75cl, new exclusive brew Anno 2008, from De Hopduvel Gent, complex brew, balanced, clear, good head, good brew

75cl bottle at home: Bright gold with a tall but very fast fading white head. Light pale malt (pils) aroma with lots of grain and husk notes. Low yellow fruits with yeast derived spice. Highly carbonated. Explodes with a sting on your tongue. Creaters a lightly tart feel. Spice is big followed by herbs. Almost herbs de provence in the back behind the more grassy herbs. Black peper pops up towards the end. More than enough sweetness comes in the middle to counteract the herbs and spice. Very light touch of wet newspaper on the tale end. Better than I expected, but nothing new. Almost stereotypical if it weren’t for the very high CO2. At least that keeps it from becoming too ordinary.

Thin, fast disappearing head, despite steady carbonation from a very pale golden beer. Very dry, grainy nose, faintly spicy and yeasty. Lunaria, maybe, or medicinal dried herbs. Again extremely dry taste, enforced by the carbonation, Champenoise-like. So outspoken that one hesitates for a faint wheat-like acidity. If it weren’t for the spicy flavours, I’d think of sparkling white wine that has been <i> chaptalisé </i>. Szechuan pepper, dried herbs. Outspoken carbonated MF, fizzy, near overattenuated. I seem to have encountered this flavourset before - DeuS, not to name it... Did De Koninck need its own pseudo-Champagne, dinner beer?

From bottle at Bierpassie Weekend, Antwerpen. Golden colour, medium to small head. Fruity and spicy aroma. Likeable Belgian blond flavours, full of fruit with a dash of coriander. Good carbonation. Good enough, but does not really stand out in the crowd.