Alvinne Eycken Balthazar

Brewed by Picobrouwerij Alvinne
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Heule, Belgium

This brown ale poured with a large beige head and a sour vinous aroma. This is a strange sour brown ale that has some unidentifiable spice. Strange, but good. There is a cherry feel to the flavor and a juniper-like finish, probably from the oak chips.

As De Eycken Balthazar. 750 from Alvinne. Pours dark brown with a big frothy tan head. Unusual spicey aromas. Strong roast malt. Hint of oak. Near full bodied with smoothish carbonation. Flavor of strong spices, dark malt, and light oak touch. (Couldn’t place ginger at the time, but indeed it was present.) Powerful flavors. Spicey, slightly bitter finish. Reminded a bit of juniper.

(750ml bottle thanks to bu11zeye, labeled “The Oak Balthazar”, BB 2012, Lot 330) Pours a ruby brown color, nose is of spicy ginger, dark dried fruit. Carbonation is great, taste of oak, ginger and spices, coriander, raisins and has a decent palette linger but slightly odd I think due to the oak.

Ruby colored brew. Spicy aroma. Flavor is spicy too, some sourness, some dark fruits, oak. Thin. Not really exciting.

0.33 l bottle at PBF. Reddish brown color. Piney, tarry and gingery aroma with meat broth and cola. Tart, nutty and gingery spice rack flavor. Too much ginger for me.

Bottled at PBF. Hazy ruby, brief head. Almonds hidden in tart lingonberry and oak. Sweet and rounded, near full bodied with some caramel and underlying spritzy carbonation. Quite spicy, a bit hard to point them out, rather tham what really is there I get more juniper and lingonberry. Very interesting. If there is something to improve I would like to see it even softer and with a longer lasting flavour.

Bottled (vintage 2008, BB 09/2011). Courtesy of bierkoning, thanks Edo! Deep ruby red color, lots of carbonation bubbles, small beige head, so quite like Coca Cola. Strong spice-sour aroma of ginger, clove and oak. Body is quite malty. Balsamico sourness with dark malts dominate the flavor and XMas spices are there too: ginger and clove. Tartness probably comes from ageing as I don’t recall normal Balthazar for being so tart.

Bottled (thanks fonefan!). Amber colour, small brown head. Aroma is spruce, fruits, wood and some spices. Flavour is much the same, but at the same time very complex with wood, spices and spruce. Semisourish notes as well.