Bavik Pilaarbijter Bruin

Bottle from Bierkoning. This blew up as I opened it and ran all across my kitchen counter. What remains is amber coloured with a massive head. The smell is very cheesy and unsettling. Nice tase of fruits, and oranges, but the cheese remains. I wonder if I got a bad batch. I much prefer the blonde.

Gold and hazy. Starts with a great head and it continually leaves good lace on the glass. The smell is distracting as I can detect a slight plastic smell. The flavor is an improvement--no plastic here. There are notes of sweet orange with a light bitterness. The body is spot on. A nice Belgian Brown.

330mL bottle. 7.0% ABV. Medium bruin color. Aroma of toasted grains, some breadiness. Very fizzy. Flavor has a caramelized sugar flavor. Some cardboard. Light dark fruits, even a bit of Styrofoam. Not as pleasant as the Bavik Pilaarbijter Blond.

Appearance: Pours out a lightly hazed, brown body with a tall, foamy, off-white head. I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the Bavik Blonde, so I’m having trouble mustering up much enthusiasm for the Bruin iteration. Smell: The base of malts presents gives off wafts of toast and brown sugar, which is fine and all, but it just doesn’t grab me. Secondary notes of overripe fruit and alcohol mist. Taste: Simple, humble brown malts with some tastes of toasted grains, nuts, and brown sugar. Dark, lightly sour fruitiness present. Earthy, spicy hops with no more than a light bitterness. Mild trace of alcohol. Plain, tempered flavors of sugar, spice, booze, and fruit until you hit the altogether crisp finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Moderate carbonation. Drinkability: A step up from it’s blonde brother, but that’s not saying too terribly much. Some might say you can’t even begin to spell bruin without "ruin".

On tap at Locus Publicus, Delft. Pours a purplish brown with a small off-white head and fruity hoppy aroma. The flavour is sweet with some fruits and hops and gets sour later on. A nice brew

(33cl bottle) Hazy, reddish brown colour with a massive beige foamy head. Sourish berry and citrus fruity nose with a light touch of toasted malt, a tinge of caramel and coriander spice. Sourish and slightly sweet flavour, medium bodied with a moderate carbonation. Fruit-accented and moderately toasted malty taste with notes of cacao; sourish, slightly bitter and spicy finish (28.V.09).

Date: May 23, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Ticker Tasting
Appearance: clear brown, creamy beige head, sheets of lace
Aroma: light sweet chocolate aroma with fruity esters
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, lots of fruity esters, nice balancing spicyness, light bitterness
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

At vonk slijterij Zaandam, brite brown, huge foamy head, spicy one with a good balance, some mettalic and saur hinds , hinds of applestroop.