Petrus Winterbier - Brouwerij Bavik

damndirtyape

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

33cl pour in a chalice at La Trappe, San Francisco.

Appearance: Brown/copper/amber clear beer, with an initial rocky light tan head upon pouring that died down to a thin 1/8" foam across the top with plenty of lacing in strands and sheets all over the glass. Great looking beer.

Smell: Malty, molasses, burnt sugar, with something spicy at the end. Hard to pick it out - maybe nutmeg, maybe cinnamon. I could not tell.

Taste: Rich and malty, but smooth. Nice roasted malts, burn sugar, molasses, winter cookie spice at the end. Again, I could not tell if it was cinnamon, nutmeg, or both. Not really strong spice, more like a complimentary one.

Mouthfeel: Nice thickness. A bit chewy and sticky on the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: Oh wow - an amazing good winter beer. Like a combination of a Belgian dark ale and an American spiced winter warmer. Dangerously drinkable - this one tempted me into another one rather than trying yet another beer from the wider La Trappe menu. A great winter beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2013 03:34:40 | More by damndirtyape

UCLABrewN84

California

3.95/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour at the bottle share held at Chloe's inside Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a clear honey orange with a foamy khkai head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, honey, fruit, and cider. Taste is much the same with a honey flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that has a lot of honey qualities going on.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 22:55:04 | More by UCLABrewN84

BGsWo22

New York

1.5/5  rDev -57.5%

03-21-2013 00:13:39 | More by BGsWo22

harpus

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

03-13-2013 19:41:09 | More by harpus

Haybeerman

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

02-06-2013 23:13:10 | More by Haybeerman

JEdmund

Kansas

4/5  rDev +13.3%

12-18-2012 14:19:14 | More by JEdmund

abex44

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

12-15-2012 17:19:34 | More by abex44

TheBigLebrewski

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

12-15-2012 03:41:28 | More by TheBigLebrewski

MarkyMOD

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +20.4%

11-17-2012 03:25:09 | More by MarkyMOD

tripledbrew

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

10-06-2012 04:53:14 | More by tripledbrew

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.63/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a Bell's tulip on 9/5/12

The appearance is a very dark brown with hues of copper worked in. the head rises quickly to just under three fingers prior to receding steadily. thin, fizzy head. No lace.

The aroma is has tangy, dark fruit notes and something of a tart smell - dark cherry, plum and apple butter. Soapy, earthy and bready overtones. After a short while, the aromas condense and become a little less jarring.

The taste is rather interesting and not at all what I expected based on the aroma. The flavor is actually fairly robust with mildly spiced bread and dark grains, layered upon which are dark fruit notes - raisin, plum, fig, and some nippy apple, too. I'm pleased that tartness isn't an issue.

The body is medium with some slickness. Carbonation is very high and is frustrating as it interferes with the flavors. It takes some effort to swirl out the carbonation, but it's worth it in the long run. Fruit cake residuals linger.

This is far from the greatest beer I've had, but it's enjoyable enough to finish of the 750ml. I don't know as that I'd pay the full $7.99 price for it, but the sale price of $3.99 is more enticing. It does become a bit strange by the end of the bottle, though.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 06:22:15 | More by Ryan011235

beerpadawan

California

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

08-27-2012 16:43:56 | More by beerpadawan

TheBishopco

Tennessee

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

07-12-2012 20:46:54 | More by TheBishopco

SourAddict

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

06-18-2012 01:08:07 | More by SourAddict

slimjim871

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

04-22-2012 22:00:42 | More by slimjim871

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

04-01-2012 22:38:01 | More by TMoney2591

JAHMUR

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

02-16-2012 18:01:00 | More by JAHMUR

impending

California

2.73/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

C

750ml into a tulip. Pours a crystal clear amber garnet, cream colored head started tall but receded fairly quick, ok lacing.

Aroma is rich in spices with a vinous phenolic overtone.

Flavor begins nice then collapses into mediocrity, undefined and bland. Potential is obvious. Plums and honey. The aftertaste is vaporous, evaporates with little residue, near zero bitter, no dry. Medium bodied mouthfeel. Double everything this might be splendid.
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 05:49:29 | More by impending

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a cloudy bright orange amber. Massive white head with medium bubbles dissipated slowly, originally filling half the glass. Mild aroma of sweet malt and spices with a slightly mineral component. Flavor is a light sweet and caramel malt and light fruit dominated by apple. A slight buttery diacetyl flavor. Finish is somewhat dry and spicy, although the spices are nondescript. Light to medium bodied which is surprising considering the healthy head on this ale. Not very assertive flavors, but pleasant to drink. A nice but not outstanding winter Belgian. .

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 03:49:49 | More by LiquidAmber

THECPJ

Delaware

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

01-25-2012 02:49:01 | More by THECPJ

samEBC

Belgium

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

01-21-2012 23:19:38 | More by samEBC

MisterGrizz

Texas

4/5  rDev +13.3%

01-20-2012 22:18:12 | More by MisterGrizz

zonker17

Illinois

4/5  rDev +13.3%

01-12-2012 21:40:38 | More by zonker17

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Petrus Winterbier

Pours a dark brown, not so clear. Pillowy off white froth. Aromas of nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpernickel bread and alittle floral. In the taste, a nice brown ale base with more bready character, small cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and coriander round out the spice profile. Some mineral aspects, tiny bit tart and very mild bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth and creamy. Overall, not a bad winter offering, lots of spices, but short of noteworthy.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2012 01:49:46 | More by Stinkypuss

Stoffel

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

01-02-2012 13:47:21 | More by Stoffel