Vreemd biertje. Erg bitter. De knoflook en andere kruiden haal ik er zelf niet uit

33 cl bottle. Pours clear and golden yellow, huge white head. Aroma is toasted malty and light caramelish. Bitter and slight herbal. Toasted, caramelosh and light breadish. Bitter and dry finish.

Roodbruim bier met schuim. Smaak is zoet en licht bitter, noten en bessen chokolade en caramel. Versie met BRWN etiket gedronken, smaak blijft redelijk lang hangen.

In Ghent at Marko and Jelena flat bottle. Thanks guys. Pours a pale golden almost wit-like, semi filtered with a regular white head. Nose: bread crust, yeasty, dusty background. Mouth: medium-high carbonation, spicy and mild. Meeeeeeeh ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Courtesy of tderoeck. Commissioned by the Local Exchange and Trading System, Ostend division (the name, meaning "little shell" as there are millions on the Ostend beach, is already a hint). Apparently brewed with Westmalle yeast, which often implies decency. Pure bright golden colour, clear with steady fizz, under a somewhat milky, thin but stable, snow white head. Aroma of lemon peel, grass, sourdough, gooseberries, sweat, honey, soap, cava, buttermilk, Poire William, green plum, goat cheese, banana, vanilla sugar, wodka, hint of cooked turnip and an unfortunate hint of burning plastic. Taste begins crisp and sweet, white candi sugar, a bit honeyish with sour berries and green apple coming up retronasally (acetaldehyde), strong carbonation, bready malt sweetness in the middle, estery yeastiness, finish composed of lingering residual sweetness (even a bit cloying), gentle grassy and floral hop bitterishness and a warming and even somewhat wry alcohol effect not unlike jonge ’jenever’. The alcohol could have been hidden more, though admittedly this is not an easy task in a 9% ABV beer of such light colour. But hey, if Duvel, by which this is obviously inspired, can do it, I expect Gerd Jordens, who is a very accomplished and creative brewer, to be able to do the same. The acetaldehyde was a bit too strong in the nose as well and the residual, unfermented sugars too dominant in the mouth (it almost feels as if extra candi syrup was added to increase the alcohol level - which is very likely the case). Still enjoyable alright, but I am left with the impression that this is another near-failed attempt at rivalling Duvel. I can therefore safely say I still have to meet the first beer to beat Duvel in its own style (the Duvel Tripel Hop editions not withspoken, perhaps, but I digress).

Bottle, as Jessenhofke BRWN. Pours hazy copper brown with airy beige head. Clear aroma of fruit and malt, with notes of caramel and hoppy and fruity touches. Bitter, hoppy onset, giving way to sweet notes of caramel malt and fruit, returning to bitternes towards the finish - this time, unfortunately, quite metallic. Nutty hints. Lively carbonation. Not that bad but rather thin-bodied.

Clear copper, frothy offwhite head. Yeasty, malty aroma with light sourish notes. Similar flavour but lighter than the aroma suggests. Lightly fruity and bittetsweet finish