It seems that our friends at AB InBev, owners of Bosteels since 2016 already, are determined to continue their self-invented tradition of presenting the consumer of the famed Karmeliet with a special 'Grand Cru' version every year - and I remember predicting a barrel aged one for this year... Alas, even though the label effectively says "barrel aged edition" this time, I was further from the truth than I was hoping for: if I understood the description correctly, and they get more complicated every year, it is not so much the beer that went into barrels, but this distillate they made of it already last year, a liquor distilled from actual Karmeliet beer flavoured with orange peel, bergamot and vanilla. The barrels used were allegedly made from Japanese oak or mizunara, a name probably familiar to whisky lovers, where this expensive type of wood is also sometimes used. So, in summary: a lot of mumbo-jumbo to uplift what is basically a herb liquor-infused version of Karmeliet, in itself already moulded into a sweeter, more superficial and qualitatively lesser version of its own past since 2016. Snow white, very thick, foamy and pillowy, shred-lacing, slowly diminishing head on a pure 'old gold' coloured, completely clear robe with very busy, almost champagne-like sparkling throughout - remaining clear till the last drop so obviously filtered. Aroma initially hindered by prickling carbon dioxide, but then releasing impressions of brioche bread, banana liqueur, strong vanilla, canned pear, 'graanjenever', some pineapple, strong coriander seed, vanilla-scented bath soap, basil, honey, perfume, sweet potato - and that annoying 'cooked cloth'-like smell of pasteurisation draped over it all. Sweet onset, strong banana ester, bubblegummy, ripe pear and candied apricot notes, minerally carb but not too harshly so; full but very slick mouthfeel, slickness from oats I know - but also from that pasteurisation in this case. Soapy wheat is present and accentuates this overall slickness, while pale malts and complementary white sugars do the rest, with a generous layer of honeyish sugariness resting on top. The 'triple distilled' liquor then sets in: a botanical gin-like effect (which is very close to what this addition actually is) with extra, in the end rather astringent booziness. Deeply situated hops accentuate the booze bitterness but otherwise do not unveil themselves, while the oak seems to accentuate the vanilla already present in the distillate - but no human sense-organ is capable of determining that with certainty. Whatever it comes from, a vanilla scent is very present retronasally, along with something jasmin-perfumey and coriander - while in the mouth, annoying sweetness remains stuck till the very end. Essentially a slightly 'pimped' version of last year's Grand Cru, this Karmeliet version adds very little to what already existed - the sandalwood-like finesse of mizunara remains all but unnoticeable and in the end of the day, this is just another cooked-to-death, empty, overly sweet tripel ridden with residual sugars and isoamylacetate embellished with a fancy packaging more than actual taste. Do not expect anything dramatically different from last year's Grand Cru (hence my similar rating) - but without a doubt, the marketing masterminds of AB InBev will have another fancy addition for us in store for next year's edition.

Draft at Apartt in Rotterdam during a company outing. Didn't take notes, unfortunately. Ok Triple. A bit more intense than the normal Karmeliet.

Clear amber with a tan head. Fruity up front, crystallized sugars, malt, a snap of spice, red fruits. Medium bodied. Finish has a nice spice bite that keeps it from getting too sweet. Nothing extraordinary but a solid Belgian amber.