Fles 33cl thuis. Hoppig, bloemig, kruidig, Belgisch gist, zoeten, fruitig, licht banaan, wat citrus, bittertonen, grassig, haver, suikers. (22-9-2022).

Belgian strong dark (a ‘massieve ale’, as the OBP used to say) by a young (2020) client brewer in the Kempen region, brewing at first Pirlot and now Het Nest – so at least these guys are honest about that, which is more than exemplary in this day and age. Thickly paper-lacing, yellowish pale beige, irregular but thick, pillowy, stable head on a misty ruddy bronze-brown beer with mahogany glow, turning cloudy and darker brown with sediment. Aroma of soggy brown bread, old raisins, clove, cooked plum, rainwater, old gingerbread, moist white pepper, damp straw, vague ruby port and something sweaty in the background. Dried fruits in the onset, sweetish but not cloying at all, raisins and dried apple peel, fizzily carbonated; rounded body, brown-bready maltiness with a light caramelly edge, sweetish from malts more than residual sugars. Mild phenolic spicy notes in the finish (clove) along with a Scotch-like toasty bitter accent and herbal hop bitterishness, the bitter aspect accentuated a bit by gin-like alcohol. Some sweetness does linger, but the malt bitterness has more ‘power’ here than is typically the case in more ‘commercial’ examples of this (loose) style; as said above, this toasty aspect of it for me refers to the old Scotch tradition, which had a deep influence on strong Belgian brown ales in the 20th century (think of Belgian Christmas beers, for example). Very solid and frankly better than expected.