Piraat Ale - Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

Fish113d

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pouring from a chilled 11.2oz bottle into a tulip, it pours a pale gold color with some haze and a 1cm white dense surface layer which dissipates after a minute or 2.

Aroma is citrussy...orange peels, cloves, & maybe some coriander...I also get the hint of grapes as well. Nice.

Taste is sweet citrus flavors (orange/lemons) along with some slight grapes passing through and some spices. The alcohol is very apparant (sp) here as well, which kills some of the flavor on the back end.

Very prickly up front with lots of carbonation...lots of alcohol burn on the swallow. Fizzy feeling. maybe too much alcohol or not masked enough. Takes away from the taste and feel a bit IMO.

Overall, i love Belgians, but this is not one of them. Good but a little too much alcohol in your face.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2005 17:36:14 | More by Fish113d

hansgruber

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

06-20-2013 06:49:54 | More by hansgruber

Cabbage_pants1

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-20-2013 06:19:05 | More by Cabbage_pants1

Hellmeh

Texas

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-20-2013 03:44:01 | More by Hellmeh

KevinSP

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

06-19-2013 20:51:26 | More by KevinSP

danfix99

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -20%

06-18-2013 15:23:55 | More by danfix99

Vinylboy20

New York

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-18-2013 00:15:16 | More by Vinylboy20

TheBeeraholic

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-16-2013 10:40:51 | More by TheBeeraholic

JJStorm

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-16-2013 03:47:49 | More by JJStorm

jordanmckell

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-14-2013 16:33:06 | More by jordanmckell

ackeeper

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-12-2013 18:55:49 | More by ackeeper

superfriend

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-11-2013 15:35:48 | More by superfriend

henryhampton

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-11-2013 12:19:13 | More by henryhampton

lauries444

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

06-10-2013 00:00:15 | More by lauries444

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-09-2013 20:24:55 | More by goblue3509

Rohkey

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

06-08-2013 23:32:23 | More by Rohkey

spoony

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

From a 330 ml bottle into a tulip glass.

A-A slightly aggressive pour produces a tall, three-finger head of dense, pillowy, off-white head. The retention is pretty good and it leaves a chunk or two of lacing on the glass. The color is dark gold and active carbonation is visible.

S-The smell is alcoholic and aggressive. The malts are fruity and sweet. I detect lemon in particular, as well as some doughy/crusty bread.

T-The taste is also aggressive and warming. The initial punch is sweet and alcoholic, but things dry out on the finish. Again, I detect lemon and other light fruits that fold well into an herbal, mildly peppery kick at the end.

M-The feel is wet and alcoholic at first, but the soft, creamy carbonation eventually takes over. Medium body.

O-I love Belgians but I had never tried Piraat until now. I am glad I did. This beer is not for the timid...it shows all of the 10.5% ABV in both smell and taste, but it certainly is fun. The hoppy bitterness, like many of Piraat's Belgian counterparts, is not in-your-face, but it creeps in towards the finish and provides just a bit of balance for the pale malty sweetness that mostly dominates. Brash and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 18:38:11 | More by spoony

RedWeizen83

Texas

3/5  rDev -26.1%

06-08-2013 16:11:36 | More by RedWeizen83

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

06-08-2013 14:39:05 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

psuscott1

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-08-2013 00:52:31 | More by psuscott1

somelikehops

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

06-07-2013 23:10:59 | More by somelikehops

tadmuchowski

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -1.5%

06-05-2013 16:01:47 | More by tadmuchowski

Jtrigonis

California

4.75/5  rDev +17%

06-03-2013 19:24:45 | More by Jtrigonis

robertmitchum

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +17%

06-02-2013 06:08:44 | More by robertmitchum

TwoForty

Florida

5/5  rDev +23.2%

06-02-2013 00:32:11 | More by TwoForty