Petrus Aged Pale - Brouwerij Bavik

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured chilled in flared sample glass @davewhite4, the third of a Petrus trilogy.

A: pilsener-like; little head; very good carbonation; not much lacing
S: very sour aroma; quite prominent for a sour ale (the best nose of the three we tried)
T: lemon, honey, much like a cold hot toddy; very sour, Pimms-like; I don't detect the aging; flavorful throughout, with fruit flavors matched nicely against the sourness
M: decent

Best of the three Petrus beers

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 22:19:51 | More by Arithmeticus

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Frothy chardonnay...that description about sums it up. A bit darker than a white wine.

Smell: Doesn't match up with the rest of the beer. Sourdough...slightly off-putting. It's good, but I would like it a bitter stronger.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Pungent bleu cheese and vinegar with a lemon finish. A grapey wine flavor as well. Petrus Aged Ale gets very complex as it warms and improves on its yeasty characteristics. Clean finish that complements the acidic traits perfectly.

Overall Drinkability: Takes some getting used to, but this will wake you up. World. Class.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2013 03:55:28 | More by tjsdomer2

LordChesterfield

Oregon

4.71/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This is probably one of the most unique beers I've had. It's a pale yellow, not unlike Hoegaarden. The taste comes on strong and kicks you in the tongue with sourness, but it's not unpleasant. As you drink more the sourness subsides and flavors of orange and tang are left. Is a beer that appeals to different areas of the tongue. It also displays flavors of oak due to the aging. So we have flavors of oak, orange, sour, green wood, and hops to bring it all together. And it's tame enough to drink non-stop. Fantastic

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 01:52:36 | More by LordChesterfield

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

3.7/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: very hazy, quite light yellow. Huge fluffy head. Different and nice.
Smell: full disclosure, I'm a newbie for this style. Interesting for sure. Some sweet years tines, and sour funk.
Taste: yow. Certainly fits the description of the style. Tastes like green apple cider at first. Over the initial shock...very interesting. Not sure I'll be seeking this out but who knows.
Overall: will revisit this after I gain a bit more experience with the style. Very interesting.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 22:29:40 | More by cindyjeffsmith

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into wine glass.

A - Beautiful pale brown color, with lots of head (2 fingers).

S - A nice dry, oak smell, lots of mild, sour smells.

T - Superb. Very bold in sour flavors, yet smooth. If this were your first sour beer, you couldn't help but want more. Not at all overpowering in sour, tart tastes. This is just so delicious.

M - Just right for the beer. Medium bodied.

O - Much better than the regular Petrus flanders beer. More bold sour flavors that go so well with the other complext tastes. I'll definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 23:43:08 | More by Beer-A-Lot

flayedandskinned

California

3.86/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

No bottle date
Poured into a standard tulip.

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy blond with a loose, 2 finger white head that dissipate almost as soon as it forms, leaving zero lacing behind in it's wake.

Aroma: Big acidic waves of lemon, white wine vinegar, tangy pineapple and overripe pear flesh. There is a little bit of funk that manifests itself as musty, wet hay on the edges of the acidity. There some light undertones of vanilla imbued by the oak aging. Very assertive nose, although definitely not the most complex i've smelled on a sour ale.

Taste: Wow, this is one mouth puckering ale; huge and in your face lemon juice with some vinegar and funky pineapple from the brettanomyces yeast strains. A big rush of prickly carbonation brings some needed reprieve to your shocked palate by drying out the juicy sourness. The dry, somewhat bitter finish leaves you left with lingering notes of vanilla and more tangy pineapple.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied with high carbonation which is consistent with the style.

Overall: A very puckering, sour ale that certainly scratches that sour itch, if you're having a craving. Unfortunately the sourness is a bit one note and doesn't have a big funky brett presence to embellish it. It is a solid, somewhat easily attainable sour that doesn't necessarily "wow" a seasoned sour drinker.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 05:29:38 | More by flayedandskinned

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured one finger of head on a clear, golden colored body. The smell is all sour, but in a nice way. The taste has moderate bitterness followed by a strong sour flavor; good balance. The texture is crisp with moderate carbonation. Quite an interesting ale with some great flavors that you don't see much of. It was cider-like in texture and taste but less sweet.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2013 02:50:52 | More by Fatehunter

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.3/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle to Fantome tulip

A: Light golden honey colored with a fluffy white head that dissipates quickly and leaves a medium lacing around the top of the glass. It is totally translucent and about as clean as you can get which is impressive considering its been in barrels.

S:It smells almost like aged hops, I can tell that they smell like hops but they are about as far away from fresh as you can get as they definitely have an earthy funk characteristic to the smell. There is also oak in there as well it is not powerful but does weill to balance the other scents

T: Wow so I am really impressed here it has a dry sour taste that is very similar to what I would expect from a quality lambic but the funk is there (especially in a farmhouse aspect) but it adds to the flavor instead of overpowering it (probably the making the ale part of the beer much more noticeable). It is crisp and very clean in the finish.

M: This beer is very light considering its abv and goes down very easily considering the same. It has a light puckering sour feel upfront but not over powering. It is thin and somewhat watery but that makes it very drinkable. The crispness and clean nature of the finsh are really helped by the carbonation which makes this feel light and refreshing (more so then any sour I have tasted).

O:The appearance and smell for this beer are good but not great the taste and feel however do achieve greatness. It is very drinkable for its higherish abv and maintains a great sour flavor I could drink these for days and normally I reach a limit with sour beers this I wish came by the six pack. I highly recommend you try this especially if you like sours.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 22:55:24 | More by Pinknuggets

JEdmund

Kansas

4.43/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Not an especially attractive color: dirty blond. Head settles out fast.

Smells awesome! Very tart and fruity. Was not expecting this given the name of the beer.

First sip wows me with its mouth-puckering flavor. Again, not expecting this. But I love it, and it’s probably the most sour beer I’ve had to date. There really aren’t a lot of nuances to this beer, but that doesn’t bother me; I'm really enjoy the sour flavor and find it very drinkable. Despite its oak aging, I’m not detecting it. Carbonation and mouthfeel are spot-on.

I will be buying this one again the next time I’m in the mood for a sour. Very good and highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 14:12:51 | More by JEdmund

Aaron_Ramson

California

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

As much as I appreciate the artistry and craft involved in mailing this beer, it was hard to drink. A sour beer of this caliber is no easier to drink than a fine scotch; sipping is the best way to approach. The color is a dull without being hazy, the nose a tart lactic, acidic burn. The taste followed the nose with a sour, acidic bile flavor masking the taste of malts and hops. Hints of vanilla, "greenness" and wood are undetectable under the acid burn. Sweet caramel and grain show up in the aftertaste and comes on after the sour acid fades away. The mouthfeel is as thin as would be expected, with a carbonated bite that helps the flavor along. All in all, this is a beer that I highly appreciate, and have no desire to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:04:29 | More by Aaron_Ramson

jfvarela

California

4.51/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

1 Pint - 9.4 oz bottle

Appearance: It is a golden straw yellow with great clarity and bubbles coming up through the glass. Nice lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Smell: sour, funky, sweet pale malts, chardonnay grapes, apples, vinegery

Taste: Tart, sour, bitter. pucker of a beer. Some oak and chardonnay grapes in there too.

Mouthfeel: A little smooth, pucker, a bit dry, low to medium carbonation, and light to medium bodied.

Overall: Its a pretty good beer... Luckily i got the last 2

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 18:41:46 | More by jfvarela

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

2.79/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Poured into my DHF chalice.

A - Pours a honey/copper color. Poured rather cloudy and I was careful not to empty the dregs into the glass. Minimal white rocky head. Quickly disapates to a thin white layer. Some minimal white lacing. Average carbonation.

A - Sour, spice, faint sour milk, musty.

T - Sour, stomach acid pukey taste - quite a shock to the system, faint sweetness up front with strong sour in the finish.

MF - Fizzy and sharp on the palate.

O - Too sour for me. I like my flanders with a bit more sweetness for balance. A sipping beer. No swiling this brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 01:23:12 | More by Sludgeman

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

11.2 oz bottle was poured into a snifter.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that for the most part is still there. It is a golden straw yellow with great clarity and bubbles coming up through the glass. Nice lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Smell: Oakey, sour, funky, sweet pale malts, chardonnay grapes, apples,

Taste: Tart, sour, bready, and bitter. Super pucker of a beer. Some oak and chardonnay grapes in there too.

Mouthfeel: A little smooth, pucker, chewy, a bit dry, low to medium carbonation, and light to medium bodied.

Overall: Wow, I might have to get more of these soon. Pretty solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 04:31:18 | More by Flounder57

Jonada

New Jersey

3.94/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: Hazy straw yellow color with a small soapy white head. Champagne like carbonation streaming through the glass.

Smell: Smell is very tart with notes of white grape, green apple, lemon.

Taste: Sour apple, vinegar, white wine, lemon. There's a hint of sweetness that helps cut the sourness/tartness.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with high carbonation

Overall: Really tasty beer and a bit of a pleasant surprise considering I wasn't that impressed with the Petrus Oud Bruin. Worth picking up a bottle if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:37:15 | More by Jonada

PriorDoubleDark

Maine

4.34/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Purchased on-tap at HotShots Family Entertainment Center in beautiful downtown Pismo Beach CA on a rainy Thursday evening. This selection was a fine nightcap, a palette cleanser after an evening of drinking heavy, syrupy beers (Parobla, Ovila Quad, Black Marlin Porter). This sour was simple and sufficient - a pleasure to be what ended our drinking evening.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2013 05:40:48 | More by PriorDoubleDark

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.96/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a light golden amber color. The head is a one finger white shade. It's more substantial looking than others in the style, but still fades quickly. Thin splotches of lacing are left on the glass.

S: There's good tartness on the nose - better than I expected really, given how low the Petrus Oud Bruin was in sour qualities. The fruit esters here are pretty light; apple, pear, grapes, and maybe some vague citrus. Even touches of honey and pale malts are found.

T: Oh yeah. This one has some good mouth-puckering sourness. It's definitely acetic/vinegary in nature; however, it's not perfectly integrated within the other (meager) qualities the flavor profile provides. It is balanced well, however. Just like the aroma, there aren't really any cherry fruit qualities, it's pretty much apple/pears/grapes alongside the acetic sourness. It becomes less tart near the finish as some light maltiness and the faintest 'ping' of grassy hops come through.

M: Pretty damn light in texture, which is just what I look for in the style. Oak tannins help to dry out some of the acidic zing on the finish and aftertaste, and never come across too harshly. It isn't particularly easy to drink, but it IS easy to sip, and that's what counts.

O: This one definitely delivers the sour, puckering bite to it - and at a decent price, to boot! I really wish it was fruitier, but that's just nitpicking. I'd definitely consider making this one a go-to sour for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 23:21:58 | More by ThisWangsChung

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A good beer had a nice funky, sour and vinagar aroma. Not catching much of the oak aroma.
The color is amber leaning towards brown with a small white head.
Taste is nice and complex with it tasting funky and sour and vinagary. Taste is also tart and fruity but light.
Drinks smooth but a bit thin not watery for there is an abundance of flavor. Sitting in oak barrels for twenty months leaves the beer with a puckering dry tannin feel that bitter on the way down.
A good easy drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 12:36:19 | More by micromaniac129

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.48/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Have no idea how this is considered an Oud Bruin. Wild Pale Ale more like it.

Pours a very nice hazed gold, 1/2 inch head, no lace.

Cherry, sour pear, oak, pale malts and apple cider vinagar make up this wonderful smell.

Pale malts, oak and sour apple/pear start this off. Slight earthy and grassy hops follow. The finish is a sour grape mellowed by more oak. Moderate body, perfect carbonation!

Nectar of the gods. Amazingly balanced sour beer! Will grab many more for aging and drinking!

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 03:09:52 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.24/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from tap into tulip at 1702 in Tucson. Pours a straw color with nice fizzy head that lasts. Lots of funk and tart Belgian aromas. Same for taste...nicely tart fruity Belgian yeast and grape like. Super refreshing and nicely drinkable. Nice brew...good amount of sour/tart.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2013 00:48:57 | More by DrinkSlurm

merc7186

New York

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into snifter.

A: Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, White Head, Some Lacing

S: Crisp Apple, Chardonnay

T: Crisp Apple, Chardonnay, Mildly Bitter Pear

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter

Overall, a pretty nice, crisp sour ale, great fruit and possible wine presence in nose and taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 03:18:03 | More by merc7186

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4.16/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The brew is darker that I would expect, with an intense brown tone. The head, also brown, was not very retained.

The aroma has a vinous character, where you notice wooden tones there. The taste is smooth, relatively well-bodied, carbonated... You can notice the sourness characteristic of the Lambics, but not the complexity found on them. This is a differential, as there is an exaltation of the malt here, which prevails in the aftertaste, after the initial impact of the tartness. It is a very refreshing and interesting beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 00:20:20 | More by HabiMendes

JoanS

California

1.85/5  rDev -54.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I ordered this thinking is would be a more like my favorite Allagash Curieaux. I was shockingly disappointed. It was like drinking a tart lemonade. Not at all what I wanted tonight. I see the other reviews and i think maybe i was served the wrong beer at the Original Gravity Pub in San Jose. ??

It was a clear bright yellow, no head, tart beyond my liking. My dinner partner could not even swallow it.

Again, not sure if it was the beer or the pourer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2013 07:28:22 | More by JoanS

Douberd

Netherlands

3.88/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

330 ml bottle, the last one in a box of six different Petrus beers. Poured into a snifter. ABV 7,3%. Colour is deep copper, with quite an activity in the glass. On top of the beer sits a big white head, almost three fingers, soapy and thick, with good retention.Aroma is of grapes, sweet-sour, some citrus notes in it. Very high acidity on the taste, this one screams sour! Again, lots of white grapes on the taste. After my initial big gulp, where I almost choke from the acidity, I started drinking it with slow small sips and it’s quite good. Full body and average carbonation. A combination of dryness and tartness on the palate. Still not very experienced on this style, but I liked this one. Reminded me of a homemade wine an uncle of mine was making, so maybe it’s also the memories, but this beer was quite enjoyable and I guess it would be even better with a meal.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 17:52:01 | More by Douberd

laynethiele

Michigan

1.11/5  rDev -72.6%
look: 1.25 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.25

Yikes! Hated this beer. Saw the barrel-aged ale on the label had myself ready for something delicous. I was sadly disappointed.

A: Looks like white grape juice.
S: Apples and grapes overwhelm
T: Sparkling sour white grape juice
M: Thin, sparkling
o: This stuff was so sour it gave me a stomach ache. Threw the last 1/4 of it out. I hated it that much. It tasted like sparkling grape juice that had gone bad. Paid $4 for a bottle would have rather thrown it in the street.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 22:55:45 | More by laynethiele

ckollias

Maryland

4.16/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this bottle out of a Belgian tulip glass.

A: Pours a clear golden yellow hue with a 1-finger white head that rapidly dissipates into no lace and no trail down the side of the glass.

S: Very sour green apple aroma with a woody background.

T: Extremely tart and sour beer – I thought it might be contaminated at first sip. Sour green apples flavor with a big citrus punch to the face. Hints of wood and finishes sour and dry,

M: Medium body and minimal carbonation.

O: This was by far the most sour beer I’ve ever tasted – including lambics. It made my taste buds cry. This is a sipping beer – it took me and hour to drink it. At first I was overwhelmed by the sour tartness – but every sip was more pleasurable and by the end I realize how complex this brew was. Could I drink this every night – no way – but this is a beer to be savored.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 18:42:15 | More by ckollias