Being a fan of ale over lager, I thought a bottle of Kölsch might be a treat for me. Unlike the majority of its German bretheren, Kölsch is fermented with a 'top fermenting' yeast like bitter, stout and pale ale is. This is a completely different strain of brewing yeast and behaves, and of course, tastes different. The German standard 'Lager' yeast, or Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis, is as clean as a whistle and lets the malt and hops provide flavour. I personally like some flavour contribution from the yeast so thought that Kölsch might just be the German beer for me.
There wasn't a choice of Kölsch in the Real Ale Shop in Richmond where I bought this round of beer from but that's not too much of an issue; the fact that they've got one was fine by me. Plus, they're jolly nice in there. Sünner Kölsch, it was then.
Standing in a typical 500ml German-style bottle with a green label, it looks as uninspiring as they get. However, I've come accustomed to Germany's perfunctory presentation and shall try and move on. What I didn't have was a special Kölsch glass: thin, straight and fairly short (200ml). My aunt is married to a chap from Köln and at barbecues will sometimes bring mini kegs of Kölsch, which he insists is drunk in the correct glass. I found the thinnest glass I could.
Poured, the beer is as pale, sparkling and bright as they come and is typical of the style. Aromatically, there are elements of honey but surprisingly no hop aromas to speak of. It wasn't giving a lot away.
The flavour is what I'd call flat, but probably should be described as 'crisp' or 'clean'. Nothing comes forward and announces itself, apart from Plisner malt, which is fairly bland in flavour. The Kölsch yeast has no fruit flavours or spiciness; I'm sure they're very different but on first critical sampling I can't see much differing from lager yeast.
After swallowing, there is an interesting tang, opposed to the usual slow introduction of bitterness. Whilst not being sour, it's got an element of that about it. There is enough sweetness to make it pleasant to drink and it's very nicely carbonated. Other than that, there's very little else to say about it.
There are those who enjoy a clean, crisp and refreshing beer and there's nothing wrong with that. They'll probably shudder at the thought of yeast dominating a beer's flavour. For those, this beer will be perfect. In my personal opinion, I find this beer erring on the insipid side. I hope to find joy in my next Kölsch glass. At least I know someone to ask...
Sünner Kölsch - 5
http://www.suenner-brauerei.de/koelsch.html
Monday 25 June 2012
Saturday 16 June 2012
Continued adventures in Germany...
I was feeling a little but apprehensive after my first beer in my bunch; was it going to be too much to follow? The following two beers, Ayinger's Jahrehundert Helles and Tucher's Christmas beer (yeah, odd timing but hey) both were pleasingly sweet with a sophisticated hop profile and confirmed that my new drinking adventures were going to be enjoyable. My focus, however, now turns to the dopplebock in the fridge.
Kloster Andech's Dopplebock was looking like my sort of beer: dark and coming in at 7.1% with promise of a big malt character. Not to mention the strong ties it has with a monastery. Those dudes know how to brew.
Once poured, I could see that it was indeed dark with a rich, ruby tint. There wasn't much of a head to speak of, but with force carbonated beers it less of an issue; the fizz is there.
Aromatically speaking, this is a beer that keeps on giving. With burnt elements that reminded me of treacle and maltiness bursting through, it was a treat for my nose. What I enjoyed was the fact that it differed so much in character to a Belgian Dubbel yet had all the same aspects involved. It just goes to show how much the yeast gives a beer; the German lager yeasts are as clean as a whistle staying well out of the way, whilst their Belgian cousins work their merry way throughout a beer's flavour and scent.
Once in the mouth there begins to be a few deficiencies. It's quite lacking in body and I feel that the fizz doesn't help. As I said, it's clearly fizzy but there's something about the character of the bubbles that doesn't help with the texture. I might be romanticising the natural qualities of bottle conditioning but in my experience (and I hate to say it, but particularly with Belgian beer) there can often be a much richer, smooth distribution of bubbles with natural carbonation. In turn, this of course assists the texture.
Usually, I wouldn't be so critical but the aroma gave such promise of what was to come and I feel it slightly let itself down. The shortcomings don't end there; the finish is a little disappointing too. It's a rather disparate affair with bitterness and sweetness both in play, which is good, but they're not really 'as one'. The bitterness is very sharp and the sweetness very mellow but the lack of cohesion between the two leaves a funny sensation.
It's a little bit of a shame as I was really excited about this beer, particularly so once I'd had a whiff of its prodigal scent but it fell short. Not drastically short, mind you - I would happily have it again - but it could have been better.
Kloster Andechs Dopplebock - 7.5
http://www.andechs.de/kloster-andechs/die-klosterbrauerei/genuss-fuer-leib-seele-andechser-bierspezialitaeten/andechser-doppelbock-dunkel.html (German only).
Kloster Andech's Dopplebock was looking like my sort of beer: dark and coming in at 7.1% with promise of a big malt character. Not to mention the strong ties it has with a monastery. Those dudes know how to brew.
Once poured, I could see that it was indeed dark with a rich, ruby tint. There wasn't much of a head to speak of, but with force carbonated beers it less of an issue; the fizz is there.
Aromatically speaking, this is a beer that keeps on giving. With burnt elements that reminded me of treacle and maltiness bursting through, it was a treat for my nose. What I enjoyed was the fact that it differed so much in character to a Belgian Dubbel yet had all the same aspects involved. It just goes to show how much the yeast gives a beer; the German lager yeasts are as clean as a whistle staying well out of the way, whilst their Belgian cousins work their merry way throughout a beer's flavour and scent.
Once in the mouth there begins to be a few deficiencies. It's quite lacking in body and I feel that the fizz doesn't help. As I said, it's clearly fizzy but there's something about the character of the bubbles that doesn't help with the texture. I might be romanticising the natural qualities of bottle conditioning but in my experience (and I hate to say it, but particularly with Belgian beer) there can often be a much richer, smooth distribution of bubbles with natural carbonation. In turn, this of course assists the texture.
Usually, I wouldn't be so critical but the aroma gave such promise of what was to come and I feel it slightly let itself down. The shortcomings don't end there; the finish is a little disappointing too. It's a rather disparate affair with bitterness and sweetness both in play, which is good, but they're not really 'as one'. The bitterness is very sharp and the sweetness very mellow but the lack of cohesion between the two leaves a funny sensation.
It's a little bit of a shame as I was really excited about this beer, particularly so once I'd had a whiff of its prodigal scent but it fell short. Not drastically short, mind you - I would happily have it again - but it could have been better.
Kloster Andechs Dopplebock - 7.5
http://www.andechs.de/kloster-andechs/die-klosterbrauerei/genuss-fuer-leib-seele-andechser-bierspezialitaeten/andechser-doppelbock-dunkel.html (German only).
Wednesday 30 May 2012
New Horizons
It's pretty clear to see that when it comes to beer-producing countries I'm pretty biased towards Belgium. It's what I've mainly drunk for the last 10 years and it continues to delight me with its beer, but the time's come to branch out. If there's one country that I've scandalously ignored, it's Germany, which leaves me a rather large task. I've never drank an Altbier and the only Bock I've had is from Schlenkerla (which for those who don't know is completely drowned in beech smoke flavour).
So a trip to a decent local offy has furnished me with a few new things to try. He apologised that he was currently under stocked but there was still a fair bit on offer. The first thing that struck me was that pretty much every brewery in Germany has exactly the same idea of what a bottle of beer should look like. So, a lot of close inspection was needed to find the styles.
I started with a Helles from Allgäuer, called 'Original'. It was brewed to celebrate their 100th anniversary and came in a swing top bottle (great to reuse when homebrewing). I actually opened this one first because it looked like the bottle had been reused one too many times and there was a bit of leakage due to a duff lid. So much for reusing on the homebrew!
For a lager-sceptic like me, starting off on a flat beer was asking for trouble, but I did my best. I can't obviously comment on the head but the colour was interesting: darker than your usual pale-straw (dehydrated pee, anyone?) but as clear as Mother Theresa's conscience. It'd certainly been through the filter once or twice.
I was really hoping I'd love this beer, but at the same time had a horrible feeling that lager might not be my thing. As soon as I took a sniff I was happy I'd taken a chance. It was full of sweet maltiness (very mild, mind) and lots of noble hops. Hops are clearly fashionable at the moment, but not your old fashioned German ones, which are very special. The outstanding character of this beer, however, was sweetness: I was at home!
Even though it was completely flat it was very palatable. All the fruity honey flavours and sweetness made me reach for more. Thankfully it wasn't too much. It wasn't necessarily balanced by bitterness, it was just a steady amount that didn't ever become thick in the mouth.
Aftertaste-wise it was a similar story. There was a consistently sweet, honey flavour complemented by fruity and mildly herbal hops. Whilst there wasn't any real bitterness as such, there must be some there to keep the sweetness in check, otherwise it'd be pretty heavy going.
It shows that with 100 years' experience Allgäuer has learnt that you only need to do one or two things really well in order to have a great product. I'm sure that down the line there'll be other German beers that do a couple of simple things well that I may not find so tasty but this one has made me very excited about finding out.
Allgäuer Original "100 Jahre" 4.9% - 9
http://www.allgaeuer-brauhaus.de/100jahre/index.html
So a trip to a decent local offy has furnished me with a few new things to try. He apologised that he was currently under stocked but there was still a fair bit on offer. The first thing that struck me was that pretty much every brewery in Germany has exactly the same idea of what a bottle of beer should look like. So, a lot of close inspection was needed to find the styles.
I started with a Helles from Allgäuer, called 'Original'. It was brewed to celebrate their 100th anniversary and came in a swing top bottle (great to reuse when homebrewing). I actually opened this one first because it looked like the bottle had been reused one too many times and there was a bit of leakage due to a duff lid. So much for reusing on the homebrew!
For a lager-sceptic like me, starting off on a flat beer was asking for trouble, but I did my best. I can't obviously comment on the head but the colour was interesting: darker than your usual pale-straw (dehydrated pee, anyone?) but as clear as Mother Theresa's conscience. It'd certainly been through the filter once or twice.
I was really hoping I'd love this beer, but at the same time had a horrible feeling that lager might not be my thing. As soon as I took a sniff I was happy I'd taken a chance. It was full of sweet maltiness (very mild, mind) and lots of noble hops. Hops are clearly fashionable at the moment, but not your old fashioned German ones, which are very special. The outstanding character of this beer, however, was sweetness: I was at home!
Even though it was completely flat it was very palatable. All the fruity honey flavours and sweetness made me reach for more. Thankfully it wasn't too much. It wasn't necessarily balanced by bitterness, it was just a steady amount that didn't ever become thick in the mouth.
Aftertaste-wise it was a similar story. There was a consistently sweet, honey flavour complemented by fruity and mildly herbal hops. Whilst there wasn't any real bitterness as such, there must be some there to keep the sweetness in check, otherwise it'd be pretty heavy going.
It shows that with 100 years' experience Allgäuer has learnt that you only need to do one or two things really well in order to have a great product. I'm sure that down the line there'll be other German beers that do a couple of simple things well that I may not find so tasty but this one has made me very excited about finding out.
Allgäuer Original "100 Jahre" 4.9% - 9
http://www.allgaeuer-brauhaus.de/100jahre/index.html
Sunday 20 May 2012
Petrus: A Love Affair
This post comes under the unofficial 'Personal Faves' series that will pop up from time to time. Who knows when the next will appear? Who knows how many personal favourites I have? I'll check next time I speak to myself.
I should be more specific: whilst my wife and I know exactly what we mean by 'Petrus', it's actually Petrus Dubbel Bruin. Bavik brewery produce 6 in the Petrus range, including Oud Bruin (a curious, sour, oak-aged number), but this is a stand-out bottle we buy again and again.
Uncommonly, I must point out initially how cheap this beer is; at £2 a bottle online this is a factor that becomes impossible to ignore as some of the beers that I'm drinking exceed £4 per bottle. When you're getting a case of 24 it matters! Whilst this inevitably means that Bavik are churning swimming pools of the stuff, it's no bad thing if it all tastes great. One of its strong points is how consistent it is.
I surprise myself again as I tell you this is no complex beer; it's fairly straightforward in fact. It's one of the palest Dubbels you'll find, just about knocking on amber's door. Scent-wise, there's a strong caramel aroma with some gentle hops peeping out from behind. It's not particularly malty which is surprising; it's just got a charming sweetness about it.
The taste is a similar story, dominated by the caramel flavour. The aftertaste is inevitably sweet, with those hops just returning to provide a bitter balance. Some, I'm sure, would find it a little sweet but I return to it again and again, enjoying it every time.
If I had to have a criticism (which I suppose I should) is that the flavour is slightly too reliant on candi sugar (an invert sugar often used in Belgium). However, saying that, if you're a fan of Belgian Dubbels and haven't tried this classic then it's time to find your nearest stockist or get online. Sip, say yum, thank me.
Petrus Dubbel Bruin 8.5
http://bavik.be/producten/index.asp?ITEM_ID=7&PRODUCT_ID=26&PRODUCT_TYPE_ID=11
I should be more specific: whilst my wife and I know exactly what we mean by 'Petrus', it's actually Petrus Dubbel Bruin. Bavik brewery produce 6 in the Petrus range, including Oud Bruin (a curious, sour, oak-aged number), but this is a stand-out bottle we buy again and again.
Uncommonly, I must point out initially how cheap this beer is; at £2 a bottle online this is a factor that becomes impossible to ignore as some of the beers that I'm drinking exceed £4 per bottle. When you're getting a case of 24 it matters! Whilst this inevitably means that Bavik are churning swimming pools of the stuff, it's no bad thing if it all tastes great. One of its strong points is how consistent it is.
I surprise myself again as I tell you this is no complex beer; it's fairly straightforward in fact. It's one of the palest Dubbels you'll find, just about knocking on amber's door. Scent-wise, there's a strong caramel aroma with some gentle hops peeping out from behind. It's not particularly malty which is surprising; it's just got a charming sweetness about it.
The taste is a similar story, dominated by the caramel flavour. The aftertaste is inevitably sweet, with those hops just returning to provide a bitter balance. Some, I'm sure, would find it a little sweet but I return to it again and again, enjoying it every time.
If I had to have a criticism (which I suppose I should) is that the flavour is slightly too reliant on candi sugar (an invert sugar often used in Belgium). However, saying that, if you're a fan of Belgian Dubbels and haven't tried this classic then it's time to find your nearest stockist or get online. Sip, say yum, thank me.
Petrus Dubbel Bruin 8.5
http://bavik.be/producten/index.asp?ITEM_ID=7&PRODUCT_ID=26&PRODUCT_TYPE_ID=11
Thursday 3 May 2012
Do The Wolf Hop
Lupulus: while this may sound like the name of a professor at Hogwarts it's actually a beer. The Latin name for the hop plant is Humulus Lupulus which translates as 'small humble wolf'. The region of the Ardennes where the brewery is based used to be home to wolf packs (so they say). Just in case you didn't get it, they've got a huge picture of a wolf on the front surrounded by hop flowers. So, for cleverclogs only.
It comes in a 750ml bottle and for some reason that gets me excited. If a brewer is confident enough to think that people will buy their beer in large quantities then I'm on board. However, it's in a controversial green bottle; apparently this leaves it susceptible to be 'light struck', i.e. stinky. The jury's out as to whether it's both green and brown which are ok, or just brown. I've heard both, but never experienced skunky, light-struck beer myself, so we'll have to trust the experts, who disagree...
Enough rambling, the beer has now entered the glass. It's an alluring number, ghostly pale with a frothy head that fades fairly quickly but leaves adequate 'lacing' down the glass (I don't know why we dont just call it 'foamy scum'. What's not appealing about that?). The aroma is fairly gentle; I was expecting a little more. It's slightly herbaceous in its hop element and there's a light grain scent. In fairness, for a such a pale beer it has plenty on offer.
Taste-wise, there's a lovely honey flavour in the initial sip and the after-taste is very clean. The 8.5% alcohol comes through in a rich wave, but isn't overpowering. It's pleasingly flavoursome. The bitterness and sweetness are well-balanced throughout, from the first sip to the final smack of the mouth.
Whilst it isn't a huge beer it's very classy and slowly builds into a really great beer. Personally, I find taste-filled pale and blonde beers are lower in supply than their darker cousins but That's Just Me. The best drinks are those that grow on you through the glass and this is one of them. It's definitely a beer to buy again, to share with a good friend or two, or just to get nicely drunk on your lonesome...
Lupulus - 9
http://www.lupulus.be/en/beer-lupulus-blond.html
It comes in a 750ml bottle and for some reason that gets me excited. If a brewer is confident enough to think that people will buy their beer in large quantities then I'm on board. However, it's in a controversial green bottle; apparently this leaves it susceptible to be 'light struck', i.e. stinky. The jury's out as to whether it's both green and brown which are ok, or just brown. I've heard both, but never experienced skunky, light-struck beer myself, so we'll have to trust the experts, who disagree...
Enough rambling, the beer has now entered the glass. It's an alluring number, ghostly pale with a frothy head that fades fairly quickly but leaves adequate 'lacing' down the glass (I don't know why we dont just call it 'foamy scum'. What's not appealing about that?). The aroma is fairly gentle; I was expecting a little more. It's slightly herbaceous in its hop element and there's a light grain scent. In fairness, for a such a pale beer it has plenty on offer.
Taste-wise, there's a lovely honey flavour in the initial sip and the after-taste is very clean. The 8.5% alcohol comes through in a rich wave, but isn't overpowering. It's pleasingly flavoursome. The bitterness and sweetness are well-balanced throughout, from the first sip to the final smack of the mouth.
Whilst it isn't a huge beer it's very classy and slowly builds into a really great beer. Personally, I find taste-filled pale and blonde beers are lower in supply than their darker cousins but That's Just Me. The best drinks are those that grow on you through the glass and this is one of them. It's definitely a beer to buy again, to share with a good friend or two, or just to get nicely drunk on your lonesome...
Lupulus - 9
http://www.lupulus.be/en/beer-lupulus-blond.html
Tuesday 17 April 2012
A beer called Leroy
Leroy Stout - 5%
I'm a fan of stouts and porters. Roasty, smoky flavours can't beaten for big flavours and they're the perfect antithesis to insipid lager. I'm a fan of something a little quirky too, so a stout named Leroy was too tempting. I'll have two, please. Plus, this wasn't any stout, it was a Belgian stout.
It then struck me that I hadn't had too many Belgian stouts in my time; I suppose they're not so common. Guinness Foreign Export classes as a 'Belgian Stout' in some people's eyes (even though some of it is brewed in Nigeria!) and my other experience of note is Hercule Stout, a seriously fine ale. Expectations were high.
Pouring the drink out presents no surprises; it's a dark, fairly fizzy beer with a tightly packed, light brown head. As soon as I took a sniff, the game changed. It actually took me two glasses of this beer to work out what the smell was, so much it took me by surprise. It smells like a sweet, aromatic lager. There's no bitterness in the smell and the hops come through strongly. It was certainly interesting.
On sipping, you're presented with huge and instant sweetness. Sweetness you wouldn't expect in such a dark beer. And it builds! That saccharin keeps coming. Initially, I loved it; it had such an original taste and was as quirky as I hoped. As time goes on though, it really needs something to balance out that sweetness. Alcoholic strength would probably help (it's only 5%) but really (and unsurprisingly) a good roasted barley sharpness is what's in order!
Its lack of balance prevents it from quenching your thirst and the stickiness it leaves in your mouth (which I'm often keen on) is too sweet to enjoy. If you burp you get a light, lagery hop aroma; it's fairly pleasant but just a bit peculiar.
It's a conundrum; I'm not sure where they've managed to get their colour from. To get dark beer like this you need to add malt which has been fairly highly roasted and this adds bitterness. As this beer is bitter-free I can only guess that some dark sugar has been added and the beer has been on a long boil in the kettle to add colour. I'm probably wrong but I'm not sure how else you'd get the colour.
There'll be someone out there who will love this beer, but it's a bit too sweet for me. I had to eat really strong and bitter cheese with it to get through the second bottle (ooh, it's a chore!). P.s., if you know how this beer would be made, I'd love to know!
Leroy Stout - 5.5
http://www.brouwerijhetsas.be/en/assortiment/leroy-stout
I'm a fan of stouts and porters. Roasty, smoky flavours can't beaten for big flavours and they're the perfect antithesis to insipid lager. I'm a fan of something a little quirky too, so a stout named Leroy was too tempting. I'll have two, please. Plus, this wasn't any stout, it was a Belgian stout.
It then struck me that I hadn't had too many Belgian stouts in my time; I suppose they're not so common. Guinness Foreign Export classes as a 'Belgian Stout' in some people's eyes (even though some of it is brewed in Nigeria!) and my other experience of note is Hercule Stout, a seriously fine ale. Expectations were high.
Pouring the drink out presents no surprises; it's a dark, fairly fizzy beer with a tightly packed, light brown head. As soon as I took a sniff, the game changed. It actually took me two glasses of this beer to work out what the smell was, so much it took me by surprise. It smells like a sweet, aromatic lager. There's no bitterness in the smell and the hops come through strongly. It was certainly interesting.
On sipping, you're presented with huge and instant sweetness. Sweetness you wouldn't expect in such a dark beer. And it builds! That saccharin keeps coming. Initially, I loved it; it had such an original taste and was as quirky as I hoped. As time goes on though, it really needs something to balance out that sweetness. Alcoholic strength would probably help (it's only 5%) but really (and unsurprisingly) a good roasted barley sharpness is what's in order!
Its lack of balance prevents it from quenching your thirst and the stickiness it leaves in your mouth (which I'm often keen on) is too sweet to enjoy. If you burp you get a light, lagery hop aroma; it's fairly pleasant but just a bit peculiar.
It's a conundrum; I'm not sure where they've managed to get their colour from. To get dark beer like this you need to add malt which has been fairly highly roasted and this adds bitterness. As this beer is bitter-free I can only guess that some dark sugar has been added and the beer has been on a long boil in the kettle to add colour. I'm probably wrong but I'm not sure how else you'd get the colour.
There'll be someone out there who will love this beer, but it's a bit too sweet for me. I had to eat really strong and bitter cheese with it to get through the second bottle (ooh, it's a chore!). P.s., if you know how this beer would be made, I'd love to know!
Leroy Stout - 5.5
http://www.brouwerijhetsas.be/en/assortiment/leroy-stout
Tuesday 3 April 2012
Dobbel Tripel
Dobbel Tripel. That sounds an awful lot like 'double triple'. Exciting times...
Once again I find myself in front of a bottle of beer which I'd usually not even have noticed. Forcing yourself to drink (well not exactly 'forcing', but...) everything on a list has its highs as well as lows. My first discovery was to be whether this beer was dark or light: was it 'dobbel' or 'tripel'?
It was a dark offering, dark indeed. With a bubbling beige head it sat enticingly in the glass, waiting to be sampled. It had a really rich, fruity and deep scent; this beer clearly had lots to give. There was a definite edge of cinnamon and nutmeg spice ('woody', one might say if one was in the marketing department for Hugo Boss Fragrances) and it reminded me a little of the magnificent Westvleteren 12. We're not getting carried away but it's fair comparison.
Onto a sip, and what I would usually discover is that these strong beers often lull you into a sense that they're weaker than you'd think. The Oostendsebier has a fantastic warming sensation that you associate with nice boozy things. This beer was quite reminiscent of sherry in its taste, rich with fruit and spice. It always makes me laugh that sherry is so poo-pooed, generally speaking, yet countless whiskies would be nothing without it and its flavours coming through anything always put a smile on your face. Perhaps we're all closet Nannas.
Once you've taken your heady sip there's more to come. The aftertaste is thick and pleasingly sweet without being cloying. If you like dark beers with malty, sweet flavours there's not a lot else you can ask for than a beer like this. Compared, say, to Kasteel Donker, it has a much better balance and is much more palatable and easier to drink. I may not be the most critical critic but there are times when the glass is empty and you have to ask yourself what more would you have wanted from the beer you've just finished. In this case, I'd have to say pretty much nothing, except perhaps a prettier bottle for it to sit in. Harsh, I know.
Keyte Oostendse Dobbel Tripel - 9.5
http://www.brouwerij-strubbe.be/start/bieren/en
Once again I find myself in front of a bottle of beer which I'd usually not even have noticed. Forcing yourself to drink (well not exactly 'forcing', but...) everything on a list has its highs as well as lows. My first discovery was to be whether this beer was dark or light: was it 'dobbel' or 'tripel'?
It was a dark offering, dark indeed. With a bubbling beige head it sat enticingly in the glass, waiting to be sampled. It had a really rich, fruity and deep scent; this beer clearly had lots to give. There was a definite edge of cinnamon and nutmeg spice ('woody', one might say if one was in the marketing department for Hugo Boss Fragrances) and it reminded me a little of the magnificent Westvleteren 12. We're not getting carried away but it's fair comparison.
Onto a sip, and what I would usually discover is that these strong beers often lull you into a sense that they're weaker than you'd think. The Oostendsebier has a fantastic warming sensation that you associate with nice boozy things. This beer was quite reminiscent of sherry in its taste, rich with fruit and spice. It always makes me laugh that sherry is so poo-pooed, generally speaking, yet countless whiskies would be nothing without it and its flavours coming through anything always put a smile on your face. Perhaps we're all closet Nannas.
Once you've taken your heady sip there's more to come. The aftertaste is thick and pleasingly sweet without being cloying. If you like dark beers with malty, sweet flavours there's not a lot else you can ask for than a beer like this. Compared, say, to Kasteel Donker, it has a much better balance and is much more palatable and easier to drink. I may not be the most critical critic but there are times when the glass is empty and you have to ask yourself what more would you have wanted from the beer you've just finished. In this case, I'd have to say pretty much nothing, except perhaps a prettier bottle for it to sit in. Harsh, I know.
Keyte Oostendse Dobbel Tripel - 9.5
http://www.brouwerij-strubbe.be/start/bieren/en
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