6.8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

New quadrupel-ish strong ale from a hobby brewer in Sint-Gillis-Waas, commercialized by Boelens in nearby Belsele. Bottle from Van Callenberge in Stekene. Thick and dense, creamy, membrane-lacing, yellowish egg-white, very stable head on an initially clear, very dark mahogany brown beer with deep copper red glow, becoming misty with sediment added - a sediment that in this case contains relatively large, pale yeast flakes whirling to the bottom of the glass. Aroma of caramel, toasted brown bread, walnut, dried fig, brown sugar, quince jam, roasted salsify, stewed plum, sugared tea, white pepper, honey, sirop de Liège, old cloth, whiffs of cooked meat and blood - combining into an accent vaguely reminiscent of black pudding... Sweetish, fruity onset, clear candi sugar yet nothing cloying at all, hints of banana, peach, ripe blackberry, fig and plum, touch bubblegum in the background, medium fizz, supple and slick body. Caramelly and brown-bready maltiness with added dark sugars and very slight, blood-like iron edge; coriander seed soapiness and spiciness in the end as well as vague nutmeg and cocoa accents, late and mild herbal hop bitterness and lingering honeyish and malty sweetness, as well as some earthy, powdery yeastiness especially after the sediment was added. A 'sirop de Liège' effect remains - though far less sweet than the 'real thing' - and is highlighted by a port-like alcohol glow. Typical sweet 'massieve ale', which is rather refreshing as most of these hobby brewers - and there are way too much of them in this country if you ask me - tend to come up with the umpteenth tripel or Belgian style blonde for a first (and sometimes last) beer; maybe the still very local Corbi-Art from nearby Sint-Pauwels was a silent source of inspiration? In any case: not bad at all, though a bit uninspired, perhaps.