Draft. Golen beer with little head. Spicey aroma. Taste is slightly sour with citrus/green apple/banana and lots of malt. I’d remembered it being more yeasty - there’s a yeasty finish to it, but not as much as I remember. Good, not fantastic.

(Quite aged 75cl sample) Dark red brown, yeast in suspension; no more head. Nutty, spicy, rich old portwine nose, vinous as in cold brännvin glögg. Light-spicey, very vinous beer. An old Flemish brown (which is at odds with the young beer, which is all dark malts, spicey, even a tad harsh but nowhere sourish). Lots of esters in this beer. Palate is VERY much portwine-like. Light to medium bodied, bit watery texture, no doubt due to ageing. Faint oily mouthfeel. The beer has benefitted enormously from lagering more than half a decade in my cellar. Turned out a beautiful Flemish "red". The spices are unidentifyable. "Pater van Damme" has been with us for the longest time now - it still exists! - and it is still shrouded in mystery. Alledgedly, the brewery is on the first floor of the (only) shop were one can buy it. Nobody has ever seen this brewery, though many have asked so. When young, the beer oozes a rather severe, good homebrew, with lots of spices. One of the more plausible tales is that the beer is bought in, in (small) bulk, and further blended with a homemade spiced liqueurdrink. But, as long as nobody really knows the truth, and the beer remains available, I have to classify it here, under its own "brewery"name. I was quite surprised it wasn’t yet in the database. After many years of mystifying, the people in Damme have finally admitted their beer is brewed in Melle.

On draught at the Lowlander in London. Pours a pleasing gold color with a medium thin eggshell white head. Light lacing throughout. The aroma is fruity and wheaty. Light-bodied and effervescent, with a nice blend of flavors such as coriander, citrus, banana and yeast. The alcohol is detectable here and there as well. The finish is sparkling like champagne. I haven't had the bottled version of this yet but I can't imagine it being better than this.

Bottled
Hazy dark brown wirh small creamy tanned head. Aroma is sweet prunes and yeast (typical abbey). Medium-bodied. Alcohol gives bitter mouthfeel. Warming but too bitter.

Deep, hazy brown, rich thick smell: fruity, alcohol. Warming sweetness, chocolates. A good, big beer.

Orange-gold, very small white rim. Spicey nose, touch of salt, and coriander. Perfumey taste, crystal and colour malts, aniseed, coriander. Very spicey finish. Aggressive burning mouthfeel for a short time, but refreshing in the end. Not bad, but the dryness comes more from the spices than from the fermentation.

Hazy golden coloured body with a large frothy white head. Aroma of coriander seed, slight corn and some malt. Light malty flavour some clove and curacao but not much else. Aftertaste super clean, nothing crazy at all. Overall, nice to try but don't expect a superb beer! I had this beer on draught at Chez Antoinette in Washington, D.C. on 05-March-2004.

Dark brown with reddish hints. Aroma of prune, raisin, alcohol, nutmeg. Sweet. Slight toffee notes. Hint of oranges. Finishes sweet, almost syrupy.