Bottle, 6.5% ABV. (RBNAG 07) The aroma, which isn’t bad at all, somehow reminds me of a meal of German sausages and sauerkraut. It’s quite sweetish, but there’s a little touch of cooked cabbage lasting all the way to the very end. There’s also a little roast and beef-stock maltyness in the flavor. Full body. Sure drinkable and sure unusual. (071103)

500ml bottle (6,5%ABV) @ RBNAG’07. Body is clear amber with a thin beige head. Aroma of sweet malt, brown sugar and some alcohol. Flavor is quite sweet, malty with some caramel and a decent bitterness. Medium body and a well balanced beer, not so unusually as indicated on the label.

Bottle at RBNAG 07. Amber colour with a beige head. Aroma is caramel, malt. Flavour is caramel, malt, dry, hop. Ok beer.

Thanks to boboski for opening this brew. Pours a clear light brown with faint copper highlights. The head is white. It has a light aroma that hides its complexity. I get mild notes of spice, fruit and vague sweetness. The flavor attacks the palate with sweet dark fruit like plums, raisins, hints of grapes and also smooth blended spices. Then I get caramel hard candy sweetness cut by hints of alcohol, mild tartness mixed with cherries. It really dries out approaching the finish leaving a mild caramel and cherry dark fruit flavor behind.

Bottle (from Cracked Kettle, Amsterdam). Deep coppery amber colour with small beige creamy head. Aroma is spicy, fruity, some alcohol and sweet malts. Flavour is leathery, alcoholic, spicy and quite fruity. The fruityness along with leatheryness stays for quite some while in the aftertaste and the alcohol gives a nice warming touch. After this wears out the spicyness gets really strong. A rather complex and nice brew.

Sampled bottle, RBNAG 2007 in Grimstad. Reddish amber colour. Moderately spicy and slightly oaky aroma. Moderately spicy flavour with a distinct hoppy finish.

Medium beige head. Slightly hazy dark red body with faint carbonation. Roasty smoky toffee aroma with earthy pine nut notes. Dry-sweet roasty toasted sugar taste with smoky earthy rye crisp bread notes. Mid-bodied. Mild, soft mouthfeel. Dry toasted sugar and cinnamon aftertaste with smoky toffee and caramel notes. Lovely! Highly drinkable and very vivid, with a nicely delicate smoky background. (0.5l bottle, from Bierkoning, Amsterdam. Rated twice. First at RBNAG 2007. Loved it both times.)

Clear amber colour. Aroma is sweet with herbs. Flavour is sweet and herbs as well. Very light.

2013-07-15, vintage 2010, 3 years old, 7-5-7-3-14=36
Hazy amber color with medium sized compact head. The malt aroma could be more developed, it also carries hint of wood and fudge. Fair body strength, with round mouthfeel; it has a good malt and caramel flavor, not surprising though, with medium sweetness, not much bitterness, alcohol perception, and a feeling of sweet nuts.
A good beer, a bit pretentious, and definitively too expensive in today’s beer panorama.

2010-06-03, RBESG 2010, bottle at Brasserie 4:20, vintage 2005, 5 years old, 6-4-6-2-11=29
Red amber color; small head. Aroma of alcohol, potatoes, caramel, vegetables. Slim body, caramel flavor, some residual sweetness, some vegetables, light liquorice; low bitterness, high alcohol perception. Too old.

2007-05-21, beautiful bottle, with red wax on the cap and neck; courtesy of my friend Olga, vintage 2005, 2 years old, 8-5-8-4-17=42
Pours a cloudy chestnut color; the head is not persistent. The aroma is strong, malty, caramel, sweet nuts, fresh, with accent of good Belgian yeast. The body is strong, well structured, but not viscous (as already noticed when pouring), with a good malt flavor and a very elegant caramel taste, with candi sugar, very light roasted malt and very light liquorice; some sweetness, bold bitterness rising at the end, where the alcohol warms the mouth, and still with a touch of sweet liquorice. Reinvigorating. Great example of Strong Belgian Ale.