Honey and spice ale from the greater Valencia region in Spain, enjoyed at the restaurant of the Bois du Cazier former mining site, one of Wallonia's most enduring tourist attractions. Apparently created for the tenth anniversary of this brewery (strange that I never heard of it earlier than today). Snow white, medium thick, somewhat irregular, opening but generally well-retaining head, misty deep amber-hued 'dark blonde' peach colour. Aroma quite strongly dominated by rosemary (in between fresh and dried), overshadowing hints of halfripe peach, fresh apple peel, rusk, old biscuit cookies, thyme, honey (!), dry lemon zest, glazed carrots. Sharply carbonated onset, very stingy and minerally; sweetish fruitiness, dried peach, orange zest and red apple peel, with a notable, almost somewhat lactic sourish undertone. Peanutty, rusk-like 'amber' maltiness with a slight toasty-bitterish tail, combining phenolic spicy accents (clove, thyme) with this overwhelming retronasal rosemary effect, pierced by a flowery, mildly spicy honey aroma - yet none of the sweetness a layman would associate with honey, proving that actual (rosemary) honey was used here and has fermented out to a high degree. Hops add a further floral touch, but the rosemary remains very dominant here, in a 'herbalness' so strong that it becomes rosemary tea-like - and will no doubt put some consumers off. Being Belgian, I am quite used to strong doses of spices and herbs in ales as well as 'artisanal' honey beers and this one combines those two ancient elements in one; you will really have to love rosemary here, some people probably hate it, but I was quite pleasantly surprised considering where this comes from. There is way worse on the Spanish market (but obviously many significantly better beers as well...).

Bottle. Pours light hazed orange amber with a white cap. Aroma: herbal, honey, mildly fruity with pear and apple notes. Taste: moderate sweet with low bitterness, honey dominates, herbal and bittersweet on the finish. Medium body with moderate carbonation. Enjoyed this

From bottle to glass. The honey comes out strongly in the aroma. Hazy sunset orange with white head that retains as a full collar. Flavor is orange peel and slight honey. Rosemary is faint and a nice touch.

Milder, süß-wässriger Beginn von Hefe und Kräutern. Süßlicher, insgesamt kräftigerer Mittelteil, zunehmend nach Honig. Herb-kräutrig, weich, hohe Süffigkeit. 9/10/9/9/8/9

Bouteille 33cl de xmas gift pack, merci Juanra, BB 02/07/2020. Dorée-orangé, col fin blanc. Arôme offre un nez plaisant sur de belles effluves botanique et épicée dont un excellent romarin qui se prête bien aux notes mielleuses, le tout est fin et agréable au nez avec un bouquet méditérannéen. Palais est finement malté, caramel, pâle et fin pils et bien agrémenté par des notes de romarin et une fine douceur de miel le tout complété par un malté finement grillé et également un léger caramélisé du miel. Classique mais bien réalisée mettant bien en avant le romarin et miel.

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Pours muddy orange brown from the bottle. The frothy white head slowly settles. Aroma is, as expected, herbal, with plenty of honey, but also mildly fruity with pear and apple notes. Taste is sweet up front with the honey firmly in charge. Increasingly herbal and bittersweet at the end. Body is medium, carbonation is mild. Overall.. okay.

33cl bottle from Ultracomida, Aberystwyth. Drank at home on 8th July 2018. Slight haze to the golden pour, white topping. I do not usually go for 'honey beers' but this sounded and looked interesting, and I really enjoyed it. The nose and taste both had honey notes within. Semi-sweet malty brew with the honey along something else herbal (Rosemary?) giving it an extra dimension and a little more character.