Alengrin
Ghent, Belgium 🇧🇪 MemberOptions
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Alengrin (11609) reviewed Brut Royal (Bourbon) from Dame Jeanne 7 months ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8
One of a whole string of ‘bière brut’ variants under the Dame Jeanne umbrella, devised in ‘chic’ Brasschaat – only a brand of ‘champagne beers’ could have come from this municipality in the green outskirts of Antwerp, I guess. In this particular case, the champagne beer (do not call it that or you will get in trouble with the mighty French champagne lobby) has been flavoured with Elijah Craig bourbon, which they allegedly used as a ‘liqueur d’expédition’, the liquid used to compensate for the volume loss inherent to the standard production process of champagne. In the case of actual champagne, this liquid also consists of champagne, with various amounts of sugar; but Dame Jeanne does it differently and works with liquor to restore the volume, see also the calvados or cognac variants. Champagne bottle (of course) shared with Goedele. Egg-white, cobweb-lacing, thick and frothy, fluffy head, remaining quite stable over a near clear, deep and very ‘purely’ golden robe with disparate sparkling (but certainly not as much as in a glass of champagne). Aroma of dried peach, clear vanilla- and pepper-like bourbon, old apple cake, gin or even juniper berry, green pear, spice bread, cava, banana peel, dry straw, clove, apple peel, grass and – warming up – a background hint of ‘putteke’ (sewer water). Sweetish onset, cleanish with some light banana but none of those annoying bubblegum effects, hints of dried apple peel, persimmon and halfripe apricot; something thinly yet persistently sugary runs through it all, probably the sweetness added by the bourbon. Smooth, full body, active yet not too painfully stinging carbonation, white-bready and cereally pale malt core under typical champagne yeast flavours – all remaining quite clean thanks to the production method, following the ‘méthode champenoise’. Notably spicy accents appear in the finish, cove, turmeric but also bitter motherwort, phenolic but also seemingly linked to the bourbon, which also imparts an accent of vanilla and, unsurprisingly, warming booziness. Floral hops provide further background bitterness. The bourbon in the end becomes just a tad too strong for me: I prefer the non-liquor-containing versions of this brand, where the delicate features of the champagne yeast are not overwhelmed as is the case here. Interesting, but could have been executed more subtly, I think.
Alengrin
updated a beer:
Brut Royal (Bourbon)
brewed by Dame Jeanne
7 months ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Rullquin, the meanwhile classic ‘bière de coupage’ consisting of Rulles Brune blended with Tilquin lambic, has spawned a few fruited variants in past years, but this year Tilquin has opted for a very different approach: instead of fruit, coffee was used to create two new variants, one with coffee from Rwanda and another with Ethiopian coffee. Coffee may be a very unusual ingredient in lambic (or even non-existent apart from a couple of ‘postmodern’ experiments), it is not uncommon for it to be applied to stouts or other dark beers, so in that sense this approach perhaps makes more sense than imagined at first glance. Thick and firm, frothy, cobweb-lacing, yellowish beige, stable head over a very dark hazy mahogany robe with ruddy-bronze glow. Complex, earthy and fruity bouquet of wild blackberries, dry forest floor, old oak furniture, indeed coffee powder clearly piercing through, even a whiff of green coffee beans, unripe nectarine, green apple, autumn leaves, lingonberries, barnyard, dandelion, unripe plum. Tart, estery onset, lots of dark forest fruit impressions, ranging from blackberries over lingonberries to wild apple and medlar, all in a mellowly sour way – nowhere acetic but consistently, dryingly tart, throughout the entire flavour ‘parcours’. Moderate carb, relatively ‘full’ body, bread-crusty malt ‘soil’ with a bitterish toasty edge – as usual in Rullquin, but this time the bitterness is made spicier, ‘longer’ and more fragrant by the coffee, working will with the meanwhile pronounced tannic effect of oak and the ‘wild berry’ tartness. A ‘green’, tree leaf- or ever so slightly weedy effect lingers in the middle of all this, together with a leathery and dried mushroom-ish Brett funkiness. The dark red fruity effect keeps everything ‘moelleux’ and juicy; fruity lactic sourness and aromatic, spicy coffee linger at the back. Some vague alcohol appears to warm things up a bit, too – together with the generally earthy, ‘foresty’ character of this creation, adding to an almost wintery feel. Warming coffee, warming alcohol, rustic earthiness and tart forest fruit: all these elements combine very well into a ‘sour stout’ of sorts, which integrates the Rwandese coffee elegantly – in fact the coffee only reinforces the ‘sour stout’ effect, unsurprisingly perhaps. Very tasty and classy creation, I am very much looking forward to sampling the ‘Ethiopian’ version if only to see if there is any noticeable difference, as the coffee at least in this one is but a minor, albeit powerful element among many other impressions…
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Tilquin's and Rulles' classic 'versnijbier' Rullquin treated with Ethiopian coffee - one of two different coffee-flavoured versions, the other one using Rwandese coffee, something I just had to taste. Bottle under high pressure, opening with a firm hiss, but no gushing. Thick, frothy, bit rocky, pale yellowish beige, irregular, plaster-like lacing, stable head on an initially clear, dark mahogany brown robe with ruddy glow, turning misty further on. Complex, 'oud bruin'- and sour stout-like aroma of blackberry bushes, dry earth, dried prunes, crabapple, old brown bread crust, toast, coffee grounds indeed, dry autumn leaves, beech nuts, freshly cut thistles, dandelions, houseplant leaves, lots of background old wood of course, oxidized dry red wine, green coffee beans, whiff of barnyard (dare I say pig sty) getting slightly stronger when warming up. Tart, estery onset, wild blackberries, dried prunes, wild apple and medlar, some blackcurrant, but no sharp lemony acidity - just a general, lactic-dominated, drying sourness tightening everything a bit, through a rounded, lively carbonated middle; brown-bread-crusty, toasty-bitterish, somewhat dry-caramelly malt core, under ongoing tart dark fruitiness and lactic sourness - picking up tannic woodiness in the finishing stage. There the coffee shows up as well, accentuating the toasty aspect of the malt bill, bringing an interesting roasty bitterness but also a certain amount of 'juiciness'; in that sense it seems to accentuate not just the toastiness but the fruity esters as well. Some leathery Brett notes from the lambic fit in around this point as well, actually matching well with the dry spicy side of the Ethiopian coffee. Ends earthy, but not in a 'dirty' way, kept lively and 'juicy' by the fruitiness; dry tree leaves, roasty coffee grounds bitterness and wild berry-like sourness continue in almost equal proportions after swallowing. Interesting concoction: as in the obviously very closely related Rwandese coffee version, the coffee provides a roasty spiciness accentuating the earthy aspects and the general 'sour stout' feel without overpowering everything; it goes without saying that both versions are very much alike, logically so considering how they were made with the only difference being the origins of the coffee used. If I must identify differences, then these are extremely subtle and difficult to pinpoint (though who knows, a trained barista may have something more concrete to say); I am inclined to state that this 'Ethiopian version' is just a bit more expressive, a bit more colourful and a bit more aromatic in its coffee aspect than the Rwandese one, but generally speaking the coffee effect is equally strong in both and both are very tasty creations if 'sour stout' flavours are your thing.
Alengrin (11609) reviewed Souaf N° 25 from Kormann Bières 7 months ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7
The 25th 'official' brew by this brewery in the Dordogne region in southwestern France - one of so many operating there nowadays, almost all known only very locally (I do recall having seen a particularly dense map of the current microbreweries in France, though, so someone made the effort to enumerate them); a kind of honey beer apparently, from a 75 cl bottle generously shared by Francis Vanden Berghe at Baracuna. Medium sized, eggwhite, opening, moussey head on a cloudy straw blonde beer with beige tinge. Aroma of indeed honey (literally and in a more 'blossomy' way), freshly cut red apple, white bread, chamomile, sweetclover, pear, ripe peach. Fruity-estery onset, rupe pear and peach, some light pineapple perhaps, fizzily carbonated with supple, quite lean mouthfeel; cereally and white-bready pale malt core under clearly identifiable honey-flavouring sweetness, again bringing some background blossomy notes but mostly a dull sweet effect hovering over a floral hop bitterish element and phenolic spicy accents (clove). Remains sweet all the way through, but in a natural, non-cloying, flowery kind of way - I wonder how they managed that, actually, though it is by no means the most refined or interesting honey beer I had (come to Belgium - especially Wallonia - for those instead, and I do not even mean Barbãr). Rather dull, but admittedly correct from a technical viewpoint.
Alengrin (11609) reviewed Maître Quad from De Meester 7 months ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
The regular quadrupel in De Meester's range, strange that I have not rated this one before (but I am not De Meester's biggest fan so I probably subconsciously skipped it so far or something...). Thick and frothy, pale yellowish beige, irregularly membrane-lacing, even-bubbled and stable head on a very dark mahogany brown robe with burgundy edges. Aroma of dry caramel, old liquorice candy, clove, Brazil nuts, muesli, unsugared gum, dried plums, jenever, hints of dry autumn leaves, cheap brandy, Antwerpian 'Wycam's Borstbollen', eucalyptus, nutmeg and, frankly, 'hospital'. Sweet, fruity onset, dried plum, fig, some baked banana and some old raisin, lively carbonated but not harshly stinging and perfectly fine for the intended style, with smooth, bit glueish mouthfeel, albeit in a somewhat thinner way than expected. Brown-bready, dry-caramelly malt core with side notes of Ersatz chocolate, toffee and hazelnut bread - but less complex than I make it seem using all these different descriptors; a light toasty-bitter accent does appear at the back, but it remains really subtle, with more bitterness coming from a leafy hop dosage enhanced by brandy-like, warming alcohol. Odd and distinct aromatic notes of liquorice, nutmeg, clove and even vague eucalyptus linger - all phenolic, no doubt, but more colourfully so than I was expecting, though after letting the beer warm more, they become quite 'clinical' and far less inviting. Though following the basic structure of a quad, this particular interpretation does have its own personality: more slender and lean than is typical for the style, with a more outspoken herbal-aromatic spiciness and a tad more toastiness in the malt department; these features combined even remind me more of Scotch than quadrupel, but who knows where the brewer found his inspiration. Not too shabby, in any case, a bit different and technically well executed apart from the overt phenolic activity and this 'gummy' flavour which did not let go and was not entirely my cup of tea. Interesting one, in all, but when in the mood for a quad, I would still order a Sint-Bernardus Abt, Rochefort 8 or even a La Trappe Quadrupel over this.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Another one in this ongoing series of Silly Scotch (one of the last 'Belgian Scotch' ales if you ignore the many traditional Christmas ales inspired by it but usually containing extra spicing) aged on different barrels, in this case Sauvignon Blanc, actually a 'cépage' but also a wine made from it of course, a kind of dry white wine most typically coming from southwestern France. From a 75 cl bottle with cork and muselet, bought at De Picker in Zele and shared with Craftmember. Pale yellowish beige, medium sized, shred-lacing head on a misty bronze-brown robe with warm burgundy glow. Aroma of biscuit, toffee, lots of vanilla-scenting oak wood, caramel sauce, sweet sherry, clove, brown bread, a light background touch of liquorice, demi-sec wine, rosehip, thyme, brandy, baker's yeast. Lots of sweetish dried fruits in the onset, dried figs, raisins, but also some blue plum and medlar, vague sourish edge, lively yet small-bubbled and in that sense perfectly finetuned carbonation paired with a smooth, full, lightly oily mouthfeel with a vinous touch. Toffeeish and soft brown-bready malt core with even a subtle chocolatey edge but clearly evolving into a bitter-toasty ending as befits a Scotch; along the way, the white wine effect sets in, sweet and clearly detectable without overpowering everything. It brings some tannic, 'vanillish' woodiness too, whilst accentuating flashes of clove, rosehip and liquorice; the toasted bitter element is supported by leafy hops while alcohol waits till the end to effectuate its warming, soothing glow. Highly elegant, refined Scotch variant - like the others in this beautiful series, which has enormous ageing potential and great finesse, but is still incomprehensibly underestimated in the craft beer world today. Fine with me - more for those who know and appreciate its secrets, then.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Geuze by Boerenerf blended partially from lambics that were oxidatively aged in barrels which formerly contained Pineau de Charentes - and considering how every damn liquor that ages in barrels has somehow, to greater or lesser extent, passed through the craft beer world meanwhile, I cannot say I remember ever having had a beer (let alone lambic) aged on Pineau barrels, though it doubtlessly exists somewhere. Egg-white, medium thick, densely structured, largely regular and retaining head on a hazy peach blonde robe with deeper amberish tinge. Aroma of old wood, dry haystack, orange pith, some farmland (faraway though), grape skin and indeed some Pineau when warming up, white wine even, apple vinegar, yellow plum, wet leather, triple sec, limestone. Vibrantly estery onset, sharp and focused, reminiscent of sour grape, lemon, green plum and redcurrants, with an acidic lemony edge and lively, champagne-like sparkling. Layered sourness continues, offering only a glimpse of 'grapey' sweetishness, beckoning from afar; it remains subtle but undoubtedly comes from the Pineau, adding a certain 'moelleux' effect on a mellowly bready, lactic-fruity, estery, colourfully sour structure. Drying woody tannins and slight background funk (wet leather) join in near the end, joined by this vinous Pineau effect, sweetish almost but not quite - seamlessly stitched into the whole, with the end result being a highly sophisticated, refined, graceful and bright lambic. The lemony acidity stings a bit at first, but is softened by the Pineau sweetness permanently but silently lurking from behind the scenes - especially when the liquid has been given the chance to 'breathe' a bit. An actual lemon taste lingers after swallowing: lambic gets the last word here, more so than in many brandy-, wine- and fortified wine-aged lambic blends I had in all those years. Less Pineau-forward than expected, in that sense, but no less elegant and refined for it. Brett eats everything, right?