The original Bellebier, renamed ’Bellebier Amber’ after the introduction of a tripel version in 2008 and apparently commissioned by André Paeleman, who already gave the world Uitzet and Lam Gods years ago. Very thick, rocky, flower-shaped, snow-white head, irregularly inflating but nevertheless remaining stable; colour a pure golden blonde and not at all amber contrary to its name, cloudy only after adding the yeast deposit, as any bottle-fermented Belgian is supposed to be. Aroma of sweetish pale malt, pineapple, cookie dough, gooseberries, grassy and flowery hops, hay, peaches, tad of sour cream and lemon peel. Fruity onset, citrus freshness, strong carbonation as expected given the size of the head, rounded malty base accompanied by a sourish taste that carries on till deep into the finish resulting in a dry effect, ending mildly but clearly hoppy, light bitter. Nothing too exciting but still just a bit more interesting than I am used to from Van Steenberge.

Bottle 330ml. @ home.Light unclear medium orange yellow color with a large, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, toasted, cookies, moderate yeasty, belgium yeast, salty notes. Flavor is moderate sweet and light to moderate bitter with a average to long duration, belgium yeast. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20101008]

No gushing, but pours more (dense, yellowish) foam than beer (deep golden, very carbonated). Very yeasty nose, faint whiff of hops, white candi sugar, bit insectoid. Toasted flavour, malts, bit of cookies & corn, and again white candi sugar, ending on yeasty and faint herbal retronasal. Ever so slight burning MF, spritzy carbonation, very lightly slick, medium bodied at best. Bit pale for an "amber", unremarkable on the flavour side.