Heavy ’massive ale’, originally a winter warmer but now available all year, so De Landtsheer removed the wintery elements from the label (making it harder to distinguish from its brethren on a shelf now). Deep yellow beige, creamy, sticky head and very dark burgundy colour, almost blackish. Powerfully perfumed aroma of plum brandy, chocolate liqueur, brown sugar, cinnamon, port wine, apple peel, honey, cake, banana, overripe peach, coffee powder. Intensely malty taste, caramelly and soft chocolatey, candi-like sweetness, not too cloying but sticking into the finish, which is otherwise characterized by coffee-like roasted bitterness and vinous, warming alcohol. Opulent, well-crafted, warming ale, complex, one of my favourites among easily available Belgian ’abts’ (which is what the style characterization here should be instead of ’Belgian strong ale’!). I’d serve it at a few degrees above the recommended 8° C, though.

Imported from my RateBeer account as Malheur 12 (by Brouwerij Malheur (formerly De Landtsheer)):
Aroma: 8/10, Appearance: 4/5, Taste: 8/10, Palate: 4/5, Overall: 17/20, MyTotalScore: 4.1/5

21/VI/14 - 33cl bottle @ De Kuppe (Brugge) - Bieruitstap met de Gentse Biervereniging - BB: 14/XI/16 (2014-650)

Clear dark purple brown beer, big aery beige head, little stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: caramel, malty, some chocolate, bit spicy, liquorish. MF: ok carbon, medium to full body. Taste: bit sweet, caramel, liquorish, some aniseed, little bitter, bit metallic, spicy. Aftertaste: spices, caramel, bit sweet, sugary, nice bitterness, caramel, spicy, some chocolate.