Achel Extra Bruin (de 3 Wijzen)

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

Bottle, thanks to malachi for sharing. Aroma is fruity, vinous grape-like notes and fairly sweet smelling. Very wine-like. Amber brown in color with a white head. Sweet flavor, dried fruitiness and a touch of spice notes and a nice chocolate and caramel malt finish. Lighter body with an almost oily mouthfeel and hardly any noticeable alcohol.

750 ml bottle shared with malachi

Shared with malachi and hezron. I picked up an apple sauce-like aroma (since there is no better way to describe iit) with hints of cherries and toffee. A thin head sat over the ruby body. Many flavors come out over the course of this experience - caramel, chocolate and toffee at first. Next there was a sour cherry taste. Lastly a subtle fruity taste. Finally, it ends with a taste not unlike a toned down Belgian Red. Excellent aftertaste contains mixtures of all of the above. The 9.5% ABV is masked extremely well in this one.

750mL bottle from Ughsmash. Best by 2/08 Beautiful pour. Dark ruby with a gorgeous, smooth head on top. Spicy and fruity aroma, with peppery spices and dark fruit (fig, raisins) and a slight astringency. Oh yeah, there’s the requisite candi sugar as well. It wouldn’t be a trappist without the candi sugar. When chilled, the alcohol presents itself loudly, but that fades into the background as it approaches room temperature. More peppery spices and some clove in the flavor. A ton of candi sugar and dark fruit in there (as well as some banana and a hint of apple). Goes down dry and sweet, and those peppery spices hang on until the last second. Very good drink, and I’m glad it came in a 750. Thanks, Jason!

Bottle best by 2006. Thanks to Fatty for bringing this one over to celebrate the Grand Opening of my basement bar :) Pours a hazy brown/reddish/orange with very small off white head with some floaties. Aroma of various dark fruits, caramel and candy sugar. Flavor of the same. Picking up more of the yeast in the flavor. Both aroma and flavor were right on with this one, age very nicely. Light alcohol in both flavor and aroma.

Bottle. Dark rich color. Spicy malty aroma, raisins and dried fruits. Taste is warm malty, caramel and some alcohol.

Bottle. Off white head. Dark red unclear body. Spicy malt aroma. Caramel hops flavor with a good deal of carbon dioxide.

Bottle at Den Tatoverede Enke, Copenhagen, RBESG Pub Crawl, August 2005. Looks like I’m out of step with this one. Mid brown colour. Dried raisiny fruit, soy sauce and sticky treacle. Maybe some underlying appley notes. Way too sweet for me and not enough hop character to cut through. I’m not blind to its appeal but I guess its just not my thing.

Pours a chestnut body with a pillowy, well-sustained tan head. The nose is fruity with dates and plums and raisins atop a spicy, caramel malt. As it warms, some soft alcohol fumes join the party. The flavor contains all of the fruit, the caramel, and alcohol while adding a touch of clove and white peppers, brown sugar, and a honey-like sweetness. Add to this a dash of hop bitterness, and you have one excellent drinking experience. It finishes on a bitter, dry note. I need to pick up a couple more of these to lay down for a while.

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