Piraat Ale - Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

ckollias

Maryland

4.31/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this 11.2oz bottle out of a Belgian tulip glass.

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden hue with a thick white head that slowly dissipates down the side of glass – leaving a nice trail.

S: Spicy fruity lemon and orange zest aroma

T: Sweet Belgian spices followed by citrus notes and finishes on the dry side of hoppy.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Excellent Belgian brew – complex aroma and flavors and enough alcohol to make it interesting.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 03:23:51 | More by ckollias

mndlssphlsphr

Washington

4.14/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

The nose picked up an array of lovely desserts made in grandma’s kitchen with the main, but secret, ingredient being a bitter molasses. That would define this brew. I had to go for round two, and then round three in the bottle. Each time the carbonation pairing well with the malt for a pleasant mouthfeel. The color is something or other of a high heat fire burning the wet driftwood on a beach outside of Portobello while on a search for the rest of Captain Morgan's loot that the history books never got around to mentioning, and for good reason. The head and lace of a cloudy white, like a fire that has to churn the water to vapors to provide a dense white smoke that lingers in the glass while settling and becoming twice as dense. Aside from the mass production of this said product, we have a brew that would appease even the most eccentric of the privateers out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 13:54:51 | More by mndlssphlsphr

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.23/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours amber with a large, fading white head.
Nose shows light malt, spicy hops and lots of booze. Also some spicy phenols. Somewhat faint though.
Better flavours. Sweet clean malt, soft booze, spicy notes and herbal hops.
Way too much carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 12:28:53 | More by CrazyDavros

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

4.06/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

330ml bottle, poured into Leffe chalice. Copper to amber colour, clear, one finger tanned head which soon faded, clear. Aroma was phenol, hubba bubba, yeast and booze which got more pronounced as the beer warmed. Tasted apples, bananas, yeast and molasses. As expected it was quite bitter, generally the booze was well hidden. Well carbonated which gave it a slightly coarse edge, slightly thick body. Liked it but don't think it did quite enough to justify some of the hype.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 15:04:00 | More by jonb5

Jwale73

Rhode Island

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

11.2oz. bottle served in my Weyerbacher tulip. Pours a dull, burnt-orange hue with a slightly hazy clarity. Head is two inches, dense and off-white and eventually settles into a consistent, frothy, quarter inch skim. Textured swaths of lacing are revealed during the tasting. Nose expresses notes of candi sugar, citrus rind, green apple, and a slightly herbal quality. Taste follows nose with the addition of a light, toasted malt character. There's also a trace of bitterness towards the finish. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body, with a lively carbonation and a bit of acidic astringency. I'm not sure I'd classify this as a Belgian IPA as it's closer to a BSPA in my opinion. That said, this beer is quite tasty and complex with an extremely well-hidden abv. I'm sorry I put off trying this it for so long.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 00:18:54 | More by Jwale73

Trueant1

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a huge thick head that dissipated quickly. Sticky glue-like lacing. Ipa orange like looks , with cloudiness in the glass. Smells of sour yeast, banana cream pie, Twinkies, and apple pie.

Tasted of bitter hops, alcohol, banana, sour cherries, sour candy, and overall nice sweetness.

Nice sticky mouth-feel with a bitter burn of alcohol and hops that lingers.
Great brew! Want more!

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 04:38:03 | More by Trueant1

babayaga

3.3/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

330mL Bottle into a Tulip.

Appearance- Pretty big ~yellow head that settles down quickly, but it stays on top forever. Hazy orange in the glass, very nice looking. Edited to add: haze clears up as it warms up.

Aroma- Light sweetness, apricot, light banana. Faint. Can smell some darker fruit on there, too, that comes out with the taste.

Flavor- Light alcohol, more apricot, pepper, nicely bitter. Long alcoholic finish. Prune?

Mouthfeel-lively, medium on the palate.

I think that the mouthfeel is the best part. Not my thing.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 00:44:09 | More by babayaga

fdig23

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Stubby bottle poured into a Duvel tulip.

Appearance: hazy copper with a nice three-finger white head

Nose: yeasty, wheat bread, candied lemon, pine needles and orange zest. Became more vinous as it warmed up and I started to get almost Gewurztraminer-like lychee and white flowers from it

Taste: Croissant, bright lemon zest, toasted pine nuts fades into a pine needle finish. The lack of alcohol on the palate is amazing. Like the nose, a vinous, sweet and floral taste comes through as it warms up.

Mouthfeel: the biggest let-down. Kind of watery.

Overall: Complex and interesting, really worth sipping slowly and identifying different flavors and aromas. The alcohol is invisible until the very end. Mouthfeel lets it down a bit, but its still a top Belgian pale in my books.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 04:28:42 | More by fdig23

mralphabet

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle poured into St Bernardus Chalices

A: Dark amber gold color with a wonderfully full head that settles to a thin layer with outstanding lacing from start to finish. Just a beautiful looking beer.

S: Sweet malty upfront with a bright fresh yeast and hops followed by a little pineapple.

T: Starts a little on the sweet side with a mix of yeast, spicy pepper, clove and a hint of pineapple followed by a little bit of hops, not much but just enough to balance everything out.

M: Medium bodied with just a little carbonation going on, pretty smooth over all, with a little bite at the end, just a little bitter in the finish.. Also I'm getting a little warm from the ABV on this one.... It does not kick you in the face but it is there.

O: I'm not getting IPA out of this one, more like a Tripel to me. With a 10.5 ABV this is a sipper so take your time and enjoy, gets even better with time as it warms up. Grab this one if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 01:51:44 | More by mralphabet

Groulxsome

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I think this is the right Piraat. It's in a "Belgian Stubby," just says Piraat on the bottle, and it's 10.5%. There is no mention of the IPA part of the style listed here, but the Piraat 9 review all listed lower ABVs.

Poured into a Bellwoods snifter.

Looks: Pours clear, dark yellow with a big foamy white head. Lots of big bubbles.

Smells: Like champagne yeast, lots of malt sweetness, sugar, and a little sweet fruit (banana).

Tastes: Spicy (pepper), bread-like malt with a little caramel, then some light clove, banana, and mellow creaminess. A little lingering bitterness and a fair bit of heat. Overall it's fairly subtle and balanced.

Feels: Lots of tiny bubbles break up a fairly thick body. High carbonation.

Overall: A spicy and well balanced beer. Leans more on the spice than on the yeast making it more reminiscent of a spicy Duvel than like yeasty La Fin Du Monde.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 02:59:07 | More by Groulxsome

KKB

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A – A gorgeous honey-orange with a wonderful rocky yellow-white head that just floats on top. This is a very good looking beer. The carbonation is extremely tightly bubbled and the head remains firm on top of the glass. Decent lacing.

S – The smell is very nice, there is a good funk going on here as well as some malty sweetness and hops at the door as well. Slight clove/pepper/citrus as well but it really does have a nice balance of sour/bitter/funk/sweet in the aroma. Very nice indeed….It has a definite sugary element to it as well, like a caramelized tangerine or something. And this comes through more distinctly in the taste.

T – The taste is just gorgeous. Really just more of the nose. I actually really like this beer. It doesn’t overwhelm and yet it is still very flavorful. It is kind of like what would happen if you added some extra malt, hops and fruit to a Duvel…. Actually the more that I have of this beer, the more that I’m beginning to think I’m in love. This beer is glorious! I can see how this is not everyone’s cup of tea though.

M – The mouthfeel is spot on, medium with good (not great) carbonation but I even like the carbonation. The lack of uber-bubbles makes it more personal somehow. The mouthfeel is good. No doubt.

O – As I was saying I can see how some people might think that this beer isn’t phenomenal, I really can, the nose is funky and odd and entirely wonderful with it’s beautiful clashing of malt and hops and some fruit that turns into this sort of ALMOST overwhelming symphony of smells. But the clashing nature of them somehow just really works out. It isn’t too much. It is delicious. In the nose, on the palate, the mouthfeel. It’s all spot on. This is a great, and in my opinion, a somewhat underrated beer. You just gotta love it the right way.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 03:37:08 | More by KKB

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

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

Props to joemcgrath27 for this treat...

A - Pours a slightly hazy copper colour, thumb of big bubbled head with solid retention and nice sheeting lacing.

S - Nose is dominated by sweet cloves, hints of grassy wheat and fruity pears and sour apples.

T - A sweet flavoured Belgian dominated by cloves and bubble gum, raw sugar cane and sour apples, nice bready caramel and wheat malt profile, and a dangerously hidden ABV.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and a touch of dryness.

O - A bold Belgian with loads of flavour and an incredibly well hidden ABV. This stuff is very sweet, but still easily sessioned. A great selection an well worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 02:40:25 | More by andrenaline

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on 2012-11-09 in Danville, KY

A - Somewhat hazy orange with a 1-finger off-white head and moderate, ringed lacing.

S - Bread, overly ripe stone fruit, spice and a little hop floral. Pleasant; not very strong.

T - Forward bready malt, then Belgian yeast that is much less fruity/estery than many triple's, pepper, alcohol, candied orange and hop spice. Aftertaste is orange-sweet at first but after a bit, a goodly amount of spicy hop bitterness becomes evident.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Not overly sweet.

O - This is a good brew. I didn't know what to expect but the more I tasted it, the more I enjoyed it. Most-times, triples and quads are too Belgian estery/fruit/yeasty for my tastes and I often avoid ordering the style. This appeals enough to my love for American DIPAs to say that I'll seek this out again. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 22:48:04 | More by Tucquan

LXIXME

New Mexico

4.28/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big light tan head slowly settles into a nice bisquity lacing above a clear copper honey colored beer.

Aroma is very laden with fruits both dark and citrus and light pepper like spices.

Spices, light and of a darker cooking variety, mixed with dark fruit aspects like apricots on a light grain malt taste. The taste also brings with it an aspect of light alcohol.

A dry aftertaste that has with it some of the darker fruits on this medium well bodied beer.

This is a very good example of how to make a beer with a lot of different tastes but none of them really sticking out and smothering the other tastes with the beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 22:54:34 | More by LXIXME

BobZ

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2oz. bottle poured into my Duvel Tulip.

Appearance: Murky amber with a nice 2” to 3” foamy head that quickly recedes to about a ½”. Lots of sticky lacing.

Smell: Light fruit (pear and apple especially) with a bit of spice.

Taste: Follows the nose a fruity sweetness up front with a peppery finish light in bitterness. This flavor profile verges on being more of a Tripel in character. There is also a malty richness which gives a bready character to the beer once it warms a bit the glass. Nice complexity with this beer as the alcohol is also well masked behind the flavor diversity.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and extremely clean at the finish.

Overall: Excellent beer to be included with a session of Belgian Pale Ales or Tripels, or quite honestly to be enjoyed on its own.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 21:28:23 | More by BobZ

PHSCAPT

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark amber honey with slight murkiness, almost 10W-30ish with zero head, slight foaming ala an espersso corona. Smell is undetectable to very slightly sweet. Taste is remarkable. I am a fan of BSDAs and If I didn't know better, I would think this is a BSDA, although this is classified as a BIPA. Fruity notes, not overpowering. 10.5% alcohol not apparent; no booziness that I could detect. Mouthfeel very pleasant consisting of a mild carbonation. Overall a fine offering from a 6 pack sampler of 330 ml bottles. Much nicer than I expected.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 00:58:16 | More by PHSCAPT

mscudder

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter.

A - Murky brown hue with a golden tint topped by a large, frothy ivory head. Lacing was very nice.

S - O the Belgian IPA aroma, so distinctive. Yeast, hops, lemon, floral notes and a touch of booze. If only it were a bit more pronounced.

T - Yeasty to start, followed by a rush of fruit: pears, pineapple, apple, peaches and citrus. Alcohol is well hidden here, atop a nice grassy dry finish.

M - Medium body with above average carbonation; warmth from the booze after finishing it off.

O - Much better than the first time I had this one (my palette was in its youthful stages). That said, I can list a number of Belgians that are flat out better than this one. Great flavors going on here, mostly the tropical fruits whereas most Belgians [darks] have such a deeper, darker take.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 05:15:47 | More by mscudder

spokeydonkey

New York

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from an 11.2 oz bottle into an ommegang brewery snifter.

A: Light copper color with a huge white head that dissipates quickly and leaves lacing down the glass.
S: Smells of pears in syrup and a peppery alcohol note.
T: Sweet apples, pears and plums up front with a peppery carbonation followed by a nice drying bitterness at the finish that lingers.
M: Nice, medium-full-bodied beer with high carbonation that keeps it crisp and drinkable despite the strength.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 00:54:11 | More by spokeydonkey

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy dark orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots and streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, honey, and some herbal hop aromas. Taste is of malt, grain, fruit, honey, and citrus zest. There is an alcohol kick and a mild hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a very crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty but pretty damn strong.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 02:56:12 | More by UCLABrewN84

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.48/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11.2 Oz bottle poured into a Duvel Tulip

A- Pours slightly hazy brilliant orange. A large three finger white head with really dense bubbles. A beautiful beer.

S- I get a slight hop bitterness and a nice presence here. There is a very slight pine and fruit you would expect in an american IPA. Some herbal and floral notes as well. Some spice and earthiness. A very pleasant IPA.

T- A good bitterness up front. Fills the mouth with oily resinous hops flavors. A bit of spice and a very earthy hop. Some of the yeast flavors come through. A complex and spicy hop flavor. The malt profile is subtle, its slightly bready and slightly sweet but none of the flavors are too bold and they all really work well together.

M- I didn't pick up on any alcohol flavor but I can certainly feel it. The body is well carbonated and has a nice feel to it. Leaves behind a spiciness.

O- Superb Belgian style IPA. I had this a year ago (with questionable freshness) and I didn't like it but I am very impressed with it now. Amazing how much your palate can adapt in a year. Certainly worth checking out by any IPA or Belgian beer fan. Watch out for freshness however, I really enjoyed the hop profile in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 01:42:25 | More by TwelveOunces

BelgianBeerPope

Belgium

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One of my favourites, not top 10 but very close. This amber coloured strong blond ale can be enjoyed with our without adding the yeast from the bottle. Personally, I prefer to add, it gives the beer that extra 'punch'. Complex & rich taste, starting with an 'in your face' hoppy biterness, followed by a caramel-like sweetness with a peppery finish which is washed away by light sweetness again, kicking in a bit stronger then first ! It has a little sticky mouthfeel afterwards so it will not be your preffered thirst-quenching drink but still very enjoyable on a warm summer evening outside.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 14:46:54 | More by BelgianBeerPope

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - slightly hazy copper golden, tower of head lasted forever and left all kinds of lacing
S - fruity aromas of pear and plumb, light buttery bread and fresh leafy greens
T - rich yeasty phenols of grape and spice, sweet pear syrup, light butter, and a nice building leafy hop presence
M - medium body with a big creamy carbonation presence, a nice mix of rich fleshy fruit, creamy smooth, and a pleasant hop dry finish, amazing feel
O - the best Belgian IPA i've tried to date, bar none!

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 03:56:34 | More by joemcgrath27

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

We pour a deep golden brown brew with a fat three finger head. This has fantastic retention, leaving chunky cakey bubbles and sticky sheets of lacing around the glass. Carbonation appears high, and there is a mild haze, but no sediment. The nose is wrought with steely malts and soft wheat. There is a tropical fruitiness with bright banana esters, fusel booze, biting clove, and stinging plastics. It is insanely complex in the snout, but nicely blended. Our first impression is that this guy is sweeter and more tart than expected. As we sip, clean apple sweetness and even grain start things off. The malts are steely and wheaty, just as in the nose. Alcohols are sweeter and add to the flavoring, rather than cutting it. The middle peaks with white sugar and booze. Musky grassiness works in, adding a bitter side to things. We finish with fruity bubblegum esters, booze, and clovey bitterness. The aftertaste breathes of light honey sweetness, mineral, wheat, and finally the fusel booze takes over, toasting the buds. The body is medium, and the carbonation is medium to high. The mouth is left with a steely wet coating, but it quickly dries and puckers. There is nice creamy slurp and smack, and the beer is easy drinking and warming. The abv is up there.

Overall, the best thing about this beer was the nice head, as expected for the style, and the wildly complex aroma. The smell here really does trump the taste, with beautiful spicy inclusions that translated into more puckering sourness in the taste, rather than enhancing and deepening the grain. Nice and complex, and tasty for the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 23:45:34 | More by TheBrewo

acevenom

Louisiana

4.48/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a chalice. Pours hazy golden orange with a slowly dissipating off-white head, but a half-finger length of head remains. There are visible tiny streaming bubbles on the side of the glass. The aroma is floral, fruity, and sweet. There is good expression from the Belgian yeast and the candi sugar. The alcohol is also detectable in the aromas. The malt brings some breadiness to the smell. The taste does follow the nose here, but I wish I could get it fresh to really appreciate the hops even more.

Despite all that, the flavors are still solid and there is still a good hop presence. The front end is sweet from the candi sugar and malts, bready from the malt and yeast, and that hop bitterness follows as well. The booze also comes through in the flavor. There is some faint fruitiness as well, but it is mild and takes a back seat to the other flavors. The body is medium with abundant carbonation. The higher alcohol can definitely be felt here, but it should at 10.5%. The finish is slightly dry. This is an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 18:12:54 | More by acevenom

haazer

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A- Huge frothy white head, with noticeable air pockets leading down to the brew itself. Once the head calms down, the brew reveals to be an orange/bronze color. A bit murky, and carbed to the hilt. Patches of lace all over the glass.

S- Strong floral notes, but most of hop presence faded. Some honey, and a strong candy belgian yeast. Good pale malt backing. A bit of esthers and some booze. A bit of carmel on the backend of the nose.

T- Sweet candy sugar flavor upfront, leading into a belgian influenced yeast. There is some carmel apple, and a good amount of bitterness to this yet. After those flavors it does take a turn for the worse and becomes quite boozy.

M- Alcohol induced burn. But body of the brew is medium, and suprisingly smooth for all the carbonation that was evident.

O- I don't know why I expected more from this BIPA, I keep reviewing this style that I clearly don't enjoy. The only exceptions being Belgian Monk and I did like Tramp Stamp. This one could tone down the booze a bit and probably receive a better rating from me.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 20:50:52 | More by haazer