01/06/2019 - tasting glass shared by jerre (thanks!) @ Brouwers in het Bos, Ename. Clear golden, medium white head. Nose is grains, bit spices. Taste is thin grains, soft sour touch, bit frutis.

Imported from untappd on 02-05-2020

Bottle 330ml. @ home.[ As OostEke Het Vijfde Seizoen ].Clear medium amber colour with a large, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, wheat, caramel, light bread, light caramelized malt, moderate yeasty, saison yeast, sweet yeast, light oxidide. Flavor is moderate sweet with a average duration, sweet malt, sweet yeast,fruity yeast, caramel, caramelized malt, light bread. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft. [20190503] 5-3-6-3-11

Whisky barrel aged blonde made at Contreras apparently, but by the Oosteke Brouwers; 75 cl bottle with crown cap from the Delhaize supermarket in Zwijnaarde, which strangely boasts a number of other Oosteke beers I have never seen in any other supermarket… Densely mousy, tightly paper-lacing, off-white, slowly dissipating and partially opening head on a misty, deep peach blonde beer with ‘dirty amberish’ tinge. Aroma of quite obvious iodine-like peaty whisky and single malt whisky in general, orange peel, herb cheese, freshly grated ginger, Grand Marnier, soggy old bread, apple cake, honey, rusk, vermouth, banana. Sweet onset, banana, red apple and pineapple aspects, quite estery with a light sourish edge and medium carbonation, supple and bit ‘fluffy’ mouthfeel, sweetbready and lightly caramelly malt sweetishness with anise- and clove-like phenolic effects on top, blending with the retronasal whisky effects though at this stage, the peatiness seems less pronounced than expected. Woodiness, in the form of ‘oaky vanilla’, is clear enough though, and adds dryness that works well with an aspect of candied orange, honeyish residual sweetness, a cheesy hop touch (yet low in actual bitterness) and whisky-flavoured alcohol warmth. Has little to do with IPA (contrary to what is apparently claimed) but by itself an interesting, if somewhat challenging whisky barrel Belgian blonde – though being familiar with this brewing company’s output, I suspect the rather unique flavour profile is more a matter of happy accident than intentional creation… Regardless, one of the more remarkable Oosteke beers for me so far.

One of several new beers by this ambitious and very active local ‘bierfirma’, steinie bottle from the Delhaize supermarket in Zwijnaarde. Thick and very frothy, egg-white, cobweb-lacing head over a hazy peach blonde robe with vivid visible sparkling. Aroma of freshly cut apples, margarine, unripe peach, bread crust, iron shavings, old lemon zest, dried camomile, grass, green celery, gypsum. Fruity onset in a Belgian-estery way, apple and green banana with a light dash of peach, but remaining low in sweetness; sharp and mouth-filling carbonation which nevertheless adds a bit of ‘body’ to a lean, thinly bready, rather soapy, cereally pale malt core. Some phenols and lingering esters in the finish as well as minerally aspects and bready yeasty notes, but the hop bitterness remains soft and mild, of a grassy and floral but hardly citrusy nature. Intended as a session IPA apparently, this is just a – below average ABV – Belgian blonde, in which the applied New World hops get all but lost, sadly. A pity, this could have been so much more if only the aromatic, fruity qualities of the hops were applied (much!) more generously… Oosteke still fails to leave a truly lasting impression on me so far.

Bottle from a local Delhaize in Sint-Amandsberg. Pours clear pale golden with a lasting, small, frothy, white head (cloudy with the sediment). Aroma of white pepper, yeast, kitchen herbs, unripe pear, lemon peel, hay, impressions of dill & thyme, tonic. Light fruity sweet onset with hints of apple & pear, bready malty touch; medium hoppy bitter middle brings kitchen herbs, dill, grass, spicy edge; sourish lime & lemon, even somewhat wheaty in the back. Dryish, grassy hoppy finish, lingering spices, a bit peppery, yeasty & bready retronasally, faint unripe autumn fruit, tonic-like effect. Medium body, slick texture, lively carbonation. Acceptable Session IPA, even if it has a rather 'mineral' character.

09/11/2018 - 33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Edelare. Clear dark yellow, lively carbonation, medium soapy white head. Nose is malts and bitterish spices. Taste stars sweet malty than, spices take over, way too much, bit burning along with the bit too much carbonation hard to chew.