Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5
How: Draught.
Where: Man in the Moon, Stockholm.
Appearance: Hazy dark golden colour with a white head.
Aroma: Malt, yeast, bourbon, alcohol, dried fruit.
Body: Medium body, low carbonation.
Flavour: Malt, yeast, bourbon, alcohol, dried fruit.
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5
This year's Excellence du Val-Dieu was apparently aged on Barbados rum barrels, boosting the alcohol level to a formidable 14% ABV; 75 cl bottle from the Delhaize supermarket in Lokeren, shared at Craftmember's birthday party. Egg-white, medium sized, moussey head, remaining proportionally stable on a misty ochre-tinged deep peach blonde robe. Aroma of stale coconut flakes, brown rum rather upfront indeed, caramel, marmalade, fried apple, candied peach, vanilla-breathing oak wood, almond, 'white' alcohol (wodka), tea. Sweetish onset, hints of peach, apricot and Doyenné pear, slight sourish edge, softishly carbonated with slick mouthfeel, more slender than one would expect at this ABV - clearly thinned by added alcohol. Honeyish, lightly caramelly, bit biscuity core indeed increasingly soaked in heavy rum, with all the exotic coconut effects and heating booze you can expect; woodiness remains very background, making me wonder if this is not more infused with rum than actually rum barrel aged... A slight orangey citric note lingers at the back and some vague floral hoppiness is there, but most of the finishing bitterness comes from the rum. Still, all things considered, this liquor does not behave too badly: I probably would not have guessed its superstrength of 14% had I not known, so I guess one could say that the alcohol is better hidden than expected. Drinkable, in that sense, but I have never been impressed by this brewery's output (in spite of it being the first 'modern' one in Belgium to be housed in an actual abbey, ignoring the trappist breweries); only Val-Dieu Grand Cru put a smile on my face when it was first released, but that is now a long time ago. I am wildly guessing Val-Dieu Triple was the base beer used here and if that is the case, one would expect more harsh booziness in this rum version, given the full 5% difference in ABV... In the end, I personally think this superhigh ABV is uncalled for and this winter beer is certainly not worth its relatively high price tag (for, essentially, a supermarket beer!); it is far from the refined masterpiece I tend to expect at that level, but many Belgian beer drinkers will surely be impressed. Passes...
EvNa (6056) reviewed Grand Cru from Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu 1 year ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle from local AH XL supermarket. Color: Clear dark copper to amber, large frothy very light brown head. Aroma: Dark malt, nutmeg, caramel, some roasted malt. Taste: Sweetish malt base with quite strong floral and lightly citrus hop backbone. Spicy notes of nutmeg. Over moderate sweet and moderate to over moderate bitterness. Dar malt, some roasted malt, subtle chocolate and nuts. Medium body, average to above average carbonation. Nice typical Belgian Strong Dark Ale.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Very pale with a light haze and lasting thin head. Very fresh tasting. Touch of citrus and even a light bitterness too. Low on banana and yeast. Good.
Erzengel (18514) ticked Fruitée from Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu 1 year ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Color marrón cobrizo, opaca, cremosa espuma beige tan abundante como duradera. Aroma a malta tostada, caramelo, fruta pasificada (ciruelas, pasas...), pan negro, algo de madera...En boca es densa, maltosa, algo dulce de entrada con notas de fruta madura, algo de café, pan negro, ceniza y melaza, final ligeramente amargo seco, dejando un recuerdo ligeramente tostado, especiado y levemente dulce en boca. Un trago muy rico, por supuesto buena cerveza.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Creamy white good mostly lasting head. Orange colour. Light malty and hoppy aroma. Cherry/marcipan notes. Light bitter flavor. Average light bitter fiish. Oily palate.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Can from Total Wine in Vacaville, CA. Pours clear light pink with a moderate white head. Aroma is lightly raspberry, but strong enough to occlude the malt. Approaching med body. Flavor is dry and delicately raspberry. Malt is hard to find. Turns very slightly fruit sweet towards the finish. Nice.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6.5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Very good, dense, lightly yellowish head over veiled orange beer. Forcefull alcoholic, boozy nose, sweet and syrupy. Sweet, dried apricot, alcohol, fusels, Bourbon, bananapeel. Oversweet, thick, syrupy (despite good carbonation) MF, chewy. No, not my cup of tea. Too boozy, as a Duvel refermented with thick pale molasses. Txs to Stef!
RuneBlix (26316) reviewed Hop from Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu 1 year ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
330ml bottle bought at Vinmonopolet Langnes. Crocheted lacing from a declining white head, foggy yellowish body. Moderate aromas of grain, and ripe orange. Herbal hops to the taste buds with a note of grain and yeasty fruitiness. Drying ending, malt-fruity. Rouned mouthfeel. Just okay. (Tromsø, 08.10.2024).