7.9

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

11 September 2021. At Summer Belgian Beer Geek Gathering. Many thanks, Klaas & Liesbeth, cheers to the whole crew!

Hazy dark brown, small, frothy, tan head. Aroma of pear, Pomme d'Amour, burnt caramel, clove, date syrup, banana candy. Taste has very sweet banana, pear & red apple, quite spicy clove, vague cinnamon, faraway tonka even, kept together by caramelly maltiness. Herbal hoppy finish, spicy, lingering dried fruit with woodiness countering the sweetness, warming bourbon or perhaps calvados-like alcohol in the very end. Medium to full body, average carbonation. Rather sweet but supported by woody notes, whilst the bourbon is elegantly added.

7.3

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

Pours dark brown, rather clear. Small white head. Scent is full, sharp, bit of booze. Taste is full, sharp, tad roasty. Intense bourbon. Medium body, medium high carbo. Lower than expected bitterness. Don't get the saison aspect at all.

7.4

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle @ Belgian Summer Gathering Sept' 21, Evergem.
Cuivre voire ambrée, col épais blanc-cassé.
Arôme garde un bouquet classique sur une approche belgeoscillant plus vers une quad - cela se ressent sur les qcq esters qui percent en rétro et sont complétés par un caractère malté pâle cara, un peu toffee. Petite touche un peu épicée en fin de bouche.

Palais est plaisant, malté cara pâle, touche belge marquée, petite note de chocolat, le tout versant plus vers une approche triple/quad belge sans vraiment parvenir à voir le caractère rustique de saison qui se retrouve un peu perdu dans cette masse de malts et de barrique.
Le côté barrique est plaisant et donne une petite touche de vanille.

7.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

11/IX/21 - 75cl bottle @ BBGG Summer Edition (Klaas & Liesbeth's place), BB: XII/2022 (2021-1011) Thanks to Ama for sharing the bottle!

Clear red brown beer, small creamy irregular beige head, pretty stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: sweet malts, caramel, banana, yeasty, good stuff. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: very alcoholic, sweet touch, banana, yeasty, rather dry, some dried fruits, bitter touch. Aftertaste: yeasty, spicy, lots of banana peel, dried fruits, spicy, cardamom, little herbal, soft roast.

6

Kaneel. Zoet.

6

Bottle @Wodan tasting, damn this is dry, vanilla, woody, not that great…

8

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

750ml bottle. Pours a clear dark copper, small white head. Aroma is caramel, licorice, mint, oak, whisky barrel, coffee. Big body. Flavour is malt, chocolate, coffee, caramel, molasses, very light acidity. Light vanilla, oak, whisky. Fruity, jammy, blackberry, raspberry. Very interesting, more like a blackberry porter or a Belgian dark. Dark saison? Not sure that's a thing. Good though.

7.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

“Imperial dark saison” (one can wonder how this concept differs from e.g. quadrupel or Belgian strong ale in general – I have difficulties believing in it), aged on Heaven Hill bourbon barrels; thanks to Craftmember for sharing this classy bottle. Medium sized, moussy, pale greyish beige head on a hazy dark mahogany brown beer with deep bronze hue. Aroma of caramel, brown sugar, madera, clear vanilla-scenting wet oak wood, dried prunes, sawdust, clove, medium dry sherry, brown bread, hint of liquorice. Sweetish onset, cleanly fruity with hints of fig, red apple and raisin, medium carbonated, light sourish undertone; smooth, full, slick body, caramelly, brown-bready and cashew-nutty ‘dark’ malt sweetness with spicy hints of clove and liquorice on top, leading to a tannic woodiness with continuing elements of spice and dried dark fruits, warmed by a fortified wine-like, bit liqueurish but nowhere astringent alcohol glow. As said above: “imperial dark saison” sounds needlessly forced for me, an attempt to cater to a hip craft beer audience, but this is essentially a Belgian style strong dark ale with a modern bourbon barrel ageing twist – yet admittedly a special and complex one, with an Anglo-Saxon streak to it, opening up as it warms up and breathes and in that sense certainly a beer to enjoy slowly and attentively. Trustworthy Eindhoven craft brewer Van Moll at its most ambitious, and it shows.