From tap at Arendsnest during Carnivale Brettanomyces. Apparently a Grätzer style beer, something which hasn’t been able to conquer my heart so far. Lacing, thick, off-white, ’beaten egg-like’ head, colour misty yellow blonde with greenish hue. Aroma of sour milk, yoghurt, Sauerkraut and even rancid butter, unripe peach, lemon juice, wine vinegar, green plums but low on the smokiness. Puckering lemony sour in onset, more like industrial lemon juice than actual ’wild’ fermentation, fruity esters with indeed a suggestion of unripe peach, wheat soapiness bringing about a deeper, more dull sourishnes, but it’s the lemon acidity with dries the finish; again, the supposed smokiness remains (too) subtle. Drinkable for sure, but still not my favorite type of beer and the Brett effects (albeit not a normal feature of Grätzers) as well as the smoked malts should have been more pronounced in this one.

Flemish red (’oud bruin’) from a new craft brewery in Nijmegen, from tap at Arendsnest for Carnivale Brettanomyces. Creamy, light greyish, thickly lacing head, colour deep and cloudy chestnut brown with bronze-reddish hue. Aroma of yoghurt, lemon flesh, vanilla, redcurrant, passion fruit, brown bread (the rye, I guess), caramel, strawberry, hint of varnish but not disturbing. Crisp and tart flavour, estery, tempered by a soft candi sweetness, hints of redcurrant, raspberry and passionfruit, perhaps some banana, drying wine vinegar sourishness towards the finish along with spritzy carbo (a tad much for the style) on a nutty and caramelly, soft malt base, hint of sherry, wood and a low, deep, structural earthy hoppiness. Nice interpretation of the ’Vlaams rood’ style of traditional sweet-sour brown beers, could do with a bit more finesse, but this is not an easy style to master and I reckon it can get even better in the future.

Sampled draft @ Arendsnest during Carnivale Brettanomyces #4. Murky red fruit, little white head. Nose is faintly vinous, overripe red fruits, light bread malt, light caramel,… Taste is overripe red fruit, vinegar, dull bread, generic sour, caramel, light leather, mellow lemon,… Light malty, tad vinous body,… Simple but pleasant beer. (Thanks for sharing Kermis, Maakun & tlahav).

Sampled draft @ Arendsnest during Carnivale Brettanomyces #4. Hazy golden citrus, solid white head. Nose is mellow lactic, puckering mineral nose, light odd wheat, lactic peadh. Taste is odd lemon, lemon peel, puckering lactic, lactic nature drowns out the peach a bit, lemon acidity,.. Most of the peach flavour is just the power of suggestion, this is more akin to lemon. Mellow lemon body. Quite non-descript & a bit one-note but pleasant enough to drink. (Thanks for sharing Kermis, Maakun & tlahav).

Draft at Arendsnest. Pours cloudy amber brown with a small off white head. Tart overripe dark fruits, leather, caramel and malts. Flavour is light moderate sweet and moderate acidic. Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

Draft at Arendsnest. Pours cloudy yellow with a small white head. Aroma of peach, light tart fruit, citrus and a very light funk. Flavour is light sweet and light moderate sour. Light bodied with light carbonation.

Tap at Arendsnest. Hazy light yellow with small white head. Baby puke, quite some spices, canned peach, salty dough, tortilla chips. Medium sour and light salty. Light bodied.

Tap at Arendsnest. Hazy reddish brown with small off white head. Spicy rye, sour red fruits, fresh green leaves, dark bread. Medium sour with light sweetness. Medium bodied. Meh.

Bottle @ Van Moll Brewpub shared with Erwin Van Moll. Hazy milky pale yellow color, full sized white head that lasts for quite a long time. Aroma is lightly lemongrass, slightly herbs of spices. Tastes about the same plus some smoke, but the flavor is quite faint. Also carbonation is firm to fizzy which gets in the way of the flavor. Meh..

Clear pale yellow colour, white head. Aroma of smoke, malts, light spices. Light sweet flavour, smoke, some banana. Bit thin, but no surprise considering the ABV. Smoky finish, bread, ginger. Nice and refreshing, ideal for a sunny and warm spring day (like this).
(from 33cL bottle @ home)