal

4/5  rDev +7.8%

12-27-2011 01:56:57 | More by educorgan

rekel

Netherlands

4/5  rDev +7.8%

11-30-2011 18:19:09 | More by rekel

PaBeerLover

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.8%

11-30-2011 15:04:04 | More by PaBeerLover

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.55/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very clear, but solid red-brown colour, with a fine but insubstantial head of white. Some patchy lacing, forming from the very fine bubbling in the head and in the carbonation. Body is light, but solid. Looks decent enough.

Nose is mild and smooth, but undertoned by Belgian characters of slight acidity and a prickle of spice. Something slightly savoury to it as well, like baked italian bread. Quite pleasant.

Taste is much lighter, and the bread character comes through as a yeasty harshness. Slight acidity to it throughout, giving it a prickle as it passes over the palate, but also lightening the palate, giving a slight olive oil character on the finish. Feel is very light, which is unsurprising for the style, but the beer doesn't quite have enough complexity to make it stand out in other ways.

It's not bad, but it's a beer not at the peak of its genre or country. What we end up with is a rather insubstantial Belgian brew that doesn't do much one way or the other.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 08:56:29 | More by lacqueredmouse