750ml bottle. Clear, ruby red brown-ish colour with small, frothy, shortly fading, momentarily lacing, beige head. Oak aroma, vinous, sourish fruity notes of blue grapes, red and dark berries, black cherries, morello cherries, a touch of orange, some vanilla and caramel. Taste is mildly tart fruity, notes of (unripe) red and dark berries, red and black currant and the like, black cherries, morello cherries, an oaky touch; dry, mildly tart, and minimally astringent finish, a cautious touch of smoke remains on lips and tongue. Slightly prickling, overall background-ish carbonation, not even remote vestiges of alcohol. Leaves the impression to contain a good amount of sophisticated brewing skills, not fully appeciated on one hand, on the other hand absorbed in vacuo gusto. In other words, exaggeratory ornamentation of mediocre groundwork.

Bouteille 75cl @ RBBSG III, courtesy of Travlr. Ambrée-cuivrée, col disparaissant vite. Arôme est légèrement malté avec une petite touche fumée en retrait. Palais offre un malté généreux, subtilement grillé, léger boisé avec un petit fini fumé-boisé. Le côté aigre - funk reste assez discret. Le boisé de bourbon est présent, mais je discerne mal cette mise en fût alors que la Ypres est déjà passée par deux périodes en fûts. Against the Grain le fait encore, toucher à tout sans vraiment accrocher à rendre une bière qui se vaut. Ici, la Ypres ne bénéficie en rien de cette expérience.

750 ml. bottle sampled @ RBBSG III. Thanks to travlr! Murky brown. Nose is sour, vinegar, paint thinner, lots of oak, fruits, odd but taste is definitely quite a bit odder. Smoke & ashes upfront, very grainy, leading into alcohol, red fruits with paint thinner, lots of oak. Quite grainy mouthfeel, touch paint thinner feel. Messy but fun even if not very coherent.

Sampled @ RBBSG III. Hazy orange - brown color, medium sized beige head that diminishes quite quickly. Aroma is a bit weird, slightly sweet, a hint of paint, yeast. Taste has that weird flavor as well, plus a fruityness that wasn’t there initially but came through towards the end. Like it a bit more now it has warmed up a bit.

01.07.2014, 0,75l bottle @ home:
Nice slightly bubbly mediumlasting head. Aroma is dry oaky, thinner, hay, grass, burnt caramel, weeds, wet leather, sorrel. Taste is dry, lots of oak, weeds, thinner, hay, grass, burnt caramel, sorrel, unripe berries, alcohol, hints of butterscotch and cardboard. Medium bitterness, flat thin kind of watery mouthfeel. Just incredibly boring.

8th April 2014
Tasting at Bruce’s Pad. Thanks to Paul. Very hazy amber beer, small pale cream coloured head. Sourish fruity start, light vinegar vibe. Mild to medium smoke on the back end. Light dry finish. The sour and smoke flavours grate against each other but it’s an okay beer.

Bottle shared in London - many thanks to Paul. Pours clear, golden-brown with a fine, frothy white head. The nose holds a bit of vinegar, aged fruits, berries. Medium sweet flavor with slight doughy bread, cereal, mild leather, leaves. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Lightly acetic to finish, more leather, some bitter pits, berries. Pretty nice.

Bottle shared at Bruce’s. It pours deep brown with a medium yellow-beige head. The nose is earthy, wood, light smoke, dirt, leather and dull caramel, The taste is tart, earthy, wood, lemony tart, Granny Smith apple, sherbet, light spice, barnyard, mild acidity and sour candy. Medium body and fine carbonation. A bit odd, but I kinda like it....

Bottle 750ml. corked @ [ Fastelavn Smagning - Carnival Tasting, Ulfborg ]. [ As Against the Grain / Struise Scorched Monk ].Clear medium orange amber color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, tart, dried fruit, wood, light alcohol - bourbon. Flavour is moderate sweet and light to moderate acidic with a long duration, tart, sour, wood. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20140301]

Bottle, 9%. Dark ruby/brown with medium beige head. Aroma is malt, caramel, smoke, lttle meat, oak dark fruits and notes of vanilla. Flavour is malt, smoke, caramel, dark fruits, oak, little sour, little over carbonated, little sweet, little dry and a little acid.