'Tripel' of a mere 6.5% ABV - so in reality, a Belgian blonde ale, but after a lot of doubt I decided to respect brewer's intent and classified it as a tripel here nonetheless... Brewed during the lockdown resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Snow white, thick and frothy, cobweb-lacing, stable head over a pure yellow golden blonde, misty beer with apricot tinge. Aroma of ripe banana, coriander seed, cooked apple, stewed pear, honey, white bread slices, powder sugar, apricot, quince jam. Sweetish onset, strong banana ester, ripe pear and unripe pineapple, apricot, fizzy carb, smooth and bit glueish mouthfeel; white-bready, cereally maltiness with a layer of honeyish sweetness on top, evolving into an indeed softly spicy finish dominated by coriander seed and a sweetclover- and camomile-like floral hoppiness, which bitters only gently. Bittersweet, fruity ending. Apart from the fact that I draw the line at, say, 7.5% ABV to distinguish between blond and tripel and this one clearly belongs in the former category, it cannot be denied that this is perfectly fine in that category, correctly brewed without flaws. Then again, if you have this whole lockdown period to come up with a new beer, it hardly impresses if the result is simply another cliché blonde...

Broers' imperial stout (previously called Zwarte Ruiter) in a special form, limited to 200 bottles of 75 cl only; apparently a blend of the fresh, regular one with an older one that had been 'soured' on kegs for two years. Knowing this brewery's company policy, there is no doubt in my mind that they had an infected batch of this Zwarte Ruiter, but decided to blend and sell it anyway because whatever we make, it will sell anyway. Thanks to tderoeck for sharing this rarity. Pale greyish beige, irregular, bubbly, opening head on a blackish beer with misty mahogany hue. Aroma of blackberries, balsamic vinegar, unripe blue plums, old moldy walnuts, dry forest floor, old tea bags, coffee grounds, chlorine, hard caramel, sour milk, old oxidized sherry. Tart onset, blackberry-like with additional hints of green apple and blue plum, with a sweetish, fig-like core; softish carb, smooth walnutty and hard-caramelly maltiness with a light bitter chocolate effect, but too light to justify the 'stout' claim in this case; vinous tartness continuing till the end, also when a coffeeish roasted bitterness sets in. Ends herbal and very earthy, brown-bready and leafy, with eventually quite some yeasty 'dirtiness'. Better than expected to be fair, a typical example of a 'happy accident' I would argue, but in all more an 'oud bruin' than a true sour stout.

19/VII/20 - 75cl bottle from Geers (Oostakker), shared @ home, BB: n/a (2020-663)

Clear dark brown to black beer, small irregular beige head, unstable, non adhesive. Aroma: lots of brett, some lambic, soft roast, funky, horse blanket, fruity notes. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: soft acidity, pretty bitter, bit chemical, dry, blackberries, bitter touch, some tannins. Aftertaste: soft roast, pretty astringent, more blackberries, very bitter, some coffee, sourish, acidic, fruity.

28/VI/20 - 33cl bottle from Geers (Oostakker), shared @ Abeel’s place (Delft), BB: n/a (2020-564)

Clear orange beer, small creamy white head, pretty stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: malty, grains, bit oxidized, orange peel, hint of banana. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: pretty bitter, hoppy, citrus, bit grassy, malty. Aftertaste: malty, pretty bitter, grains, peated touch, some banana, grassy, dry finish, not bad.

27/VI/20 - 33cl bottle from Geers (Oostakker), shared @ Abeel’s place (Delft), BB: 29/IV/22 (2020-563)

GUSHER ALERT!
Cloudy reddish brown beer, huge, fizzy beige irregular aery head, stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: lots & lots of CO2, very roasted, malty, grains, hay, cow fodder, grains, caramel touch. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: bit sweet, malty, roasted grains, dry, hoppy. Aftertaste: soft roast, bitter, hoppy, some chocolate, grains, caramel touch, nice stuff.

27/VI/20 - 33cl bottle from Geers (Oostakker), shared @ Abeel’s place (Delft), BB: 30/IV/22 (2020-559)

Pretty cloudy orange to murky beer, small irregular off-white head, unstable, dissipates quickly. Aroma: malty, grains, hay, cow fodder, sweet, fruity as well. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: bit sourish, yeasty, weird bitterness, a bit off, unpleasant bitterness. Aftertaste: bit sourish, funky, honey, bit oxidized, weird, infected, malty touch.

27/VI/20 - 33cl bottle from Geers (Oostakker), shared @ Abeel’s place (Delft), BB: 30/IV/22 (2020-557)

Pretty cloudy orange beer, big - no, huge! - aery fizzy off-white head, stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: lots and lots of CO2, spicy, yeast, autolyse? Banana as well. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: very herbal, yeasty, banana peel, pretty bitter, chemical, some caramel malts. Aftertaste: bitter, herbal, bit medicinal, unpleasant bitterness, rubbery notes, don’t like this.

Golden colour with light haze. Aroma and flavour are grainy and quite sweet. Yellow stone fruits like apricot linger in the background. Soft carbonation.

Almost black with thin head. Aroma and flavour have elements of caramel and liquorice but with a fresh spicy yeasty bite too. Rounded bitterness with a little roastiness in the aftertaste.