After their successful strong stout, I had to taste this French microbrewery’s barleywine as well. From tap at GIST in Brussels. Very thick, beige-ish egg-white, densely creamy, paper-lacing head, clear deep coppery mahogany-bronze robe. Aroma of dried figs, orange peel, honey, caramel sauce, dried wormwood leaf, pecan nuts, cloves, hint of soap, ‘herbes de Provençe’. Sweet onset, candied orange peel, yellow raisin and blue plum aspects, very subtle umami touch somewhere, medium carbonation, full and oily-vinous body, a tad resinous. A lovely caramelly, biscuity and pecan-nutty malt character unfolds with a slight toasty-bitterish edge to it, which becomes accentuated further by orange peel- and bitter herb-like hoppiness at the back but also by brandy-like, warming alcohol, which nevertheless remains soothing and pleasant rather than becoming obnoxious. Kind of a ‘compromis’, as the French (and Belgians) say: too hop bitter to fit in the original English barleywine idiom and not hoppy enough for an American style barleywine (which is what it is intended like, though admittedly e.g. Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot is not that far away in general profile). Nice, technically flawless and very enjoyable, well done again.

Beery xmas 2019, #1. Zoetig kruidig, bloemig, licht peperig. Prima saison

Dark one to prep for the flight

Pours very clear blonde ( hows that, for a black edition ) with medium white head that leaves existance within seconds. Smell is unfresh fruity ( a bit ) , mild oxidation, perhaps ? Taste is very highly carbonated. Shows strong oxidation ( madeira ) , over a very simple, lactic acid kinda sourness. Probably over the top, so let's give it some slack at least, but the sourness here doesnt prove a great level of complexity, which is not to be blamed on the possible age problems. Neither is the carbonation level, which is simply far to high. Might try again, since this bottle seems to old to me, but I doubt it'd be a much higher score than.

19/XI/19 - on tap @ HoReCa-Expo Gent, BB: n/a - (2019-1879) Thanks to the brewers and the Ghent Beer Posse for sharing today’s beers!

Clear dark red brown beer, small creamy beige head, pretty stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: quite some diacetyl, soft roast, malty. MF: soft carbon, medium to full body. Taste: sweet and malty start, lots and lots of diacetyl, soft roast, hint of dark chocolate, pretty and hoppy. Aftertaste: very bitter, bit chemical, hoppy, sweet touch, alcohol, a bit disappointing.

19/XI/19 - on tap @ HoReCa-Expo Gent, BB: n/a - (2019-1878) Thanks to the brewers and the Ghent Beer Posse for sharing today’s beers!

Clear orange beer, dense creamy white head, stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: quite some tropical fruits, buttery, quite some diacetyl, too much for my liking. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: alcohol, lots and lots of diacetyl, sugary, pretty bitter, little fruity. Aftertaste: dry, some orange peel, buttery, way too much diacetyl.

19/XI/19 - 33cl swing-top bottle @ HoReCa-Expo Gent, BB: II/2021 - (2019-1877) Thanks to the brewers and the Ghent Beer Posse for sharing today’s beers!

Clear to light orange beer, big solid creamy white head, stable, adhesive, leaving some lacing in the glass. Aroma: malty impression, bit off, some sulphur, spicy touch, bit herbal, fruity touch. MF: lively carbon, medium body. Taste: pretty bitter start, lots and lots of malts, grapefruit, more astringent bitterness, bit oxidized. Aftertaste: very unpleasant bitterness, soapy, grapefruit, some orange peel.

19/XI/19 - 33cl swing-top bottle @ HoReCa-Expo Gent, BB: XII/2020 - (2019-1876) Thanks to the brewers and the Ghent Beer Posse for sharing today’s beers!

Clear ruby red beer, practically no head. Aroma: lots and lots of raspberries, mainly raspberry jam. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: pretty acidic start, lemon juice, lots and lots of raspberries, more raspberry jam (although the raspberries haven’t been boiled, says the brewer?). Aftertaste: very acidic, bit off, lots and lots of lemon juice, bit metallic, dry and bitter finish.