Alvinne Melchior Bourgogne Barrel Oak Aged

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

Cloudy golden with a tiny white head. Sweet malty aroma with caramel and hints of hops. Flavour was sweet with malty and caramel notes. Finished sweet with warming alcohol, dried fruits and mild hops.

Bottled. An amber beer with sediment floating around under a thin beige head. The aroma has notes of wine grapes, wood, caramel, and alcohol. The flavor is sweet with strong notes of alcohol as well as medium notes of winegrapes, wood, fruit, and caramel, leading to a dry alcoholic finish.

Bottle at home ... thanks to Ian for this one ... hazy amber ... big wine nose with little bubblegum ... very sweet .... sherry ... little yeast ... very fruit .... little oak ... light vanilla ... little malty bitter finnish

Bottle @ Alvinne. Pours a slightly hazy dark amber color with a small fast disappearing off-white head. Has a malty caramel aroma with hints of wine and hints of wood. Smooth malty caramel flavors with hints of dark fruit vanilla and wine. Has a malty finish with hints of dark fruit and hints from the wood. A nice one.

Bottle 75cl.
Light light unclear medium amber orange color with virtually none head. Aroma is moderate to light heavy malty, caramel, cheap cnady, white wine nad wood notes, moderate alcoholic, vanila notes. Flavor is moderate to light heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat, finish feel is light to moderate alcoholic. [20090306]

Bottle from De Bierloods, Adegem. Pours quite clear, shiny orangey amber and has a healthy white head. Fantastic aroma: berries, marzipane, oranges, alcohol, port. Sweeter flavours, dried fruit, very noticeable alchol, orange zest. A bit sirupy texture. All in all, a great late night treat.

A Mes rate. Draught at Pre ZBF.
Darkish murky amber with a slight white film top. Not the best looking beer from Alvinne. Should this matter? I care, I can’t help it, it’s all part of the experience. Aroma, jesus... this smells fantastic to me. Big wine notes, obviously but there is some desert wine and vintage port in there too. Whiffs of resinous wood and sharp but elegant alcohol too. A glorious smelling beer. The flavour can’t quite keep up but it’s still pretty bloody good. If you concentrate I can pick out all that I like about the aroma but they just seem to mash together in the mouth coming up with a result that is slightly lesser than the sum of its parts. Excellent dried fruit, rich caramel and more wine barrel in the finish. A rewarding experience and I’m glad I have some of this tucked away for another sample.

Re-tasted with friends @ HIC-tast evening last friday, 19.06.09. From bottle 75 cl. Hazy amber color, and a little off-white head. Aroma bit complex, sweet, malts, fruits. Medium to full body. Taste sweet, dried fruits, alcoholic. GOOD.