Bière Darbyste

Brewed by Brasserie de Blaugies
Style: Traditional Ale
Dour-Blaugies, Belgium

A different traditional ale. Pour was a light gold with a huge 2 finger white head. Aroma was very weak. All I could pick out was dust which was odd, but not in a bad way. Taste was very citrusy with heavy bread notes. Strong fig taste which actually tasted more like sour grapes. This flavor carried through to the aftertaste. Very dry and different.

2005 vintage,750ml, caged and corked. Pours slightly murky orange-gold with a voluminous white head that settles nicely. Nose is saccharine sweet with alcohol, like turpentine, vaguely. Gueuze funk on the palate, very sharp and lively, some tart granny smith apples along with the obvious fig juice character and a medicinal hop touch towards the finish. Also a strange plastic aftertaste. Not sure I’d get this one again, but interesting enough to try.

chiara buona schiuma non compatta ne fine profumi freschi un po citrici in bocca poco intensa dissetante ma non molto avvincente

Whoa - cork popped with a huge POP. Didn’t gush, but it did pour with a loud crackling effervescence if only a medium sized fizzy bubbly head. Cloudy golden color. Its still making noise, its like rice crispies. Loudest beer ever! Aroma is restrained with light bready malts and bready yeast. There seems to be a hint of apple in there, or a vague fruitiness, but no apparent fig juice. What a weird flavor, a bit sweet and sour, mostly sweet, with a general light fruitiness, and a buzzing fizzy mouthfeel from all the carbonation. Somewhat earthy or dusty. Finish is rounded and sweet, unusually. Not cloying - almost refreshing actually...probably because of the soda pop like fizz to this. I’m getting belchy only 4-5 sips into it. Cherry stone like tartness lingers. Neat.

Bottle from Monument in Concord, CA. The cork tried to remove itself !Interesting aroma. Smells like fig jam. Except there is some peppery spice too. Light amber color with refined bubbles and a white head that was respectable. A bit thin bodied with creamy/fizzy carbonation. The flavor is earthy funky. Dry. Tart. Mixed stone fruits. The finish is definitely funky. I can imagine fig at this point. With time it gets a bit less earthy, and a little more fruity. A touch of grapefruit rind. Complicated and interesting. One of a kind?

Bottle from State Line. Turbid deep orangy pour with 2-finger off-white head. Aroma is funky yeast, hops, tangerine, spices. Tastes gueuezy, dry, very citric, with tangerine and some tart peachy/apricotty notes. Dense palate, very complex, and velvety. I didn’t get any figs in this. This is a very nice brew.

2005 bottle. It’s a gusher! Off-white, fizzy, massive head which seetles quickly to a small, lasting, rocky head leaving minimal lace; body is like a dirty grapefruit juice color which is totally opaque. Nose is quite lambic-like with sour notes, and plenty of dusty, funky yeast notes; other notes include green apple, fig, grapefruit, even some herbal/grassy hops and spicy notes. Flavor turns more saisonish than anything else with more hop notes to match the sour notes; floral/grassy hops support fruit flavors of green apple, lemon peel, and some fig with other notes of light pepper, faint salt, dusty yeast, maybe some other faint spicing. Palate is medium, soft to lively (after the initial gush), moderately dry, and a bit oily. Finishes dry, somewhat bitter, and fruity with notes of green apple, light hops, lemon peel, and yeast. Odd color, odd flavors, but surprisingly drinkable. Hard to rate being so different from every style I’ve tried, but still pleasant and truly unique.

This is a really cool beer with heaps of character. Has a varied array of flavors with sour, sweet, spicy, and even salty notes. I return to this one when I can.