BeerMania Mea Culpa

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Style: Belgian Ale
Ertvelde, Belgium

Bottle courtesy of and shared with Jerc and Mabel. Nice hazy blonde, big fluffy white head, ice cream cone like, lots of streaming bubbles - looks great. Slightly spicy, yeasty aroma - soft and pleasant. Great taste - lots of spice and yeast, soft tingly body. alcohol present and complimentary, balances everything together quite well. Very drinkable. Solid blonde Belgian ale.

What can i say i like this beer :o) you can find out more at http://www.meaculpabeer.com

Very pale blonde/straw colour. Massive rocky head. Very bright pale Belgian malt aroma, peppery spice and some light zesty lemony character. Soft mintiness as well that creates a very inviting quality. Flavour is excellent, bright combination of lemon and mint with a soft earthy yeast quality as well. The beer itself is bone-dry but there are lots of lovely fruity and citrusy flavours that give a sweet impression. Even a hint of ginger on the back. Very balanced. I wasn’t really expecting much from this contract brew, but I was pleasantly surprised.

When opened, bottle started to foam, but not so much, not enough to lose any liquid before it could be poured. Beautiful golden coloured body with a thinnish tan white head, one centimetre tall and a trillion small bubbles rising from the bottom & sides. Aroma of yeast, wheat, coriander seed, apples, pears, honey and a touch of spices - nice! Medium-bodied with a super effervescent mouthful. Tart apples up front fades to a lot of wheat, some yeast, honey and a dose of spices. Coats the mouth with dry biere de garde flavours and a touch of hay. Aftertaste shows a decent amount of sweetness and a very light alcohol flavour. Overall, a pretty good beer - definitely one that bridges styles: belgie ale, tripel, biere de garde and saison are all possible styles on this one! I liked it quite a bit, and have been waiting to drink it...I wish I could get this whenever I want, just like I wish I could always go into the store :-) I sampled this 33 cL bottle purchased on 17-November-2008 from Beer Mania (of course) in Bruxelles, Belgium, sampled on the other side of the pond at home in Washington.

33cl bottle, an extra from hopdog, thanks for this treat (had no idea this beer existed). Pours into a lightly flared tulip glass with a golden color, full of light but cannot see through it at all. Has a thick medium sized head that turns into a surface covering lacing. Aroma starts off yeasty sweet with a floral aspect and muted citrus, which in itself is awesome. But as it warms up a completely unexpected aspect aroma comes out, brett! It comes out of nowhere and it’s the sourness with cherry juice aspects that I find in most fresh brett beers. Taste is lightly sour (just hints) with a light cereal, mostly white bread sweetness. A full body that feels like a pillow on the cheeks with light spikes kicking in here and there. Finishes light with a faint brett (cherry juice and sourness) and lightly sweet. What an amazing surprise out of nowhere, thanks again Steve!
date: 15/11/09, must mean BB. 9/4/8/4/17

Re-rate: A different experience this time, 750mL, BB 25/10/09 and cork says 2007. Still beautiful with a thick head and a hazy golden color. Aroma is esters of apple, yeasty Belgian candi, and a bit of faint paint thinner. Definitely a warmer fermentation on a Belgian yeast. Its easy drinking and comes of as just a traditional Belgian ale. Absolutely no brett at all. Has a medium body with a strong carbonation that tickles the tongue. Its nice stuff but nothing like the first bottle. 7/4/7/16

From Beer Mania, and presented in a very special unique glass. Pours a clear gold color with a big white head. Aroma is very malty and with spices and a bit floral. Flavors of malts, citrus and floral. Spices and some honey. A good carbonation and a note of yeast with a light sweet and bitter finish. Very pleasant and well ballanced with some great flavors.

Floral, lavender, soapy and nutty notes to the sweet candy sugar aroma. Hazy orange-golden body is topped by a fine bubbled white head that lasts and laces. Nutty malt flavours mild bitterness and doughlike yeast character with floral, lavender, soapy notes. Medium body with soft, gentle, fine bubbled but lively carbonation. Bottle sampled at Barry’s housewarming tasting.

Bottle @ BeerMania tasting room. "House beer." Aroma is a corsendonkey, dry spice, coriander woodlands. Ap: Golden with a balanced fluffy white head. Flavor is clean, spicy, hoppy. Palate is spritzy, fun, fresh. Good lacing. Overall a recommendation that didn’t disappoint one bit. Took a bottle home too.