Brown bottle, 75 cl, best before January 2017, from Alexandra Serre et Hugue Lebel (merci!), savoured on January 13 2018; eye: coppery, clear, no effervescence, ring of beige head, slight lacing; nose: woody, musk, red wine, tannin, light fig, slight acidity; mouth: woody, musk, red wine, light tannin, light fig, slight acidity, slight astringency, finale in musk with presence of red wine, medium-full body, lightly below-average carbonation, lightly astringent texture; overall: quite likable

FRANÇAIS
Bouteille brune, 75 cl, meilleure avant janvier 2017, de Alexandra Serre et Hugue Lebel (merci!) savourée le 13 janvier 2018; œil : cuivrée, limpide, pas d'effervescence, anneau de mousse beige, très légère dentelle; nez : boisé, musc, vin rouge, léger tanin, léger figue, très légère acidité; bouche : boisé, musc, vin rouge, léger tanin, léger figue, très légère acidité, très légère astringence, finale en musc avec présence de vin rouge, corps moyen-corsé, carbonatation légèrement sous la moyenne, texture légèrement astringente; en résumé : bien aimé

Another Ardenne Wood variation, this time aged on Macvin du Jura casks - a first for me, but from what I know, should be comparable to Pineau des Charentes. Medium thick, egg-white, lightly lacing, quickly opening but otherwise fairly stable head, amberish-tinged peach blonde, warm colour. Interesting and different aroma of fermenting plums, warming and melting cheese, vanilla, Grand Marnier or indeed Pineau des Charentes, sweet dessert wine, white port, orange juice, honey, sweetbread, ripe melon, moist wood, hint of sweat, vanilla beans. Sweet onset, overripe pear and candied apricot, lots of ripe Cantaloupe melon, orange, sourish note (gooseberry-ish) providing balance, softish carbo, thick and bit vinous, bit oily mouthfeel. Thick caramelly and even a bit resiny malt sweet 'soil', slick, filling, with a big load of honeyish sweetness on top; still this sweet grape-like, subtle sourness peeps through, bringing balance. Ends warming, sweet and indeed very barleywine-esque, some tannic woodiness, bitterish but late and subtle hop accent, vanilla-like cognac aspects - eventually turning a bit orange liqueur-like which must represent the Macvin du Jura. Warming, boozy but not too unpleasantly wry finish. Thick, rich, complex and perfumey, this is another high profile Bastogne beer, but I can imagine something with a profile this outspoken may divide opinions. Still, in general, this must classify as a top notch 'Belgian' barleywine - a class of its own, really. Like this or hate it, but you can't ignore it.

Bouteille 75cl, BB 01/2019, anno 2016. Orange, col blanc-cassé, jaunâtre crémeux. Arôme offre des effluves plaisantes - vin jaune en rappel, pomme caraméliséen feuille vertes avec une petite pointe en rétro de langue et de léger tropical. Palais est malté, caramel, pâle, barrique avec un léger apport boisé, petite pointe rappelant le brett. Citronné sur fine note Citra, agrumes, fruité vert. Retrouve une finale liquoreuse, vin blanc - jaune avec un petit ajout sucré résiduel du vin qui confère une certaine douceur en bouche qui tranche bien avec l'amertume et les saveurs fruitées des houblons.

25/06/2017 - tasting glass @Swafff 2017. Hazy copper, medium head. Nose is sweet malts, caramel, alcohol, vinous. Taste is first sweet malts, boozy, some caramel, overripe fruits, some wood, sour touch.

Very yeasty pour. cloudy brown, no head. Smells great. Tart, cherry, fig. The flavor is not so good. woody, oak, maple, raisin,

Thank you tderoeck! 750 ml. bottle sampled @ "Adam Chandler Visiting (for real this time)" Tasting. Aged sample. Orange amber. Nose is big sweet orange peel, almost a dash of Cointreau, oak, very heavy on sugar, oxidized malt & some wine funk. Heavy oxidation, wine oxidation, vaguely sour, weird wine funk that doesn’t fully appeal to me but might fit wine lovers more, orange peel & sugar mixed in with the funk. Too flat, wine funk, slab of sugar for me. Expected a bit too much as well.