Verboden Vrucht / Fruit Defendu (Forbidden Fruit) - Brouwerij van Hoegaarden

patre_tim

China

4.06/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Half way between dark brown and golden, as though sprite and coke were mixed. Cloudy, no apparent carbonation. 2 fingers of off white head, almost white with a dirty touch of brown watercolour lightly washed in. Great lacing.

S: Smokey, dark fruits, Belgian yeasts much like North American versions of Belgian style yeasts. I am reminded of Unibroue, especially the dark Belgians like La Terrible and 17. Acidic fruit. Pheonols. Some alcohol.

T: Totally follows the nose, but smooth and complex moreso than I expected. Smokey, La Terrible is totally coming to mind, Belgian yeasts like the ones used in North American stains, a hit of fruitiness, then it rounds off. Alcohol present, at 8.5% its well hidden. Pheonols there, especially come in at the end and linger.

M: Medium to heavy, leaning into heavy body but complex, medium amount of foamy bubbles in carbonation.

O: Great Belgian beer, well reminded of Unibroue here in China so I am happy. Complex and unique for what’s available to me, so I would like to try it again. Great by itself.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 14:38:55 | More by patre_tim

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Orange/Chestnut; cloudy with sediment; medium beige head with good lacing

Aroma: Malty; coriander; spiced pear; smells a lot like a Bavarian wheat

Taste: Malty and creamy on start; warming alcohol and dried fruit; a lot like a heavy wheat bock; very smooth, but stout

Remarks: Did not score A, T, S, M at that time; disregard those scores

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 23:09:38 | More by IchLiebeBier

metter98

New York

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: The beer is hazy reddish brown in color. It poured with a finger high off white head that has good retention properties and hardly died down.
S: Aromas of light fruits - apples seem to stand out in particular - along with some notes of spices.
T: The taste is similar to the smell with additional flavors of yeast, dark fruits and subtle bits of initial sweetness. The spices seem a little stronger compared to the smell.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. Slight hints of dryness are perceptible.
O: This beer is rather complex and isn't too difficult to drink because the alcohol is well masked from the taste. It doesn't taste like a pure Belgian Strong Dark Ale and also tastes a little bit like a Belgian Strong Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 15:26:25 | More by metter98

newton99

Belgium

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Hazy orange brown colored with a big lingering fluffy whitish head. Very little lacing.

S - Light spices, apples, pears. Light banana aroma. Much more complex than the traditional Hoegaarden.

F/M - Pleasant bready, sweet pilsner malts. Lots of estery flavors: apples, pears, banana, light cloves. Hints of alcohol. Dry, clean finish. Medium light mouthfeel with moderately high carbonation. Lingering fruity flavor.

O - Tasty, crisp and refreshing, this would be an excellent "imperial" summer beer. Perfect for finishing up yardwork at dusk during the summer.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 09:59:14 | More by newton99

Arno

4.44/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: amber / brown & foggy. Tan head, nice lacing.
S: Sweet, Toffee, dark fruits, dough, belgian yeast and spices.
T: Very smooth and surprisingly fresh followed by the flavors the nose suggests.
M: Creamy, smooth with a medium dry and slightly spicy finish. Medium carbonation.

O: A very well balanced beer. Lovely and complex flavors without making it heavy at all, quite an accomplishment. Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 21:51:41 | More by Arno

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.25/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle served in a snifter glass.

A: Pours a deep amber to brown color with many brown particles floating around. Forms a big bubble tan head when poured. Good retention and many lacings formed and left. A thin layer lasts for long on the top

S: Great nose. Sweet, bready and quite spicy. Notes of toffee, caramel malts, dark fruits like plums and raisins. Brown bread, Belgian yeasts, cloves, wheat

T: Follows the nose. Sweet caramel malts upfront followed by a quite fruity and spicy taste. Notes of plums and raisins. Earthy and bready yeasts. Notes of wheat and cloves. Extremely Belgian Ale. Final is slightly bitter

M: Heavy creamy and a bit molasses body. Medium carbonation. Sweet, bready and slightly bitter aftertaste

O: Excellent Dark Ale. I've had it many times in the past and I hope that I will have it many time in the future too :)

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 11:07:29 | More by eduardolinhalis

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark reddish with lots of sediment. Slightly off-white bubbly head.

S: Sulphur.

T: Immediately reminds me of Schneider Weisse's Tap 5&6 wiezenbocks. Wheaty. Caramel and marzipan. Some phenols. Hint of banana. Also reminds me of Leffe Brun but it's better. Alcohol to sugar balance spot on.

M: A light and creamy emulsion.

O: Underwhelming at first but got much better. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 08:06:33 | More by Hoppsbabo

sfprint

Germany

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

a dark chestnut brown with no rising carbonation, and just a half finger of head. bits of sediment floating about. Very full, pleasantly sweet, dark fruit smell + apricot. A bit of Alcohol tang, a hair tart, but underneath that there's a well built, solid not so sweet dark fruit flavor. Mouth feel is a tart and drying. Overall a nice one.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 02:37:21 | More by sfprint

russwbeck

Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Very hazy red-brown color with a few fingers of light brown head. Great lacing and retention. The label gives this beer a bonus in my book!

S: The aroma is distinctively Belgian, like a dubbel, but with some notes of sweet, light fruit--apples I would assume. Spicy and sweet. The alcohol is masked well.

T: The taste doesn't bring about any surprises, but it is quite nice. Much more apple I would say, but with a rich, dark fruit underbelly. The spices are toned down, but the fruits are very refreshing.

MF: A nice twinge of carbonation rests on the palate. The body is light. This is really drinkable, nicely balanced, and without a note of alcohol. Crisp and refreshing.

O: This was exactly what I wanted it to be. Fruity, Belgian, and a perfect compliment to m dinner. I would get it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 02:20:25 | More by russwbeck

beerpirates

Belgium

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: dark amber color, thick foamy head settles to good layer

S: sweet malts and fruits, spices

T: sweet malts hit right away, hints of yeast, fruits like banana, slight tartness, and almost medicinal spices

M: medium carbonation, pretty good balance, medium body

D: a pretty good beer , certainly one of their better. worth a try

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 09:56:37 | More by beerpirates

eric5bellies

Australia

4.15/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank from my Gulden Draak Tulip. Always nice to revisit old favorites.

A - Pours a red/ruby Brown colour with a two fingered off White head that retains well and laces.

S - Spicy dark fruits and cherries

T - Nice dark fruit notes, with some spice. A little sour mid palate. The end has plenty of fig raisins etc with a decent helping of yeast. A touch boozy on the finish.

M - Medium body and fullish carbonation.

O - I used to drink a lot of this stuff but hadn't had one for around 6 years. I wasn't disappointed. This is a rich brew that offers plenty.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 15:33:23 | More by eric5bellies

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy brown color with an off white head. In the aroma, sweet dark fruit an a small note of alcohol. In the taste, dry dark fruit, especially ripe raisin, and a small alcohol burn. A small bite andmedium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry dark fruit in the aftertaste. Nice dark fruit and alcohol, makes me thing different of Hoegaarden.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 00:54:01 | More by OWSLEY069

LambicKing

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought this bottle at Dranken Geers and poured into my St Bernardus chalice (yeah, big surprise).

A: Pours a deep, dark brown with reddish/copperish hues. Med carb. Off-white head is quickly gone.

S: BREAD. Bread, bread and more bread. After that, I am picking up plum jam, banana bread, vanilla bean (or something very similar and can't place it). EDIT: As it warms and I'm almost done with the beer, I smell cherry/almond (who, chemically, share almost the same aroma).

T: Just like it smells...nice, complex and yeasty.

M: Pretty light on the palate for 9%. Perfect carb, not too prickly.

O: A nice beer...Hoegaarden's best IMO, besides the GC.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 17:59:55 | More by LambicKing

Sunnanek

Sweden

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours murky deep copper with a medium-large off-white head, that sinks slowly into really nice lacings.

S: Molasses and lots of dark dried fruits. Lots of sweet dark malts. Some spices.

T: Bready sweet malt. Lots of dark dried fruits. Some spices, and faint coffee.

M: Long aftertaste, syrupy sweet. Body is full and carbonation mild. The berverage is very smooth.

O: This is very nice. Well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 18:15:39 | More by Sunnanek

rvdoorn

Netherlands

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Look: The beer pours a dark brown color with a nice head
Smell: Malts, barley, caramel, fruits (orange peel and fresh apple), vanila and spicy coriander
Taste: Sweet malts, earthy, vanila, caramel, some hints of chocolate, apricots and alomds. Nice spicy aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation, Medium bodied
Overall: Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 15:06:20 | More by rvdoorn

domtronzero

California

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Hazy orange brown colored with a big lingering fluffy whitish head. Very little lacing.

S - Light spices, apples, pears. Light banana aroma. Much more complex than the traditional Hoegaarden.

F/M - Pleasant bready, sweet pilsner malts. Lots of estery flavors: apples, pears, banana, light cloves. Hints of alcohol. Dry, clean finish. Medium light mouthfeel with moderately high carbonation. Lingering fruity flavor.

O - Tasty, crisp and refreshing, this would be an excellent "imperial" summer beer. Perfect for finishing up yardwork at dusk during the summer.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 05:36:15 | More by domtronzero

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Single bottle from the Bier Markt in downtown Toronto.

Poured into a Unibroue snifter, which I found very appropriate, considering the bottle label reminds me of something Unibroue or Dieu du Ciel would do themselves (or perhaps its the other way round?) A dark, ruddy amber brew, the colour of which reminded me a great deal of black cherries. A fluffy, off-white head sat on top like a generous dollop of ice cream. Good retention on this, lovely lacing as well.

The nose is absolutely invigorating. Plum brandy, black currant, raisins, grape, sugar, only a mild yeastiness. While hardly wallowing in complexity, it certainly is mouthwatering.

The tastes are quite similar as are found in the nose. In addition to black currant and raisin, I'm also picking up sherry, a bit of chocolate and malt. Very tasty indeed. Except for the sweet wine/sherry flavors, the alcohol is marvelously difficult to detect.

Forbidden Fruit is undoubtedly sweet, almost cloyingly so, but it works tremendously well as a dessert beer. More than a bottle at a time would be far too much, but a nice snifter enjoyed with cheese or cake would be excellent. In my case, since it possessed so many similarities to a sweet port or a sherry, some Stilton cheese and crackers cut through the sweetness brilliantly, making for a great food pairing.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 06:50:46 | More by JohnnyBarman

beerdrifter

Germany

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up at my favorite Belgian super market. Cloudy rusty brown pour with big two finger head, nice lacing and decent retention. Spicy dark fruits and sweet malts dominate the nose with a hint of metal and cherries. The taste starts off as a pretty typical Belgian bruin, but gets more complex with a nice slightly sour fruitiness. Also getting some caramel, prunes, rasins, bread, and a touch of metal. You definitely have to let this open up a bit. It was a bit fizzy at first, but really smoothed out as it warmed. The alcohol is fairly well hidden, but it's still a little bit boozey. I'm usually not a fan of sweet beers, but this one pulls it off nicely without crushing the drinkability. Very unique and tasty!

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 16:07:17 | More by beerdrifter

atis

Finland

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours murky dark brown with large almost white head and sticky and generous lacing. Aroma is sweet caramel malt with dried fruit, spice and a touch of alcohol.

Taste is rich and complex - gentle malt, caramel, mild spices, fruity alcohol and yeast - quite subtle and nothing in excess. Mouthfeel is soft creamy with pleasant warming feeling, slightly prickly carbonation.

The perfect brew for snowy, cold and dark winter evening to be sitting inside and enjoying nice flavours of Verboden Vrucht.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 16:21:56 | More by atis

StephenRich

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Brought to you by the makers of Hoegaarden,a Benlgian beer with more life and character than I have ever experienced in a Hoegaarden. De Verboden Vrucht translates to the forbidden fruit, as it is well depicted on the beers label. I ran into this beer accidentally yesterday when out for lunch with friend. The beer menu listed many delicious brews, but this was shown to be one of the last few bottles that they had, and I also hadn't heard of the beer before.

Its description in the menu as a Spicy Belgian Brown ale at 8.5% abv was enough to coerce me into trying it, plus I thought it would go well with my braised beef shank lunch.

The bottle also has a best before date listed on the back as March 2008; as a bottle conditioned beer, I expect this was a bottle at least older than 2007, perhaps even back to 2005. Just my luck!

You should have seen the sediment dancing in this beer. Wow. It was poured for me appropriately in a wide chalice, and before it was even handed to me I could see the specks of sediment plastered throughout the entire beer! I know some may think its gross, but to me it just shows more rich and deep flavor complexity.

The beer itself was a deep hazy brown. It had shades of burnt amber touching the edges, but it most closely resembled and old brown brick. There was nothing modern about this beer; it was muddy and completely opaque - it was old world, just the way I wanted it. A nice frothy one inch head build atop the beer an a medium dense tan to cream colored foam with streaks of dust (sediment) lined everywhere throughout it.

The nose was quite delectable - mellow sweet touches of caramel malt, hints of earth, yeast and soft dark fruit. It showed traces of mulled spices, dried fruit, lightly roasted malt, and a warm funk which I can only describe as age. There really was a lot of character pouring out from this beer. It did not tell me that it was brewed in a state of the art facility and pasteurized to remain clean. It shouted "I was crafted by some old man's hands and remain in this bottle the way I came out of the fermenter". Awesome.

Thankfully it was served to me at the proper temperature at cellar around 12C (54F). Cold would have muted to many flavors. This beer was ready to be enjoyed! I opened my palate to it, and it poured over me gently and wrapped its grip around my entire mouth. Soft earthy malts, caramel and biscuit, faint traces of yeast an funk, mashed bananas, and mulled spices gently - and I mean very gently - washed over my tongue and caressed my cheeks. It was so elegant right away completely taking me by surprise. I was expecting something sharper, but this beer has minimal carbonation by now, is soft and delicate, and glides so effortlessly on the palate.

As I focused, cherries and figs begin to arise, so does notes of red grapes without the peel, more earth, hay field, soft malts, creamy toffee and almost vanilla. It was soft and soothing with sweet and savory characteristics. The mouthfeel was perfect for this beer. It felt authentic. I really did feel like an old man who had been brewing since the '60s made this in a field in his back yard.

The finish was softly dry, a touch quenching and very appetizing. Hope were only lightly noticeable with a soft and delicate herbal and slightly floral waft hidden under the malt. A touch of bitter came in towards the end, but was very mild. It was an excellent match for the umami sweet and savory flavors of the beef. Really overall a fantastic example of old world brewing at its best. Fully complex with no regard for modern tastes, just pure and unadulterated flavor boating from real malts, real hops, and real yeast. I will be hunting for more of these bottles.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 18:37:50 | More by StephenRich

Chambic

California

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This review is on a 10-year-old bottle. Preceding the "Best by" date of 03.07.00 is the Flemish phrase, "Tenminste houdbaar tot ende," along with its French counterpart, "À consommer de préférence avant."

A: deep, dark ruby

S: dark, ripe fruit and toffee

T: the fruit seems more pronounced, probably from the age, but not in a bad way

M: airy and fluffy, it floats over the tongue like heaven

D: pretty good after some serious aging

Notes from 02.14.10 at Akkurat in Stockholm

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2010 22:56:37 | More by Chambic

benfons

Belgium

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

33cl bottle ABV 8,5

A: Orange-brown with a medium that head that sacks pretty fast, but leaves a decent amount.

S: Fruits: mainly cherries, but also berries and apple. Some spices.

T: The fruits and spices return, but there's also a slight coffee flavour.

M/D: A bit soapy, alcohol level is correct and carbonation is ok. Obviuosly it's a heavy beer but it's really drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2010 21:48:05 | More by benfons

akenethon

Germany

3.53/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: looks like dunkelweizen, but not so much foam
S: smell of hops and a little bit alcohol, hint of milk chocholate
T: somewhat nutty and aromatic taste, slightly sweet. light bitter aftertaste
M: light mouthfeel, not so full and creamy.
D: drinkable, but not exceptional

In general, this is a good beer but the taste is somewhat deviod of character. Similar to leffe blonde in that it reminds me of that "beer for masses" taste belgian style. For this style and at this price level and availability I would rather go for leffe brown, but this is not an average beer either.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2010 19:33:33 | More by akenethon

EPICAC

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a cloudy, reddish brown, and is topped by a fluffy, beige head that had small flecks in it, and left decent lace. The aroma is quite varied. There are notes of cherry, dark fruit, caramel, and slight notes of medicinal phenols.

This beer is well attenuated upfront, but quickly moves into a sweet center with notes of cherry and dark fruit. The finish was slightly medicinal. This beer is medium-bodied, well carbonated, and slightly dry in the finish.

Overall this beer was decent, a bit sweet overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2010 02:09:42 | More by EPICAC

CaptainPiret

Tennessee

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 33cl into a Verboden Vrucht glass I picked up at the Hoegaarden brewery (I recommend taking the self-guided tour if you're out there ... it's cheap and finishes with a glass and beer of your choice).

Cloudy, dark maroon color, but didn't seem to be very aromatic (though I have a slight cold). Tastes of fig with a slight fruity sweetness that gives way to bitter finish -- the alcohol is noticeable here.

Really, really like this beer. I wish it was as readily available in the states as Hoegaarden is.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2010 15:58:45 | More by CaptainPiret