Val-Dieu Blond - Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu

semihobo

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 fl oz stubby bottle, best before 26/12/08.

Pours a dark aged-parchment yellow, with tiny little bubbles rocketing upward. The head has excellent texture and retention and leaves dense sheets of velvety lacing on the walls of the bulb. This is why it's hot.

Smell is most noticeably candi sugar and clove, but there is a decent hop presence as well, with some spice to round things out.

Tastes of figs, cloves, and rum-washed fruit. Instead of the darker fruits normally associated with Belgians, tastes more like apple -- this brew reminds me of a good Riesling. Definitely sweet. Fruits and spices recede on the finish to leave only modest hop flavor with cake-like malts.

Creamy carbonation, medium bodied. Bubbles tingle as the swallow starts but back off out of deference for taste.

A very pleasant ale, and a beaut to boot. Gets a little too sweet as it warms -- couldn't drink more than a 11.2oz of this without a break. Val-Dieu Blond is repping Belgium hard, in a good way.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2008 03:27:06 | More by semihobo

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

05-25-2013 15:25:17 | More by Slatetank

desint

Belgium

3.25/5  rDev -15.8%

05-24-2013 11:39:05 | More by desint

supermeniscus

Netherlands

4/5  rDev +3.6%

03-29-2013 22:53:28 | More by supermeniscus

VoodooBear

Puerto Rico

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Presentation: Stubby 11.2 oz. brown bottle, served in an oversized wine glass.

Appearance: Cloudy, pale gold color. Develops a two finger bright white head that goes down but remains all the way to the end. It leaves some great lacing.

Smell: The scent is sweet, fruity, mainly banana. There's some nice herbal and malt notes, as well as some yeast in the background.

Taste: A fruit flavor is dominant. It has spice and herbal flavors that make for a very complex and appealing package. There's alcohol and a tiny malt sweetness at the end, with some bitterness to balance everything out.

Mouthfeel: It's smooth, creamy and medium bodied. It has mildly high carbonation that's not overwhelming but still present.

Overall: Very drinkable and complex. It has a lot of flavors and scents, but also a simple sweetness, balanced perfectly by a hint of bitterness and an alcoholic character, that just make it a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 06:20:51 | More by VoodooBear

spycow

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

03-11-2013 05:49:55 | More by spycow

Proteios7

Indiana

4/5  rDev +3.6%

03-03-2013 22:16:17 | More by Proteios7

MDF

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

02-08-2013 14:24:46 | More by MDF

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into chalice, no bottle dating. Pours fairly cloudy golden amber color with a nice 1-2 finger fluffy white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass, with a nice amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of apple, pear, apricot, grape, floral, grass, honey, bread, candi sugar, pepper, and earthy yeast esters. Very nice aromas with good complexity, strength, and balance of fruity/malty notes. Taste of pear, apple, grape, apricot, floral, grass, bready grain, honey, pepper, earth, herbal, candi sugar, and spicy yeast esters. Lingering notes of light fruits, floral, grass, honey, candi sugar, bready grain, herbal, earth, and yeast spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice balance and complexity of flavors; with a nice malt/spicy ester balance; and zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a lightly slick, very crisp, and prickly mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent Belgian blond style. Damn nice flavor complexity and balance of fruity/spiciness; and very smooth to drink. This was a highly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 05:39:19 | More by superspak

jsisko01

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance - Pours a nice golden color with an inch thick, creamy white head. Leaves a very nice lacing.

Smell - Has a somewhat musty smell at first.. Followed by a subtle sweetness, and very bready.

Taste - Has a very nice sweetness to it. Earthy and floral hops, lemon, apple, oak, grass, alcohol, and a slightly dry finish. The bitterness is very mild.

Mouthfeel - Light bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall - This was a pretty good beer

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 03:36:35 | More by jsisko01

kareybou

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%

01-09-2013 00:40:23 | More by kareybou

cave27

2.75/5  rDev -28.8%

12-08-2012 02:28:15 | More by cave27

kurgan3

Poland

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

12-04-2012 22:01:16 | More by kurgan3

Marc_V

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Belgian Beer Shop.com. The beer is golden blond and clear. Large white head. The aroma is typical for a Belgian abbey blond: spicy, lots of yeast, fruity accents. The taste is very similar with yeast, fruits, sweetness and bitterness well balanced. Overall an easy to drink blond of good quality.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 14:10:11 | More by Marc_V

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +3.6%

11-11-2012 14:46:29 | More by t0rin0

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Stubby 11.2oz brown bottle poured into a matching Val-Dieu goblet. Admittedly, I received this sample pack as a gift one Christmas season a couple years ago. The best before date is 30/07/11 whoops? The brew pours a brilliant color of pale yellow to golden and perfectly clear. Rising bubbles of carbonation stream to the surface and support the white cap with a firm finger that faded from the initial 2 fingers of white froth. As the cap fades, it leaves a full curtain of white lace sticking to the glass. A swirl isnt even necessary as the rising carbonation emits enough aromatics and head retention.

The aroma is sweet like a pale sort of candy sugar mixed with vanilla and candy corn. A bit of fresh grainy quality is still present that gives a bit of straw character to the nose. More sniffs reveal a bit of herbal to grassy hop character and very mild alcohol inclusion of fruity to floral esters. As it warms up, it gets a bit herbal. In all honesty, even though I let this one get "over the hill" and expired, it still smells fantastic and I cant imagine a fresh bottle being any better than this.

The taste includes a bit of that previously described candy corn sweetness that is mildly like vanilla and pale belgian candy sugar/syrup. A yeasty spice of clove is present blending into a bit of fresh grain quality before the onset of some herbal to fruity and floral hops/alcohol esters emerge. This is a pretty tight and enjoyable package for a belgian blonde.

This is a medium to light bodied brew with a crisp snappy finish to it. The carbonation is effervescent and helps move the flavors across the palate and keep it bright and uplifting. I never would have guessed the best by date was more than a year ago. Pretty good stuff here and worth a try if you enjoy belgian blondes.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 03:00:22 | More by stakem

RBorsato

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%

11-06-2012 20:46:34 | More by RBorsato

WynnO

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

10-01-2012 06:20:24 | More by WynnO

beerpadawan

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

08-27-2012 17:02:13 | More by beerpadawan

PhillyStyle

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer was a pale, hazy golden color that produced a nice light white head, which was not well retained, which was odd given the carbonation level of the beer.

The beer gave off a nice bready aroma with hints of some fruit sweetness and a grass quality as well.

The taste of the beer followed the nose nicely. A solid Belgian yeast/grain backbone with hints of lemon and some earthiness, which finished with a tart, dry taste.

The beer was smooth and easy to drink. The only real quality that I did not care of the beer was that after it was poured, it almost seemed to go flat. I could not recreate the head, which was odd, given the level of carbonation. Overall, a good beer and perhaps one that I will try again.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 17:50:46 | More by PhillyStyle

Stevie_Janowski

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

05-12-2012 08:24:50 | More by Stevie_Janowski

stevoj

Germany

4.75/5  rDev +23.1%

04-27-2012 22:39:14 | More by stevoj

Aethien

Netherlands

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pale gold with a small, fluffy white head.
Some bready yeast, grassy notes, spices and a little lemon in the smell. I almost have to dive into the goblet before I smell much though.
A slightly pungent yeast flavour is a constant in the taste, with grassy hops, lemon and a little spiciness rounding it out. A little watery but good carbonation and easily drinkable.

I can't remember how much I paid for this, but if it's cheap it's a nice session beer. Not too special but not bad either.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 15:12:26 | More by Aethien

woosterbill

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Moeder Lambic Fontainas, served in a Val-Dieu goblet.

A: Clear gold body under a fine, persistent white head. Ok lace.

S: Bready, fruity, and estery. Some pineapple, grasss, and flowers. Nice.

T: A bit less fruity and more dry - some earthiness joins the floral notes, and dry grassiness dominates on the clean, chalky finish. Enjoyable.

M: Soft, well-carbonated, medium-bodied. Nice.

O: Very good BPA. Extremely refreshing, but with plenty of interesting flavors as well.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2012 12:55:55 | More by woosterbill

dalecooper

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%

02-27-2012 14:38:39 | More by dalecooper