Julius - Brouwerij van Hoegaarden

ernie

Russian Federation

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dry and spicy strong brew, very different in character and style from the famous Original White Ale.

Nice amber color, medium carbonation, huge head, proper lace.

Smell seems familiar - orange, lemon, coriander... But here the similarity ends and the thrill begins. That's an ale in its own right, heavily spiced, malty-fruity in character, packed with pineapples, tangerines and malts. Sugar restrained by high alcohol level, and white spirit is well-hidden. Body medium, firm. Finish painfully bitter, the bitterness coming not only from hops but also from dry oreange peel. Aftertaste quite smooth, fruity.

Worth a try - probably more than once.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2006 18:06:23 | More by ernie

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

3.9/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle served in a Trapping glass.

A: Pours a dark yellow to orange color. A bit cloudy. Forms a medium bubbled white head with good retention and only few lacings left. A small and thin layer persists

S: Very fruity on the nose. Bananas, mainly. Toffee. Sweet malts and Belgian yeasts

T: Follows the nose. Sweet upfront with notes of banana, toffee, honey. Delicious Belgian yeasts and flowery hops. In overall, it's a sweet beer either a sweet malts backbone. Finish is made of soft hops bitterness

M: Medium to heavy bit molasses body. Medium carbonation. Aftertaste is mainly made of sweet malts

O: Good drinkability. Great beer. The proof that AMBEV can produce good beer (?)

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 02:24:23 | More by eduardolinhalis

GRG1313

California

3/5  rDev -15.3%

09-19-2012 03:45:05 | More by GRG1313

kobeer

Texas

2.75/5  rDev -22.3%

07-27-2012 17:31:35 | More by kobeer

bsuedekum

Missouri

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%

06-30-2012 15:27:31 | More by bsuedekum

rekel

Netherlands

4/5  rDev +13%

12-02-2011 00:08:01 | More by rekel

Wegomlegging

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured peach yellow with respectable head, with yeast and floral scents and a background of what seems like stable straw (yes that's odd). The flavor was not bad, more yeast with pleasant notes of spice and flowers and a solid sweet and sour bitterness. Had some solid carbonation, and was pleasant to the palate. There's something holding this one back though, perhaps the sweetness mixed with the sour bitterness? Admittedly I'm not sure how easy it is to find this beer anymore, I only found it in a random drankenshop in Wallonia. Not a beer to crawl across broken glass for, but was fun to try.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 04:33:20 | More by Wegomlegging

thierrynantes

France

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer bottle (33cl.), tasted in 1999.

Appearance : apricot color, trouble (yeast), tight white foam, abundant and stable.
Smell : aromas of yeast very present, smell sweet and aromatic.
Taste and mouthfeel : spicy (coriander and orange peel), aromatic and well balanced.
Drinkability : good beer (but nothing more) in the style Belgian strong pale ale.

Review translated from french 5-29-2008.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2007 13:45:23 | More by thierrynantes

stcules

Italy

2.4/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Orange-yellow color, opalescent, white foam, abundant and creamy.
At the smell yeast, breadcrust, and too many alcohol. Maybe camomile and orange.
The taste is less alcoholic, with more notes of flowery and cereals, with a spicy finish.
Average to low body.
In the aftertaste the spices rise up better, with pepper; but also the alcohol is too noticeable.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2006 10:52:32 | More by stcules

ggaughan

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This bottle was part of a Hoegaarden box set I bought in Belgium last year and just cracked into on New Year's Eve. The drink by date on the bottle was 12/9/05.

The beer poured a nice bright amber color with a nice bubbly, almost champagne like head. The smell has some nice fruit aromas and a bit tart. The taste continues what the smell had, tart and fruity notes with a bit of hop bit to it.

Not overly impressive but worth the try. I would have it again but not rush out to get another bottle right away. I would rather try some other strong pale ales out there first.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2006 18:31:04 | More by ggaughan

atigerlife

Hawaii

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle, in the Julius glass.

Poured a big, fluggy head. Very long lasting. The beer is a beautiful golden orange color.
It was quite bubbly with a nice start but quite a bitter finish. Overall, I was not impressed. There are certainly better beers in this style.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2005 01:34:51 | More by atigerlife

Bierschenker

Belgium

4.03/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The Julius was served in it's own tulip glass. You get a nice large head that fades slowly.
Julius has a misty dark-orange colour.
The odour is very sour-fruity and I could also discover light malt and sweet-hop. The smell is very overwhelming and aggressive.
It has a bitter taste that reminds of orange peels. Not so very special as that is what the brewery uses to flavour the beer. And a fresh malt taste.
A dry-bitter aftertaste that lingers on for a long time.

Ut Vivat, Crescat, Floreat!

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2005 20:28:14 | More by Bierschenker

cypressbob

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

4.1/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle

Pours with a cloudy tangerine body, some yeasties cloud up things, nice white foamy head

Smell, almonds, lots of them, some booze

Taste, crisp and clean, very strong flavours of vanilla, some nuttiness

A solid belgian pale ale...its pretty hard to find a bad belgian pale ale

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2005 20:43:23 | More by cypressbob

Toddv29424

District of Columbia

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

NOTE: Be sure to spin the bottle around (like the instructions indicate) to release all the sediments on the bottom of the bottle.

This beer smells like the normal Hoegaarden with a fruity hint of grapes added in. Pours a hazy gold-yellow that is much darker than other beers of its kind. The initial taste is of wheat, but grapes are also apparent in the aftertaste. There is much more texture in this beer than many of the Hoegaarden varieties. Any fan of regular Hoegaarden who is looking for a new spin on an old fav will love this.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2005 14:53:02 | More by Toddv29424

Paddez

Belgium

3.38/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy, golden brew with a large, airy head. Lots of lemon and malts. The taste is mild and yet again packed with citrus fruits and malts. There is also some banana near the end. Nothing overly intresting. Mouthfeel is medium with a pretty aggressive carbonation. Drinkablilty is good.

Not all that excited about this one. I wouldn't say it's bad but there are much better beers than this one in the style. Defnitely not the best brew from Hoegaarden.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2004 09:34:31 | More by Paddez

paterlodie

Belgium

3.83/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Normally not a Hoegaarden lover I tried this beer after it had been for far over a year in my cellar.
After this ageing period I couldn't find a big depot so I gave it a try.
Pouring it out Julius gave a very nice head that lasted long but the beer itself wasn't clear, despite the fact that I handeld it with care. Wel after that the smell was Ok, a bit muffy but with lots of malt and even a little (old& new) hops. Drinking it I found out that little hops were a lot and with the maltarome I really enjoyed it.
After the first I decided to take another one to verify the taste so drinkability was ok too. Plesant beer but by far not a Duvel!

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2004 13:22:24 | More by paterlodie

frank4sail

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got this in a mixed gift pack in the Brussles airport.

Huge fluffy airy white head on the pour. Malty corriander sweetish smell in the goblet. Hazy golden color in the glass. The head is just huge. Good lacing as well. Corriander and white pepper dominate the brew upfront. The finishing layer of flavor has slight hints of banana and bubble gum. Quite a smooth mouth with a tongue coating finish. A little too sharp on the tongue and that affects its drinkability. Nice beer though.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2004 01:34:41 | More by frank4sail

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy golden orange colour with a big soft white head. Leaves behind lots of chunky lace. Bright, good looking beer.

Gentle nose, characteristic Belgian aromas, grain and fruit. Pleasant and enticing.

Lots of grain and fruit to taste, good dose of malt, hint of spice. This is also one of the hopiest Belgians I've ever had, more bite and less sweetness than most. Medium bodied, good mouthfeel. Alcohol is warming but well managed in this brew.

A decent beer, might be a good intro to Belgians for someone with a strictly North American palate.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2004 01:35:21 | More by TerryW

chilidog

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Julius pours a nice partly cloudy orange. A nice two inch white head that maintained itself well with lots of lace left behind. A surprise a that due to the beers higher carbonation. The aroma thats given off is fruity citrus with hints of malt. The taste is also of citrus, grain-like dry malt, backed up by the warmth of raw alcohol. A very smooth easy drink. Most likely one at a time for this is a strong yeasty ale. The mouth is left silky smooth at first then a very dry feel lingers on awhile.This one was picked up in England by a friend, another good Hoegaarden!!

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2003 21:30:33 | More by chilidog

Jason

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Presentation: 33 cl slender brown Euro bottle with a drink before date on the back label.

Appearance: Hazy amber orange colour with a thick white lace that does not seem to waver at all. A lively carbonation pushes hard to the top and holds the lace tight.

Smell: Graininess, pear fruitiness and phenols in the nose and not much else.

Taste: Big crisp and biting carbonation with the medium body creates a viscous mouth feel. Lots of grainy and yeasty flavour throughout. Nearly bone dry the malt flavours are grainy with hints of husk. Maltiness is a bit one dimensional with a vague fruitiness tagging along. Alcohol is deceivingly mellow with faded fruity esters. Hop bitterness jumps in with a quick bite as well as a yeast bite. That same yeast bite has a hard time fading into the after taste and lingers for a good while within the dryness.

Notes: Not bad but certainly too yeasty, the bottle conditioning seems to have taken its toll on this dry brew. Worth a try but not something I’d go back to anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2002 20:02:22 | More by Jason

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

quite warming and strong. Still quite nice to drink, like all others from hoegaarden. Not bad a at all.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2002 20:20:43 | More by rastaman