Draught @ Le Trappiste, Brugge. Practically black with a thin head. Has a sugary sweet winter fruit aroma and taste.

The dark counterpart of Sinterklaas Blond, referring to Saint Nicholas’s coloured assistants, who are the subject of controversy nowadays. Like the blonde one, only available at Den Antus and other Sint-Niklaas pubs from November 11th to December 6th and served in the same mitre-shaped glass which was especially developped for the occasion. Original recipe so not an alias. Pours a hazy, very dark bronze, blackish even, with good fizz, under a sticky, moussy, yellowish light beige head. Aroma of caramel, coffee powder, cloves, coriander seed, gingerbread, bayleaf, pear, chocolate, whisky. Tastes fruity, red berries, dates, apple and banana, smooth and slightly oily mouthfeel, caramelly malt backbone, sweetish and a bit resinous, retronasal spiciness (primarily drying coriander but I suspect ginger has been applied as well), bitter chocolate malt in the finish and something roasted and coffee-like, but subtle, with ’European’ leafy hop bitterness and some warming, whisky-like alcohol. Stylewise, this is a typical Scotch-based Belgian winter ale. Enjoyable, though perhaps lacking a bit of body for the style.

Initiative from the Den Antus pub in Sint-Niklaas, brewed for the yearly Saint Nicholas day and only available there and at a few other pubs in Sint-Niklaas from November 11th till December 6th; brewed to a new, original recipe so not an alias. Served in a mitre-shaped glass. Very thick and rocky, creamy, sticky, stable, snow white head intended to resemble Saint Nicholas’s beard, over a cloudy and somewhat ’dirty’ peach blonde beer. Estery and hoppy aroma of red apple, grapefruit peel, orange juice, pineapple, gingerbread, overripe (if not rotting) pear, mango, white bread, biscuit, honey and some cardboard, but nothing really off-putting. Very fruity onset, applish, exotic fruits, orange peel freshness, quite strong carbonation, bready and caramelly malt sweetishness, spicy yeastiness, somewhat citrussy and peppery hop bitter finish, yeasty as well and supported by some warming, ’jenever’-like alcohol. Enjoyable.

Bottle @ Comptoir des Arts, Brugge. Cloudy amber-blonde with a head. It’s fruity with orange a dominant flavour. Has a small floral aroma.

Clear golden colour, huge white head. Aroma of malts, yeast, green banana. Sweet malty flavour, light bitter. Very fizzy. Yeasty finish. Nicely drinkable, but lots of carbo.
(from 33cL bottle @ home)

Bottle from Wijnegemse drankenhal . Gusher . Pours unclear yellow-blonde . Huge white head . Smell is bitter ( hops but also malts ) slightly aromatic . Yeasty . Typical Belgian . Taste is bitter . Very overcarbonated ( happens a lot with boelens ) on top of being very wattery . Hops come trough very straight and simple . Bit bitter , bit orange-fruity ( tiny bit ) . More yeast in the taste than hops . Another very Belgian IPA . Another overcarbonated boelens . Another let down ;(

Blonde session beer named after the region in northeast Flanders where the Boelens brewery is located. Thick egg-white head over hazy, warm orange-hued peach blonde beer. Estery, slick pale malts, some cooked cabbage (DMS) too, yeasty finish, some spicy phenols. Passes but remains a straightforward and, frankly, rather boring Belgian blonde like there are way too many on the domestic market.

A ’tarwetripel’ developped when the Waasland region in Flanders, where Boelens is situated, was startled by sightings of an out-of-place, roving wolf (and I am convinced I saw him too in that period, but anyway)... Apparently still made to this day. Off-white, loose head, deep brownish orange colour, cloudy. Estery nose, spices, caramelly maltiness, wheaty, very yeasty; nutty and caramelly malty taste, yeasty, sweetish fruitiness, citrus, coriander, peach, mild grassy hop bitterish finish. I had this a few times in bad (infected) condition but I will not take that into consideration for this rating.