Alvinne Melchior Calvados Barrel Oak Aged

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

Bottle Pre Zythos Alvinne recommended by Glenn. Pours yellow almost orange with nearly no head (possibly due conditions). Aroma’s of apples and more apples, peach and honey. Very drinkable. Excellent.

Very small, off-white head shortlived over hazy orange-ochre beer. Mix of creamy and sharp-alcoholic aromas. Breton pancakes, Tarte Tatin, Crêpes Suzette or Grand Opéra - very special associations. Definitely apples, alcohol and Calvados in the flavour. Bakery crust & caramel syrup, referring again to Tarte Tatin from the nose. Pinch of sweetness, but nowhere exaggerated. Mandarine peel retronasal, and there we have the crêpes association! MF/palate are rather sharp, the Calvados barrel obliging, but I definitely expect this to mellow out with a bit of bottle-aging. Not overly well-bodied for a beer of its ABV. Again a very special beer from the Alvinne Oak Collection. Glad to see a Belgian brewer resolutely heading in this direction, after Dubuisson, Smisje and Struise... Oh, and a good one for my 1700th Belgian rating!

From bottle, 33 cl. ( at beerzolder sat. 17.01.09) Very good ! A hazy dark golden, almost amber color, with off-white head. Aroma sweet, malts. Complicated, and medium to full body. Taste sweet, alcoholic, woods, ... Nice creation ! re tasted yesterday @ alvinne.

This well-rounded little piece of art far exceeded my expectations. 33cL bottle pours a deep burnt orange with reddish-pink highlights, and a fading white head that leaves some laces. Smells like a zesty orange liqueur, like mandarine peel steeped in schnapps, with subdued traces of wood, earth and honey. Very pleasant, actually. Flavor is a rounded medley of woody tartness, light sweetness and mellow bitterness. That sweetness hangs on to the creamy orange aroma and goes a touch nutty, like toasted walnut. Harmonious and complex yet easily tasty. Alcohol hides until it gets to your belly, which is agreeably dangerous. Gets better as it warms in the snifter.

Bottle @ Pre-ZBF, Alvinne. A hazy yellow/golden colored beer, with a little white head. The aroma is fresh, fruity, a little alcohol. Notes of wood. TRhe taste of wood with fruits like citrus and orange, some sweetness with notes of bitter. The aftertaste is a little sweet with bitter.

33cl, new exclusive brew Anno 2009, from the brewery, very complex brew, balanced, hazy, good head, very good Winter brew, top class!

Bottle@Home. Complex aroma with loads of apple but also wood en spices. Light hazy, dark yellow colour, small off-white head, good lace. Sweet, sourish, light bitter, apples, lightly spiced. Soft mouth feel. Complex and very interesting.

Bottled@Fonefan. Golden colour, mediumsized white foamy head. Aroma is very sweet fruity, some alcohol as well as some yeasty notes. Flavour is fruity, a bit alcoholic and wooden notes. A really pleasant thing. Wellbalanced. Once it warms up the wooden and a bit stinging alcoholic notes gets strong. Still the alcohol suits the beer very well. Excellent!