Brouwerijen Alken-Maes

Commercial Brewery in Alken, Limburg, Belgium 🇧🇪
Owned by Brouwerijen Alken-Maes NV/SA - Heineken Belgium

Established in 1988

Contact
Stationsstraat 2, Alken, 3570, Belgium
Subsidiaries
Brouwerijen Alken-Maes owns 3 breweries:
Description
Winning innovator on the Belgian beer market with brands such as Maes, Cristal, Desperados, Grimbergen, Affligem, Strongbow and Mort Subite.

De “Brouwerijen Alken-Maes NV” ontstond officieel in 1988, als gevolg van de fusie van de brouwerijen Maes en Cristal Alken. Maar de roots van beide entiteiten gaat terug tot omstreeks 1880. In Waarloos kocht Egied Maes toen nl. de brouwerij Sint-Michaël, terwijl korte tijd later Arthur Boes een brouwerij startte in Alken, zo’n 100 km verderop.

Beide brouwerijen ontwikkelen zich stelselmatig, met bv. Cristal dat in 1928 als eerste Belgische pils het licht ziet. Maes Pils volgt in 1946. Nadien vervoegen Grimbergen, Ciney en andere bieren de portfolio, tot aan de fusie in 1988. Na onderdeel te hebben uitgemaakt van Danone en Scottish & Newcastle, wordt Alken-Maes in 2008 eigendom van Heineken.

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3.2/10 Appearance 4 Aroma 4 Flavor 3 Texture 4 Overall 2
A hazy orange beer with a huge off-white head. The aroma is sweet mostly with straw notes, while the flavor is sweet - but like the artificial sweetener of sodapops - that’s not my cup of beer.
Tried on 11 Oct 2005 at 17:35

7/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Bottled (BB 06/2007)
Golden color, big foamy head, lace. Aroma has metal, burnt sugars and sweetish fruits. Medium-bodied. Good balanced bitterness and malt profile, decent alcoholic bite and long hoppy aftertaste. Hints of brown (burnt) sugars in the flavor. Extra sweetness (sugar) drops total value of this beer more to bulk tripel class, but I wonder what a couple of years in the cellar would do to this.
Tried from Bottle on 11 Oct 2005 at 10:31

4.3/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 5 Flavor 3 Texture 4 Overall 3
Straw-amber to honey-golden colour; very thick & fine, just off-white head, collapsing. Different malts, coriander, strange grains, fruity aromas. Totally fruity, lemonade-like taste with a vague grainy background. Artificial fruitjuice/sweets flavour. Very light MF as expected, but retronasal nearly syrupy impression. Well, it’s meant for the children. In it’s class it’s nowhere the worst - neither the best.
Tried on 08 Oct 2005 at 11:09

7.5/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8
Bottle. Nice reddish/brown color. Medium head that reduces to a thin creamy head that lasts. Goes down easily despite the 10% . Sweet taste and malty aroma. Ii liked it a lot
Tried from Bottle on 03 Oct 2005 at 03:13

6.2/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6
(bottle) Reddish brown colour with an ivory foamy medium head. Aroma of caramel, grapes and a bit mustard. Pleasant taste of toasted malts with spice, medium bodied, lasting & balanced (brown-)sugary finish. Good.
Tried from Bottle on 28 Sep 2005 at 04:09

6.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 5.5
(bottle) Pale amber colour with a frothy white medium head. Fruity malty aroma with a touch of herbal hops and yeast. Slightly sweet malty and fizzy mouthfeel with a fruity and grainy finish. Smooth and crispy character, alcohol is barely detectable.
Tried from Bottle on 28 Sep 2005 at 04:08

6.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
75cl bottle from Carrefour Calais. Gold colour with thinnish white bubbly head. Yeasty lemony aromas. OK in mouth with a touch of sweetness and some caramel. Finish is yeasty and dry. Ok but certainly not the best Belgian blonde
Tried from Bottle on 20 Sep 2005 at 12:53

6.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
Light, generic malt aroma. Red with a small head. Malt and fruit flavors; the flavor is much better than the aroma. Medium body. Alcohol hidden well. Bottle was 2 years old.
Tried from Bottle on 13 Aug 2005 at 22:06

6.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
Red-ish brown colour. Rich head. Malty aroma with a sourish note. Malt and toffee flavour. Bitter finish. Drinkable but not spectacular.
Tried on 05 Aug 2005 at 12:34

7/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Golden colour. Nice head. Fruity, somewhat yeasty aroma. Medium bodied, fruity with a dry finish. Nice Duvel-clone.
Tried on 30 Jul 2005 at 14:43