Achel Extra Bruin (de 3 Wijzen)

Brewed by Brouwerij der Trappistenabdij De Achelse Kluis
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Hamont-Achel, Belgium

Bottled, pours mahogny brown, slightly cloudy with a nice beige, creamy head, mostly lasting and with an excellent lacing. Nose of malt, caramel and lightly yeasty. Sweet flavour of malt, caramel, raisins and mild chocolate. Medium to full bodied. Has a mild alcoholic finish. A well balanced beauty and it’s very enjoyable.

Bottle pours a very hazy and sediment infused amber orange with a decent head that dissipates quickly leaving some lace. The aroma is serious malty sweet and spiced and over ripe banana. Perhaps I smell some bubblegum notes. The flavor is very complex, sweetness, yeast, pear, peach, banana, spice, grass, honey, and caramel. A yeast pour and warming really pump up the characteristics. It becomes much more of a heady sensation. There is some faint trace of floral hops that along with the yeast characteristics tries to balance out the sweet notes. It is very balanced and well done. Bravo.

Bottle at wine frig temperature. Aromas of caramel and mild spice with floral/fruity notes. Suggests cola. Color is brilliant ruby (in front of halogen). Head is beige/tan, but lacks strength. Medium in body with fizzy/creamy carbonation. The brain is instantly assaulted with subtle complexity. It’s caramel sweet; it has fruit that’s neither dark nor light (maybe this is the "dried fruit"). There’s a coffee or cacao undertone, I think. It is almost silky smooth. The finish is neither dry nor sweet; seems well balanced. There is some floral/fruity bitter going against the caramel. This is really a good ale.

Drank at home from Achel Trappist glass. Beer popped out of the bottle like a fountain. Pours dark muddy brown. head doesn’t last long, but I had it in the fridge, bad idea. carmel and chocolate taste with a great effect on the senses.

The head was quick to foam, with small bubbles near the body, foaming larger near the top. The head dropped surprisingly quick, too. Not too much left on the glass. The aroma was strong to me, classic strong Belgium ale smell with caramel, sweet, malty. The palate was bubbly, thin, and tickled the back of the throat. The clear, but opaque brown color made me think the taste was going to be something else. The taste, though, lived up to a great Trappist ale, mimicking the aroma with its sweet, caramel and the added hops.

Tasted 2008-01-25. 4 years old. Pours clear, amber with off-white head. Aroma: Cellar! When shaked a bit, I get attacked by port, malt, toffee and pineapple. Flavour: Very rounded and accessible. Port and malt dominates. Very complex beer.

75cl bottle. Pours dark brown with a tan creamy head. Aroma of sweet malts dominates. It has a medium body that is creamy and sweet with a touch of alcohol coming through. This is a very well done quad that I definately look foward to having again and again. Excellent brew!

Achel is a trappist, but 95% of the belgium people don’t know it. The blond is very tastefull beer, but the brown is not my taste. Very hoppy and malty taste, but with no extra taste explosion.