Hertog Jan Karakter - Arcense Stoombierbouwerij (Hertog Jan Brouwerij)

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

We pour a darkened amber brew with a one finger tall tan head. This shows nice retention, leaving a wild patterned lacing around the glass and thick aggregates of bubbles. There is a moderate haze, but no sediment. Carbonation appears medium. The aroma is strong with bubblegum esters and white sugar. There is also strong Belgian yeastiness, metallic and toasty malts, and an almond nuttiness. There is a nice cooling sensation to the nose, which reminds us very much of a sweet and sticky pastry. Our first impression is that this is a tasty beer, and quite the salty and sweet malt bomb. As we sip, grainy sourness hits first, with wheat, roast, and caramel. Cereal grain and apricot sweetness enter for the balance. Peppery booze is also apparent from the start. The middle peaks with metallic yeasty bite, white wine grape, and further souring from a muskiness. The finish is with more of that sour, salty bite, along with pumpkin seed, buttery malts, and flashes of metals. The aftertaste is more of the end, with metals, mineral, sours, and adjuncts. The body is medium, and carbonation is medium. There is chalky astringent dryness to the coat, but nice slurp, pop, and syrupy stickiness otherwise. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks rather well.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the nice look to it, along with the robust, sweet aromatics. The nose was very inviting, and showed a nice complexity to the malts. This beer seemed to drink like a cheaper, sweeter Chimay Grande Réserve (blue). Additionally, there is a nice lightness of spice to it, but a robust malt bill, making it also seem a bit like a darker tripel. In the end, however, the flavoring couldn’t escape this vibe of being overly “cheap”, and remained a bit too sour at times.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 22:06:38 | More by TheBrewo

RueSailmana

Netherlands

4.75/5  rDev +35.7%

05-20-2013 06:23:30 | More by RueSailmana

Arno

4.08/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I can imagine this isn't a well received beer looking at the ratings.
It's a bit of an in between-er. Too easy and simple to call it a special beer while all the flavors are suggesting it. It's not like a regular pilsener.

But if you just want a simple special beer, this is just lovely. Not too many layers or complexity. Just some brown sugar / caramel mixed with spices like clove. Fresh, not too thick and easy with a nice linger.

It actually reminds me of a more mellow version of "Gouden Carolus" beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 20:07:44 | More by Arno

vollie

Netherlands

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

12-18-2012 11:27:57 | More by vollie

Jose9e

Netherlands

3.5/5  rDev 0%

07-30-2012 11:46:59 | More by Jose9e

Tomblerone

Netherlands

3.5/5  rDev 0%

05-27-2012 17:14:53 | More by Tomblerone

DARIVA

Netherlands

2.25/5  rDev -35.7%

04-10-2012 12:47:38 | More by DARIVA

Douberd

Netherlands

3.38/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 300 ml bottle into a Chimay chalice. Colour is light amber, kind of ruby once it's hold against the light. Head of one finger in height, brownish in color that doesn't last long. Aroma is fruity and to be more specific, that of dark fruits, like plums and dates.The taste is sort of metallic, but other than that sweet, with the dark fruits element much more obvious. Some caramel too, but mostly on the aftertaste. The alcohol very nicely conceiled.Medium thickness on the body, light carbonation. A little dry on the palate.Another very good beer from Hertog Jan.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 17:00:14 | More by Douberd

rekel

Netherlands

4/5  rDev +14.3%

11-30-2011 16:54:56 | More by rekel

Brabander

Netherlands

3.3/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I got this beer in a basket for my birthday. After three months in the fridge it was time to get it out. Best before date is jan 2012.

This is one of the better Dutch beers to start with. Poured in my Struise glass the beer looks very nice. Dark like tea and a big head with light carbonation.

Malty smell and a soft taste with some caramel on the background.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 21:25:38 | More by Brabander

joannavandenhaag

Netherlands

2.9/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Appearance: ruddy hazelnut and reasonably clear with a fine head which collapses immediately. Pleasant carbonation.

Smell: Understated blackberry and currant top notes with an aggressively sweet core on malted milk.

Taste and mouthfeel: A clean and balanced nicely bitter malt with less sweetness and hoppiness in the core than I expected. However, the aftertaste reminds me a bit of cough syrup, and I sense the alcohol strongly on the second sip. The mouthfeel is smooth and flat, lighter than anticipated.

Drinkability: On the whole, it's a bit strange for me, but pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 20:35:39 | More by joannavandenhaag

sfprint

Germany

2.83/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A: Very pretty in color. On the red side of orange. some carbonation.

S: Hmm, ABV is quite apparent and reminds me of some Belgian beers, slightly sweet and fruity. Black cherry. Cough syrup.

T: Whoa. Not what I was expecting at all. The flavor is there in distinct layers. The top is this airy and sour. The middle is bitter and alcohol, and the bottom is fruitier, and almost has a cream soda. Given that, the alcohol is too overt, it's the most present flavor which doesn't win me over.

M: mouth puckeringly alcoholic. Sandy.

D: Too strange and not particularly enjoyable but certainly different!

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2010 22:24:30 | More by sfprint

RuudJH

Netherlands

3.65/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hertog Jan Karakter, i've had it several times, never reviewed it untill now.

Nice orange brown color, clear with ok carbonation, thin head.
Smell is fruity and malty, taste is slightly hoppy bitter with a clean dry finish.
Very nice and balanced beer, watery mouthfeel, but it's ok. Not very complex, not a wide range of flavours, but is easy drinkable.

These specialty beers from HertogJan are very popular in the Netherlands. They attract a more serious crowd of drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2010 13:58:47 | More by RuudJH

Regenpak

Netherlands

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

While not a bad beer, the word that comes to mind is: bland. There just isn't a whole lot of taste. What taste there is is fine though. Slight sweetness, very drinkable. Not a lot of head, at pouring (wants to be cold, from the fridge) just one millimeter, quickly disappearing. Lovely light brown/orange color. Small snag: only 30 cl in a bottle (those dreaded eurobottles again...). One bottle: not enough, two bottles: too much. Oh well...

Sixpack bought at my local grocer (Vomar) in Amsterdam.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2009 14:30:00 | More by Regenpak

Onslow

Texas

3.33/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

this just seemed middle of the road from this great dutch brewery...

Pours a ruby red....small ring of head...sweet and tangy...smells of a tame sherry wine...nice lacing...nice aftertaste...an enjoyable smooth brew...ya..

needs more dutch cowbell..

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2008 14:45:18 | More by Onslow

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The third and final offering of my 'Dutch Beer Afternoon' on a wet and windy Saturday in Shropshire.

Poured into my Corsendonk tulip glass.

Red/brown in colour, the head just flew before I could even see it, I like my beer to have a head.

Sweet aroma, caramel and toffee apples.

The taste is fairly sweet, like the aroma. Sourness in there somewhere too.

The sweetness hides the alcohol very well, but it does appear more in the mouth as the flavours begin to die away.

I enjoyed this beer, the best of my three from this brewery I reviewed today, even though the scores are very close. Pity about the head.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2008 16:57:27 | More by BlackHaddock

Vancer

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Last review of 2006, what a great web and bunch of BAs.

This fine brew started amber in the pour and left a nice tan lace. The spicy Belgium yeast and sugar cane really come about in the aromas and quaff. A very unique fall spice kick to this lil’ brew, I’m liking it and could make this a study drinker – except for a little matter of the ocean between us. The abv is well hidden in the sweet and tasty brew. I could session brew this, but I’d end up on my arse.

And this was a very fresh brew, thanks to my great son, “studying” overseas in Amsterdam. I was sent this for the unique chance to enjoy direct from the brewer.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2006 23:30:56 | More by Vancer

Absumaster

Netherlands

3.85/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours an amber-red color with an initial big head, which collapses after minutes.
Smell is good with caramel, cherries, full of red fruit and a slight roasted/ chocolaty smell. Nearly finishing the beer brings out some of the typical Hertog Jan yeast products.
Taste was good, hopbitter and maltbitter combined into a perfect marriage, a good strong malt backbone and cherries. The beer tastes fresh, slightly hoppy and clean, no funky Belgian yeast, but a clean fermented Dutch beer, with enough flavours going on.
Who dares saying that the Netherlands doesn't have their own beer culture? This is a very good example!

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2006 14:37:42 | More by Absumaster

Redteketed

Netherlands

3.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

BB 09-06. A nice redcopper coloured, head dissappears rather quickly.
First thing in noise is candy-sugar, but with some fruitiness, malt and a touch of raisins it is rather good.
In the taste there is also a spicy element, base is light sweet/light bitter. Mouthfeel is light/medium, bit thin according AVB. Somewhat dry, little alcohol and the carbonation is soft to lively. Some spicy, bitter aftertaste of average lenght.
Reasonable beer, but I have had better Hertog Jan beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2006 21:28:23 | More by Redteketed

paterlodie

Belgium

3.1/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Best before jul-05. Poors in ok but hard to get some foam on this one. Head is yellow with a brown taint and beercolor is dark copperbrown. Litle protein haze in it but for the rest clear.
Nose is malty, litle candy and very much yeastspice. Could be fresher though.
Taste is sweet malty, litle candysugar and just a litle hops. Not so fresh either and dull.
Mouthfeel is cause of the alcohol litle better buit also not as much as you expect from a 7.5% ABV top fermenting beer. Drinkable but nothing worth talking about.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2005 14:48:26 | More by paterlodie