Contreras Valeir Blond

Brewed by Contreras
Style: Belgian Ale
Gavere, Belgium

Draft @ Erasmus, Brugge. Pours a slightly hazy golden color wit ha small white head. Has a fruity malty spicy aroma with some yeasty hints. Fruity malty spicy yeasty flavor. Has a fruity malty spicy yeasty finish.

(Bottle at Treskillingen, Stockholm, on 2009-07-28) Golden and hazy. Medium sized white head. Honey and fruitiness in aroma. Medium bodied and dryish palate with medium carbonation. Honey, fruitiness, sweetness, lightly grass, bitterness and hint of saltiness in taste. Fruity and bitter aftertaste.

On draft at Capones. Pours a cloudy honey gold with a thick white head. Nice lacing. Aroma of honey, yeast and light melon. Taste of honey, light melon and yeast.

I’m surprised that this does not rate higher. This beer represents everything I like about Belgian beer and all of those qualities that American brewers cannot seem to replicate when brewing their own versions of classic Belgian styles. My sample was soft and subtle, with orchard fruit flavors, blunt hops and yeasty notes. Some of the flavors that I find in the great abbey beers like Rochefort. My second sample was no disappointment, but this time I definitely noticed some wild watermelon notes I didn’t get the first time. Great stuff this.

Tap at Capones. Pours a very light mostly clear golden with a nice white head. Aroma is very fruity- belgiean yeasty estery - pear, tropical fruit juice and strawberry- esp as it warmed with a light spciy yeast, and crackery malts. Flavor is malty pils, crackers, toast, hay- grassy hops, and way too much strawberry fruity ester- very bubblegum like overall. A bit too strange and out of control on the fermentation temps.

Draught at Capone’s: Aroma of fruit, pear, light yeast, and light pale malts. Poured orange/gold/yellow in color with a large, creamy, dense, head that lasted throughout. Cloudy. Opaque. Very good lacing. Light to medium sweet flavor. Tastes of yeast, light fruit, slight caramel, slight bubblegum, and light hops. Medium body. Dry texture. Average carbonation. Yeast, bubblegum, and hop finish is dry.

Cloudy yellow color with a soapy white head. Aroma of banana, wheat, and spice. Flavor of spice, hops, and wheat. Different and very enjoyable.

33cl bottle - pours a cloudy gold, a substantial, lasting, frothy head - complex, earthy nose, with notes of herbs, wildflowers, spicy hops, lemon zest, white pepper, wheat, light funk and acidity - spicy, hoppy and herbal up front - this is followed by some wheat, tangy citrus, wet grass/hay - some husky character - gains a little bit of sweetness near the finish, which is tempered by warming spices and a light peppery quality - there are better belgian ales out there, but this is quite solid.