(Keg at Pikkulintu Ruttopuisto, 20250327) The beer poured dark brown and quite opaque. Its head was medium sized and white. Aroma had toasted malts, candi sugar, chocolate, earth and spicy yeast. Palate was medium bodied with medium carbonation. Flavours were toasted malts, earth, candi sugar chocolate, spicy yeast and bitterness. Aftertaste had toasted malts, coffee and bitterness. A brew with good aroma but the taste was unbalanced.

Fles 33cl thuis. Caramel, rood fruit, pruim, rozijn, redelijk zoet, licht plakkerig, dried fruits, kandijsuiker. (29-12-2023).

Not bad, a little muddied. But enjoyable over, just a tiny big fuzzzy. Wildeman ams

Dark brown colour, beige foam. Typical Huyghe characteristics. Yeasty, sweet, caramel, some herbal notes. Ok.

23 May 2021. At Haeseveld. Cheers to Anke, Robrecht, Annemieke & little Ise! Tap. Clear dark copper, small, foamy, tan head. Aroma of burnt caramel, dark toffee, date, pear, dried banana, old toast, clove, yeast. Taste has sweet date, pear & plum along bitter spiciness and light toasty maltiness, herbal accents in the back too. Earthy & herbal hoppy finish, subtly toasty still yet dried dark fruits and caramel have the final say, as well as some warming brandy alcohol. Medium body, syrupy texture, soft carbonation. The best Haeseveld so far for me, with better balance especially in the alcohol department.

Belgian strong dark ale in the Haeseveld range, brewed and served at the Haeseveld complex in Sint-Amandsberg near Ghent. Thick and dense, creamy, pillowy, yellowish-white, stable, cobweb-lacing head on a clear deep ‘autumny’ burgundy brown beer with deep amber glow and fine sparkling – looks nice. Aroma of hard caramel, dried figs, candied cherries, burnt sugar, peanuts, candi syrup, fried apple, dry tree leaves, pear, iron and chocolate chip coffee cookies. Sweet onset, fig, red apple, some candied cherry and some banana, very sharp and numbing overcarbonation distracting a bit from this fruity-sweet flavour; low in esters and generally clean, though, with a rounded, slick but full, slightly resinous body. Thoroughly caramelly maltiness, sweetish with a nutty side that becomes stronger towards the end and shifts to a toasty bitterness, even slightly coffeeish in the end; the caramel sweetness remains the dominant flavour, but this bitterness does become stronger than first expected. Leafy and herbal hop bitterish notes and a glow of ‘jenever’-like warming alcohol round off the finish, while a light metallic accent lingers on, accompanying the caramel-toast combo. More balanced between sweet and bitter than I was expecting, to be honest, and certainly an enjoyable sipper on its own, if a tad too clean and metallic – and hardly innovative, strongly leaning towards the old formulas of macro- and family-brewed brown abbey ales typical for Belgium. Shares its general flavour profile with Huyghe’s own Delirium Nocturnum (at least the way I remember it from days long past) – a side by side tasting could prove interesting.

18/VIII/20 - on tap @ Haeseveld brewery (St. Amandsberg), BB: n/a (2020-797)

Clear red amber to red brown beer, big creamy dense light beige head, little stable, adhesive, leaving a nice lacing in the glass. Aroma: some ripe banana, some caramel touch, bit malty, bubble gum, grains, hint of milk chocolate. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: pretty sweet, caramel notes, ripe banana, very yeasty, oxidized, almonds, lots of marzipan, maraschino cherries. Aftertaste: bit sweet and sugary, ripe banana, soft acidity, some chocolate notes, pretty sweet, bit malty, some chocolate milk, very soft bitterness, grains, not too shabby. Best of the 4 Haeseveld beers I’ve had.