The French Oak version in this series, with the same basic recipe as the American Oak version with which I am comparing it. It has the same look, but the colour is darker, more full orange. Aroma comparable to the American Oak, inviting and pleasant with exotic fruitiness and woodiness, but strikingly, this one is a lot less sweet in the nose, with a lot less of the vanilla impressions the American Oak version has. Same story in the mouth: though basically the same beer, it shows considerably less vanilla, less sweetness and a bit more acidity, but in the same subtle and elegant way. Finishes almost the same. Dryer, less vanilla-like, less sweet and actually very close to Orval (except for the woodiness), if this is to be taken as a reference. And why not take Orval as a reference to an amber coloured, Brett-fermented Belgian ale of 7% ABV...

The American oak version of another special Delhaize series in which one component is altered each time; this one concentrates on the effect of different oak barrels combined with Brettanomyces (of which apparently two different species are used). Off-white, thinnish and opening, regular head consisting of small bubbles, colour a deep and warm orange blond, clear with calm sparkling. Pleasant and inviting aroma of esters and some wood, impressions of mango, vanilla, dry sherry, artisanal cider, melon, tomato, rosewater, leather, apricot, rosemary, dried thyme, grapefruit, jute, caramel, soy sauce, gin and broth. Soft fruity taste, crisp and clean, relatively sharp carbo, lots of peach and orange combined with a lemony, refreshing acidity, bready and caramelly malts in a light and slick way, somewhat vinous, pretty complex finish in which woody tannins, Brett funkiness, leafy hop bitterness and some warming, gin-like alcohol are all intermingled in a subtle and satisfying way. Softer and less funky than I had expected, but a very enjoyable, tasteful beer.

Bottle @ Home. Pours dark brown with a tan head. Aroma of malt, caramel, Little fruit. Flavor is sweet malty, caramel, nuts, little fruit. Medium body, lively carbontion. 170914

One of four beers intended to support the busy (but rather superficial) merchandizing surrounding self-proclaimed beer sommelier Ben Vinken, who gave us Bierpassie Magazine and the yearly Bierpassie Weekends in Antwerp. Nice champagne bottle with hangtag and cork, which was catapulted through my kitchen when opening. Thick yellowish white, moussy head slowly decreasing and leaving pretty lacing on the edge of the glass, staying as good as closed all of the time too; colour a deep and warm ’old gold’, slightly hazy with delicate sparkling but clouded and more orange after adding the bottom of the bottle. Aroma strongly dominated by freshly cut oranges, next to overripe peaches, pineapple, mango, white bread, grass, caramel, some spices and clear ’jonge jenever’-like alcohol. Taste starts off with lots of sweet exotic fruitiness, candied orange and orange juice, mango, somewhat sharpish carbonation at first but much less so as the bottle continues, soft caramelly and bready malt base, slick mouthfeel and somewhat thinnish body seen its ABV; in the middle a strong, ’jenever’-like, warming and too astringent alcohol shows up, dominating and drying the entire finish, which also shows some grassy hop bitterness. Promising start, I can appreciate strong aromatic orange flavours in blond beers, but the finish is clearly too alcoholic, which I can appreciate much less. Much ado about - well, not ’nothing’, but less than expected. In terms of style: an ’edelbier’ indeed, but more tripel-like than Vinken probably intended. I will compare this with the actual tripel in this series. But Ben, I really see no point in serving this in an ice bucket...

No gushing, but the cork hit the ceiling. Orange beer, well carbonated, under huge, very dense, just off-white head, very stable and leaving lace. Citrus, spicy, coriander-like, yeastesters. Oppressive spicy flavour, with oxydized citrus, oxydized malts, wet hay. Alcohol determines the finish. Spritzy carbonation, alcoholwarming, very slick. Strong. Blond. Superfluous. How disappointing after the really good IPA!

Bottle. Aroma of dust and black pepper. Taste is just black pepper. Pretty plain.

Bottle. Clear bright gold color, fluffy white head. Aroma of dusty, herbal white pepper. Taste is medicinal.

Bottle @ Home. Pours golden with a creamy white head. Aroma of malt, yeast, little buttery, fruit, littel spice. Flavor is malty, yeast, spice, honey, dusty, sweet fruity. Medium body, average carbonation, light sweet finish. 230814

@ Camping Ratebeer, hazy yellow beer, aroma and taste is a bit fruity, yeasty, meh