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

DV8HARD

Florida

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

I served it into a Pilsener glass from the bottle. I actually wasn't going try this beer, I asked a friend who was going to the liquor store to get me another beer but, she mistakenly brought this one. Nevertheless, I'm glad she did.

Again, like other high content Belgian beers this one started bursting in bubbles after I opened it. The head has a very nice light brown color. The beer it self is also brown but, dark and hazy. It didn't stick as much as I thought it would.

Taste wise, it is very fruity and complex. I got a hint of prune which seemed unusual. I don't like how the alcohol masks the taste of the beer in these strong Ales.

I would recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2009 01:19:47 | More by DV8HARD

laituegonflable

Australia

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a burnished orange colour with a lot of haze and floaties in the glass. Beige, sticky head with a few large bubbles, clings to the glass beautifully. Lacing is just as nice, maybe a bit less sticky. Powerful good.

Nose is insanely fruity with very, very sweet strawberry and blackcurrant aromas, a tangy tartness as well, almost like sherbet. A very light woodiness and a hint of grain, but it's dominated almost entirely by that fruit. Pleasant indeed, but maybe a bit too sweet. I would love my fruit bowl to smell like this instead of like rotting carbon matter and fly shit, but beer is something I like a bit more grounded.

Taste is a lot more musty, with a distinct bitterness coming through on the mid. Front is still dominated by that pleasant berry fruit, but the mid ventures into phenolic and oak resin territory, with a fair boozey character as well and a light carbolic tart edge. Lots of character throughout the palate though, with tart socialising with dank, and slightly roasted breaking bread with syrupy sweet. Overall it's a bit of a hodge-podge with no distinct profile, but it's definitely a swinger's party for flavours and I love what's nude hot-tubbing in my mouth.

Feel is slick but syrupy with a lot of texture from the yeast and a really delightful pang of alcohol just at the back. This is quite a tasty gang-bang, and I look forward to seeing the video going viral on my favourite beer-porn channel.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2009 00:52:31 | More by laituegonflable

TubaManJack

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

An interesting 330ml bottle with some classical Renaissance artwork. Poured into a sniffer. A best by date of Sept 2009.

Appearance- Quite a gusher. Once the top was propped the hiss of carbonation turned into a tan bubbling monster. Apparently I had upset the beer gods despite not shaking/dropping/offending the bottle. A quick pour limited the amount of beer split on the table. After the initial furry stopped I slowly poured the rest of the beer. The deep amber brown body was topped with a tan head of large bubbles and a fair amount of carbonation was present in the body.
Smell- A full nose of malt, yeast/traditional bottle conditioning, and dried sweet fruit. Yes Marmite, a tasty yeast spread. A fair dose of dates, raisins, and prunes. Although there are not strong aromas they are present to the same extent as the lime/lemon in Sprite.
Taste- A fair bit of sweetness mixed with a strong bitter malt base. A calamity of tastes. The taste is similar to the nose with a fair bit of dried fruit and dark roasted malts
Mouthfeel-A full medium body. A very smooth body. Proper carbonation
Drinkability- Pretty good, although not really my cup of tea. Its a good brew but it just didn't work for me. Pick up a bottle when it goes on sale.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2009 02:53:52 | More by TubaManJack

TheSarge

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured this one into a Chimay chalice. This is quite a bubbly bottle conditioned brew, with lots of yeast left on the bottom of the bottle. Lots of carbonation with a beautiful 2 finger thick head. The body is very hazy with hints of golden amber on the edges of the glass.

Aroma is very fruity and wine like, including lots of ester fragrances of cherries and a mild malty backbone.

The taste is quite unique. The cherry qualities are there, but a faint vanilla follow-up occurs towards the end.

A full bodied brew, but quite refreshing. There is a slight boozy warmness; however, this doesn't keep the brew from leaving the palate wet.

This is one complex brew, and quite enjoyable. My wife even liked it and I'd buy this again anytime.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 06:55:49 | More by TheSarge

lamarr04

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330 ml bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a dark brown with big fluffy off-white head. Leaves big patches of lacing down the glass.

S: Nose is lots of big ripe fruit. Followed by some yeast sourness.

T: Wow. Very complex brew. Lots of sweetness from the malt yeast sourness towards the back. Some earthy notes underneath as well as some coriander.

M: Smooth full mouthfeel. Medium body with light carbonation and a slick finish.

D: I dunno. You would think a strong complex beer like this would be a sipper, but this one is not. I bought four for a pretty good price. May go back to get some more.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2009 05:04:12 | More by lamarr04

SleepyMonk

Australia

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Chilled 33cl bottle poured into a tulip glass

Pours very dark with sediment sinking to the bottom of the glass. Holds a reasonable amount of head and sticky lacing.

Aroma is thick with dark fruits however it is a little subtle compared to similar beers.

It is the taste where this beer makes its mark. A complex palate soaked with those "fruits of the forest" or "Black Forest Cake" like characteristics. Creamy chocolate an malt hide below the surface of all that dark fruit and a mild degree of herbal spice with an emphasis on coriander sits comfortable amongst the dominant flavors.

The massive introduction of fruit eventually gives way to a sticky aftertaste and a very warm finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2009 16:02:16 | More by SleepyMonk

endovelico

Portugal

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

Poured into a wine glass. Taken from notes. Best before date of 2010.

Appearance: Thick white pillowy head. Muddy reddish brown brick color. Good lacing. Unperceived effervescence.

Aroma: Black currant / strawberry upfront. Medium high intensity. Slight clove. No hop aroma, unless there's some bullion on there ;) Grapy. Slight "sour" smell. strong alcohol smell. Nutty. Alcohol / Fusels.

Taste: Malty. Fuselly, caramel. Strawberry and currant. sight tartness. Cinnamon spiciness. Slightly nutty and toasty character. Yeast earthiness.

Palate: Medium high body. Finishes sweet. low carbonation (could be due to higher temperature though). low bitterness. slight burnt astringency.

Drinkability: sweet but not cloying. Digestible but not thin. good representation of the style. More of a ripe fruit variation rather than the typical full bodied grapy/plummy/candy sugar variation.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2009 23:36:57 | More by endovelico

Macca

Australia

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

This looked amazing coming out of the bottle. So thick.

A murky browny/red colour. Thick head.

Very dominant grain aroma some dark fruits as well and esters.

A bit murky on the flavour front. Some caramel in there along with those dark fruits still. A little alcohol warmth.

Creamy mouthfeel.

Not overwhelmed.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2009 08:27:16 | More by Macca

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clouded dark browb with a nice creme head. Flavor is fairly hearty with darker sweet tones. Mature fruit tones. Hearty yes, though not severely complex. I dig it though. Feel is smooth on liquid. Carbonation is fairly vibrant. Man. Who needs the regular Hoegaarden when you've got this and the Grand Cru. The Speciale is waiting in my fridge and I am looking forward to trying that one too.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2009 01:08:08 | More by RblWthACoz

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Earthy brown hazy pour with medium cream head, which lasts right to the finish.
Sweet, musty aroma, with subtle alcohol kick in the background. Hints of straw, and possibly brown sugar.
Definate alcohol taste, with a very delicate bittersweet finish. Doughy flavour, slight cream and banana notes. Heat from high alcohol present. Rich creamy body with mild carbonation.
Lovely combination of flavours and aromas, although the alcohol does become slightly overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2009 00:16:26 | More by CrazyDavros

goblet

New Jersey

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

poured this into a goblet from a bottle.

A, an amber orange brown it looks cloudy with yeast bits and low carbonation ,lite foam ,leaves little to no lacing.

S, fruity apple and pears,yeast and malt maybe some fresh plums .

T,mild and fruity with yeast smooth hops and malt it seems true to it`s name truly fabulous forbidden fruits .

M,smooth rich yeast , nothing over whelming on the sweet side although the fruityness is evident and covered alcohol.

D,this is very drinkable like a fruity malty juice and yeast . i like this i can have this regularly.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2009 15:37:04 | More by goblet

madvoice

Australia

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

Poured a rich reddy brown in colour with a thick foamy head that lasted quite a while and left lacing down the glass. Smelled of ripe pears.

Tasted subtly sweet with malty notes and a gentle bite.

Full bodied mouthfeel which finishes smooth.

Very very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2009 08:56:22 | More by madvoice

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

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

GLASS: Goblet
TEMP: Cellared @ approx 50 degrees
BEST BEFORE: 19/09/09

Nice, dark-ish copper color with a ruby tint. One-finger head of creamy white foam that leaves a nice layer of cream floating atop the liquid. Lacing is okay.

Smells like booze infused dark fruits. Cherries, mostly, with some plums and peaches thrown in. Some nice caramel malt notes. Butterey brown sugar. Hints of light spiciness.

Dark fruits that have been lightly dipped in a butterey-sugar glaze. Plums are the dominant ones, here. Nice hints of toasted malts, way in the background.
This is actually a very well-balanced beer. I expected it to be more fruity, honestly. I am pleasantly surprised.

Medium body. Nice and creamy, which benefits the style. Smooth.

Very drinkable. Give me a six-pack of these and I'll show you. It's just tasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2009 21:47:19 | More by coldmeat23

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served at 55º. Here's another overly sweet smelling beer. There's also some barn-like aromas. My notes say that this beer tasted both sweet and dry. It starts sugary but quickly gives way to a bitter aftertaste from the hop--the finish has little sweetness to it. Like many Belgians, this beer has a thick, rich body with a low level of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2009 00:10:33 | More by smcolw

Clubchat

Quebec (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Trèfle Irlandais de Trois-Rivières

A - Dark amber color, fabulous foamy head, nice carbonation
S - Sweet malts, fruits (cherry, peach), spices
T - Taste like it smells, sweet malts, yeast, red fruits and vineous, spices
M - Well equilibrated, medium body
D - Pretty good beer, the Hoegaarden Grand Cru was a little bit better than that one for me, worth a try

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2008 14:40:28 | More by Clubchat

WHROO

Australia

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

Poured into a snifter...burgundy red, with a fair dose of sediment. Nice 2 finger head, with good head retention.
This was an overall enjoyable ale...aroma was inviting - fruity, some plum & a little spice.
The taste lived up to the aroma, sweet malts, nice spices (cloves, coriander) & a little peppery. Not much bitterness detected.
Creamy, & easy, but I did get an warm alcohol kick from it...could definately detect the 9%ABV.
Mouthfeel for such a heavy drop was very good, not too sweet, not too spicey (but very alcoholy)...I definately wanted more...bewdiful drop.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2008 08:57:34 | More by WHROO

philipquarles

Massachusetts

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

Pours a nice dark amber brown with a frothy off-white head. Pretty decent retention and lots of lacing.

Smells of caramelized sugar, prunes, and malt. Continues on the pallet. The malt comes out more and the roasty character becomes more evident. Lots of sugar still present.

Pretty good, thick body that coats the mouth. Pretty drinkable overall, but a bit too sweet for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2008 19:27:35 | More by philipquarles

Brianmerrilyn

New York

4.68/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Found this in the middle of the shelves at a supermarket in La Cruz near the border of Costa Rica and Nicuragua. 7oz bottle if I recollect correctly, as I was more than happy to have a real Belgian after knockin' down local lagers.

A: Poured dark red and brown creamy head into mini pint glass provided by the villa. big tough head breaking into big circles and impressive lacing with long strands sinking down vertically.

S: Nose is full of dark fruit(cherry/berry) and yeast

T: Sweet and suculent. Bitterness blunted by the sweetmalts and hops and balancing out perfectly with each finish.

M: Rather thick at first then moving to smooth medium and the carbonation fading away after five minutes or so.

D: One of the best beers I've had and made me smile wide and high. Very fruity and interesting take on the style, Hoegaarden has done well ont his one.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2008 02:37:15 | More by Brianmerrilyn

garcia2a

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this tasty with ggaughan in downtwon Strassen.

This beer poured a dark ruby color, nicely cloudy with a nice lacing head and low carbonation.

The nose has pleasant sweet malt and a weird peaty hint. This translated nicely to the taste as there was a nice maly bite, powdery yeast and a orange/lemon/apricot cirtus back taste that lingered for a few seconds post sip.

The body is slightly lighter than the appearance and nose would let on. This is easy on the palate, non-filling after the first and just a nice drinking experience.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2008 17:22:11 | More by garcia2a

Georgiabeer

Georgia

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

Poured from a bottle shared at a BA tasting at the Brick Store Pub. Perhaps supplied by OskarBamaBlues? In any case, I was happy to try it and had been interested in this beer for a long while, so I took my sample off tto a corrner and contemplated it. Poured a dark amber with a very lively head that stuck around. The aroma conisited chiefly of a light, brigght, fruitiness- perhaps passion fruit? The taste had a hay-like flavor like the smell of good clean straw might taste and more of that tantalizing bright fruit. Very floral and delicate and not laser-like like one of the New Glarus fruit brews, noree sour like a real lambic, nor sweet and popsicle-like like one of the pretend lambics. Very smooth in the mouth, and quitee intteresting. Thanks so much for the opportunity!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2008 15:40:22 | More by Georgiabeer

TheEremite

California

2.3/5  rDev -41%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I had high hopes for this beer. It poured a muddy brown with a small white head and tons of yeast chunk debris. Very ugly. It smells of spicy and fruit aromas with some slight funk. It tastes like oxidized bad homebrew. I don't know if I got a bad bottle, but this was a dumper. I'll have to try it again if I can find another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2008 23:07:55 | More by TheEremite

jenitivecase

Kansas

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

0,33l bottle poured into a chalice.

A: dark amber orange, lots of floaties, pours a moderate head which lessens but doesn't completely dissipate.

S: fruity; predominate notes of peach, apricot, cherry, some berries, slight woodiness.

T: light & fruity, but the alcohol taste is too prevalent and lends a sharp bite to the taste.

M: fluid and slightly oily; lingers on the tongue, but goes down smooth, especially given the alcohol content.

D: I wouldn't say no to another one of these, but I wouldn't necessarily go in for a second of these instead of something else.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2008 01:36:35 | More by jenitivecase

ATPete

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

33cl bottle purchased at a bodega in Brussels, Belgium.

*the label reads 8.5% alcohol, BA has it listed at 9...

A- Hazy orange amber, some floaties, not much of a head.

S- Enormous nose to this one, tons of fruit; cherries, peaches, raisons, and lots of spice, nutmeg, all spice and other belgian spices.

T- Dominately malts, no solid hop character, more fruit notes like that mentioned in the nose, slightly tart, some cinnamon and more spice pokes through, nice after taste, the high alcohol works wonders with the general taste of this brew from Hoegaarden.

M- Medium to heavy mouthfeel, some tannin and pretty warming due to the 8.5%

D- the overall complexity is amazing! this is something i would grab a bunch of for maturing purposes...

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2008 13:16:34 | More by ATPete

mooseisloose

Florida

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

Smell is malty and chicory-like. Pours to a golden light rootbeer color with a huge head. First taste is very malty and thick like a milkshake. Head really stays. Following malt is a slight herbal spiciness. Carbonation is good. The high AC is hardly evident and is really masked by the thickness of this brew. A delicious brew with drinkability only limited by the high AC content that can sneak up on you. As a note the AC was listed on the bottle as 8.5%.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2008 01:39:11 | More by mooseisloose

ggaughan

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer poured a deep amber color with a thick tan head that lasts for awhile and gave way to a nice ring around the edges and impressive lacing. The nose had scotchy and sweet notes, pleasing. The taste was pleasantly scotchy, malty sweet. There were also noticable citrus tones and a hot feeling from the alcohol levels. The beer was rounded out by a nice bitterness on the tongue. A well rounded beer and probably the best from Hoegaarden.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2008 11:57:34 | More by ggaughan