Another whisky-infused beer and directly or indirectly an heir to Anker’s Gouden Carolus Imperial Dark which started this trend in Belgium seven or eight years ago now; bottle shared with Craftmember and Goedele. Moussy, pale yellowish beige, medium thick, stable head, misty chestnut brown robe with ruddy-bronze hue. Aroma of caramel, oxidized red apple slices, clove, peach, tea, bubblegum, banana peel, brown bread, hints of basil, whisky indeed but subtle, liquorish or even ‘borstbollen’, blackberry jam, hazelnut oil. Sweet onset, red apple sprinkled with blonde sugar, hints of banana, raisin and pear, softish carb, full but slick and bit resinous mouthfeel; brown-bready and caramelly malts with slight bubblegummy edge, residual dark sugars and spicy phenols (clove, nutmeg, touch liquorish again) gently bittered by a herbal hop touch and a light whisky element – but the latter remains very faint. Ends softly spicy, mildly bitter, fruity and yeasty, like gazillions of other dark Belgian ales – with the whisky hardly having any effect at all. Decent enough, but feeling a bit ordinary and uninspired, though a higher whisky dose probably would have made it too boozy; perhaps a thicker malt bill could add some improvement?

The old Belgian amber style ('spéciale belge') has dramatically declined in popularity in the past few decades, but several Belgian breweries are trying to revive it, with this being De Poes' contribution. Quite a violent gusher, spouting out of the bottle upon opening, so be warned and keep a glass very nearby. Thick and frothy, cobweb-lacing, snow white, large-bubbled but dense and closed head on a misty deep orangey peach blonde beer (rather than actual reddish amber), with vague beige-ish tinge possibly pointing at onsetting oxidation. Aroma of old bread crust, wet toast, soggy peanuts, baker's yeast, dry hay, radish peel, unripe peach, turnip, moist white pepper, hints of banana peel, old dried orange zest, fried carrots, old and soggy paprika crisps, old 'herbes de Provençe', pumice, petrichor, rusty iron (the oxidation I suspected - but not too strong), leftover dough. Fizzy onset, quite painfully stinging with strong minerally effects and distracting from the actual flavour, initially consisting of impressions of dried apricot, unripe peach and red apple but subdued in sweetness; smooth malt core, bread-crusty and old soggy cracker-like, with a very light peanutty edge but not evolving in the lovely nuttiness of a 'real' amber beer, though still becoming gently toasty-bitter towards the end. Spicy phenols dance around (clove, thyme, some nutmeg) while grassy and leafy hops provide a drying, quenching end bitterness; the iron effect leaves a metallic 'zing' behind, but toasty malt bitterishness and hops retain dominance in the final stage. Quite yeasty in the end too, feeling a tad 'dirty' and even sourish in the very end, possibly hinting at infection which may explain the gushing. Gusher, overcarbonated, too yeasty and not quite clean-nutty malty enough for a real 'spéciale belge': this is not exactly what it could and should have been, and from a (meanwhile) established brewery like De Poes I expect more technical control. In itself not a really bad beer, feels like some earthy blonde decently prepared in a semi-amateurish context, but drinkable enough.

Bottle from Stockman, Maldegem. Dark brown colour, beige foam. Sweet and malty, light whisky and vanilla notes.

Merci Thom Z.

33cl bottle from Quali Drinks in Mechelen. F: gusher alert! Huge, off-white, average retention. C: amber, hazy. A: malty, caramel, bit herbal fruity. T: medium malty base, caramel, biscuits, mellow fruity, pears, hop is totally lost here, higher carbonation, quite average, let´s say drinkable.

Bottle. Bier Huis Ossett. Just about clear, medium gold. Pretty dense, lasting, semi lacing white foam. Looks boss. Nose has cake mix. Ripe banana. Toffee. Taste is sweet and sticky. Bit gloopy. Foamy carbonation. Some light hop bitterness to finish.

33cl bottle from Quali Drinks in Mechelen. F: medium, white, poor retention. C: deep gold, hazy with yeasty particles. A: malty, peach, floral, spicy touch, banana, bit apples. T: medium malty base, peach, floral, apples, banana, touch, weak bitterness, soft carbonation, obviously Saaz hop is not the best for this style, drinkable that’s all.

24/XII/21 - 33cl bottle from Bierhalle Deconinck (Vichte), shared @ Christmas Eve at Arno & Meggy’s place, BB: II/2023 (2021-1603)

Pretty clear orange blond beer, huge creamy bit irregular fluffy off-white head, stable, adhesive, leaving a nice lacing in the glass. Aroma: bit yeasty, malty, grassy, hay, rural, cow fodder. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: little sweet, pretty fruity, malty, nice bitterness, yeasty, more fruity, pears, slightly sourish. Aftertaste: gentle bitterness, sour apples, malty, little sweet, soft bitterness, bit grassy.