16/09/2019 @home - 33cl bottle from Le Comptoir Belge. Clear copper, huge tanned head. Nose is malts, caramel, earthy, wood. Taste is caramel malts, wood tannins, earthy touch, nice dry smoky touch when warming up, bit spice, Interesting and promising.

Idiosyncratic 'witbier' by this new Brussels brewing project, spiced with hibiscus (roselle, cultivated in certain parts of Africa) and grains of paradise (the seeds of a ginger-like plant native to Africa) - both of which are intended to give the beer an 'African twist'. Creamy and regularly edged, pale off-pinkish-tinged white, mousy head, slowly opening here and there but generally stable, lightly hazy pale orange blonde with vague salmon-pinkish tinge under the right light. Aroma of indeed (a lot of) sweet and floral, tea-like hibiscus (roselle tea), a vague orange peel-like citric aspect linked to the grains of paradise, roses, stewed rhubarb sweetened with white sugar, lavender soap, white bread dough, ripe apricots, straw, elderblossom, Pink Lady apples, dry white pepper (doubtlessly the grains of paradise again) and a background whiff of DMS (overcooked cauliflower). Crisp onset, sweetish and sourish, very refreshing with a lively, fizzy yet not harshly stinging carbonation effect, fruity with notes of apricot, freshly cut apple, vague strawberry and some banana, supple doughy malt body, sweetish and fluffy, bit cereally with clear wheat soapiness to it. This soapiness is accentuated towards the end by the hibiscus, adding a soft, perfumey floweriness that differs from the often very rosehip tea-like 'metallicness' in many other hibiscus-flavoured beers; the grains of paradise add a lively, peppery spicy accent and even a subtle citric note, while a floral hop character deposits a soft, mild bitterness to the root of the tongue and at the same time both accentuates the floral hibiscus effect and the peppery grains of paradise effect. Ends softly spicy, very floral, crisp, bright and elegant, with highly quenching and refreshing character. I was hesitant to taste this one considering my skepticism against hibiscus-flavoured beers (I had many of them and liked only very few), but I have to admit that apart from that DMS, which even from the background kept bothering me a bit throughout, this is quite an interesting creation.

33cl bottle from Sequoia Bio & Natural Market Jourdan shop in Brussels. F: medium, white, quick gone. C: murky gold, hazy. A: medium malty base, bit caramel, fruity, bready touch, bit peach, floral touch. T: malty, vaguely fruity, bit bready, herbal touch, honey on the palate, bit soapy, linden is evident so quite nice, medium carbonation, enjoyed.

33cl bottle from Sequoia Bio & Natural Market Jourdan shop in Brussels. F: big, white, good retention. C: murky gold, milky hazy. A: malty, bit floral, fruity, orange, bit funky, bit grassy, yeasty touch. T: medium malty base, orange, fruity, bit bready, yeasty, caramel touch, higher disturbing carbonation, enjoyable for the style.

Amber ale with New World hops and maple wood chips, one of the first from this brand new contract brewer in Brussels - the 'nouvelle vague' in Belgium's capital keeps expanding quietly and has brought forth some truly wonderful beers so far, often breaking with Belgian traditions altogether, so I'm quite curious about this one. Medium thick, tightly membrane-lacing, off-white, irregularly edged head slowly showing gaps, over a misty 'dirty' orange blonde beer with deeper amberish tinge. Aroma of fried tomato peel, dried orange peel, persimmon, toasted pine nuts, smoked bacon (Rauchmalz!), slight Ardennes sausage even, pine wood logs, field flowers, vaguer hints of brown soap, grapefruit, baker's yeast (especially after adding the sediment), toasted bread crust. Crisp onset, restrained in sweetness but harbouring some peachy and vaguely red apple-like fruitiness, sourish side accentuated by very lively, stingy (even somewhat harsh) carbonation adding a lot of crisp minerally effects, dryish malty middle with slick edges, bit caramelly, toasty-bready and peanutty; tannic wood chip effect in the end is noticeable yet - as is to be expected from chips only - restrained and subtle, fruitiness gets accentuated by the yeast and that smoky factor sets in at the finish, adding a light umami aspect. Herbal, spicy hop bitterness dries the finish in a pleasantly spicy way, while some bready yeasty notes linger, though nowhere too much so. Something soapy lingers as well, probably from the oats; nonetheless this hunters' beer retains its composure and tautness till the very end in spite of clear yeasty effects - remaining altogether quite clean and to the point. Modern, nutty-malty and subtly yet agreeably smoky amber beer, the New World hops remain relatively discrete in aromatic terms but the hop bitterness is very well-measured and matches well with the dry, nutty malt character. The estery aspect, however subdued, still connects to Belgian traditions, but otherwise there is little traditional to be found here; this is an original, pleasantly malty and hoppy brew, promising for the other ones from this brand. Interesting.

33cl bottle from Färm.Tongres bio shop in Brussels. F: medium, egg-white, quick diminishing. C: red amber, hazy. A: malty, wheat sour fruity, bit red berries, bit herbal, banana, bit yeasty. T: light malty base, wheat, bit banana, red berries, yet there is hibiscus and probably grains of paradise so interesting as experiment, bit spicy aftertaste yet very subtle, high bit disturbing carbonation, bit soapy mouthfeel, nothing very special for the style, drinkable.

33cl bottle from Belgomarkt in Brussels. F: thin, white, quick gone. C: murky amber with red hue against the light hazy. A: malty, fruity, bit honey, herbal, bit spicy, apples touch. T: malty, sweet fruity, honey, bit orange, bit spicy, quite watery yet with no big flaws only very simple to me, medium body and bit lower carbonation, drinkable.

33cl bottle from Belgomarkt in Brussels. F: big, egg-white, average retention. C: gold to amber, hazy. A: malty, spicy, citrus, floral, coriander, sweet fruity. T: medium malty base, coriander from the onset, vaguely fruity, yeasty, dusty, bit orange, spicy, not bad, but totally over-carbonated even for saison, partially enjoyed.

33cl bottle from Belgomarkt in Brussels. F: huge, irregular, tan, good retention. C: dark amber, hazy. A: malty, bit fruity, bready, caramel, bit herbal, bit honey, yeasty. T: malty, some fruity, bit wet mop, spicy, bit earthy, bit woody tannins, quite weird all together, more like small beginning homebrew actually, medium body and carbonation, need to be improved to be enjoyable.