7.8

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Fles stroomt onmiddellijk over bij openen. Lichtgeel vrij troebel bier met heel veel schuim. Smaak is vrij zuur en fruitig met iets van citrus en wat mango en banaan. Hel aparte tripel maar echt goed.

6.8

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Donkergeel bier met mooie stevige schuimkraag. Smaak is bitter hoppig en fruitig met iets van hars, bloemen en sinaasappel.

6.8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Very dark brown beer with a beige lacing. Aroma of mid sweet strong dark malt, chili, coffee. Taste of liquorice, sweet strong dark malt, tart red fruits, hot chili. Burning aftertaste.

5.3

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5.5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 5 | Overall - 5

Dunkelmalziger, süß röstiger Beginn. Chili ist mild im Hintergrund erkennbar, süffig, nicht unbedingt harmonisch. Dunkelmalzig, mittellanger Abgang, in dem die Schärfe ansteigt. 10/8/8/7/6/7

7

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Sample (thanks fonefan!). Reddish amber colour, small slightly pinkish head. Aroma is floral, some cherries and mild sweet berries to it. Flavour is cherries, some tartness, nutmeg and mild sherbet tones.

7.4

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Orange-flavoured barleywine by this brand in Lummen east of Leuven, created for Dijleschuimers Winters Bierfestival 2022. Some tiny egg-white bubbles but no head worth mentioning (a general problem during the festival, I have the impression – something to deal with in the next edition), warm amber-orange-glowing bronze robe, clear. Aroma of dried orange peel indeed, caramel, dried cranberries, triple sec, candied fig, coffee grounds in the background or bitter spices from the picon, less flattering hints of buttermilk (diacetyl – clearly very young still), sweat and beef broth. Dried fig and candied orange in the mouth, sweet with a layer of honeyish residual sugar over a very softly carbonated (if at all), smooth and oily body; caramelly, peanutty and bit biscuity, but also somewhat bubblegummy middle, altogether quite slender for the strength of this beer. Some bitterish and sweet orange effects in the finish but also diacetyl and something sweaty, along with a dash of spicy hops and warming, brandy-like alcohol, with everything ending bittersweet (more bitterness from the picon than from hops, it seems), but in all, much more sweet than bitter. Well-intended but a bit thin for a barleywine, and supposedly too young as well (finished shortly before the festival, I guess); some more age on this could reduce the overt sweetness as well as the diacetyl ‘off’ effect so if I ever encounter this one again, I will certainly give it another shot. Benefit of the doubt for now.

8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

--Sample, thanks fonefan! -- Lightly hazy burgundy colour, small pink head. Intense aroma of schaarbeekse cheries. Tart with medium body and rounded mouthfeel. Dominated by tart aromatic noble cherries. Elegant tart backgroud. Low bitterness.

6.9

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

3.8

Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 3 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 3

27/VIII/21 - 33cl bottle from Willems (Grobbendonk), shared @ summer holiday in France, BB: 18/I/23 (2021-974)

Clear brown beer, big creamy to aery beige head, little stable, falls down quickly, non adhesive. Aroma: weird, rotting banana, dead yeast (autolyse?), soft roast, chocolate, bit of a sourish impression, probably infected? MF: soft roast, medium body. Taste: sourish start, rather dirty, gentle chilli heat, soft roast, more sourish, weird. Aftertaste: overripe banana, some dried fruits, sourish, unpleasant and dirty, clearly infected, and if not then this flavour is intentional and that’s even worse…