Ungstrup (52110) reviewed Especial Mars from Contreras 22 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
A hazy amber beer with beutiful light brown head. The aroma is sweet with notes of corriiander, bannana, and mango. The flavor is very acidic which prickles the tongue combined with notes of lemongrass and hints of bannana. A very interesting beer.
Sloefmans (15389) reviewed Tonneke (Speciale Belge) from Contreras 22 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Hazy pale amber; slim cream-coloured head, fast gone. Slightly roasted & caramalt nose; bit herbal finish. Again a fresh, grainy & herbal taste on top of sweet & light roasted malts. Biscuit finish. Quite carbonated, the little head notwithstanding. Very refreshing. Nice, refreshing ale. A whiff of simple beers made once everywhere... those that were really satisfying. "A honest ale", my friend Jeremy said. Exactly.
Sloefmans (15389) reviewed Especial Mars from Contreras 22 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9
Am I truly the first one to rate this? Oh ye cruel gods! Foxy-brown, hazy, yeast in suspension. Very thick head, nearly gushing. Nose of apples, lactic acid, ironoxide, horsey. Taste is yeasty, ironoxide, lactic acid, lemony & barnyard aroma’s. Sample a bit aged (2 yrs.), hence some oxidized, ’biscuit’ tones. Extremely refreshing, medium bodied. "Martzen" is a stronger, bottle-conditioned version ot the year-round ’Tonneke’. Brewed with the March water, which, according to the brewer, is ’in bloom’.One of Belgium most complex, most underrated, and least-known classics. One of my absolute all-time favourites. One of Belgium’s big losses to come in the near future. DRINK THIS! Incidentally this brewery has also one of Belgiums’ best artisanal pilseners. Re rating Above was for the predecessor; known as "Maartse" or "Märzen". More than just the name and the ABV changed. The following is for the Mars Especial, which is no longer a Flemish brown, but another Belgian ale. Colour: Golden -amber beer; thick, dissipating head. 4/5 Nose: with ambrée and crystal malts, cookies. 7/10 Taste is very young, like concentrated vegetable matter, as from insect secretion. Rather moderate acidity with faint lactic touch. 7/10 Medium bodied at best. Slight burning sensation 3/5 regrettably much less distinctive than the original. But no doubt produced following more "learned" and "Eu-approved" methods. O tempora, o mores. 14/20