Achel Extra Bruin (de 3 Wijzen)

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

Pours a hazy copper brown with 3/4" creamy tan head. Good head retention, good lacing. Sweet brown sugar and maple in the aroma. Nicely sweet and malty beer, with brown sugar, maple sugar, caramel, plum, rum, and some oak. Very complex and tasty. Mildly tart and slightly spicy hops in the finish with a bitterness more reminiscent of strong black tea than hops. Full bodied and warming.

75cl bottle. This pours a dirty brown color with a huge head. The aroma is of cardoman and bits of nutmeg and cinnamon. The finish has a candy sugar sweetness.

75cl bottle from the abbey. This is easily one of the best beer’s I’ve ever had. VERY sparkly champagne like mouthfeel and very balanced taste where nothing really sticks out. I just realised I was sipping it and enjoying it without making any notes. I rarely notice how beer pours, but this one was beautiful from the very beginning. Try it with strong cheese.

75cl bottle from 2004 – Red brown body, beautiful beige head; Incredibly beautiful depp balanced nose, lots of fruit especially red ones: plum, overripe red apples also overripe strawberries; Super pleasant soft and smooth body it actually feels a bit thin but it fits the beer perfectly, perfect amount of a little sharp carbonation; Quite long finish, again a bit thin here a little to thin, malty warmer aromas and a little spicy fruity aromas. Amazing beer, by far the best from Achel.

BB Aug, 2007. Pours an opaque, dark garnet with brwon highlights; head is off-white, fizzy, averaged-sized, yet mostly diminishing quickly and leaving minimal lacing. Nose is pleasant but not overly complex for a Belgian; notes of raisin, fig, light chocolate, and plenty of Belgian yeast. Flavor is similar, plum, raisin, caramel, chocolate, and yeast with a mild bitter to not allow it to become cloying. Palate is thin for a Belgian, medium-bodied, soft, and silky in texture. Finish lingers with a mild spiciness and light chocolate with some plum. Nicely done and almost too drinkable at 9.5%, but just nothing to rave about. I could easily find myself buying this one again, but not before some of the other more comlex and intriguing Belgians.

Pour is hazy brown, with a creamy off-white head. Aroma is very good, complex dark fruit, sweet honey, spice, and malt. Flavors of fruit, spice, plum, raisin, sweet honey, and a little bit of hops. Quite good.

Bottle: BBD 12/07- Sour, lightly fruity nose (cherries, pears), with a bit of yeast; flavors include dates and raisins, yeast and musty hops; sweet front end with a sour cherry snappy finish, fairly clean for a Belgian.

(Bottle) Pours brown/red with a small white head. Yeasty, spicy, fruity, allmond paste aroma with some alcohol. Sweet and malty. Earthy with some liquorice. Hints of cardemom, artificial cherries, strawbeery yoghurt and tobacco. Spicy mouthfeel with some yeast. A lot of allmon paste in flavour. Medium sweet with medium carbonation. A bit stale but with a nice sour sting in the end. Coctail berries both in nose and flavour.