De la Senne Zinnebir

Brewed by Brasserie de la Senne / de Zenne Brouwerij
Style: Belgian Ale
Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium

yes yes yes, for me it’s actually the best belgian beer, nothing’s wrong about it, it’s just perfect as a belgian pale-ale, easy to drink cold, and strong when it’s a bit hotter. Really great.

This little bastard made an excellent brew! This is something to aspire to; as an alchemist blended a few natural ingredients and came out with such a complex and flavorful- but most importantly a clean and crisp brew that SNAPS into it’s flavor profile. One of the best I have had.

Bottle, 33 cl. (from KBW) Dark golden almost amber color, good white head. Aroma = yeasty, hops, a touch of fruits, and hops. Good balanced beer. Medium to full body. Taste is yeast, much bitterness, warm, hops, little spices ?, at the end dry-bitter. GOOD BEER !

This is an oak-aged version of Zinnebir, labeled "Crianza 2006" at the top of the bottle. Like the regular Zinnebir, this is a very attractive blonde ale with a clean but satisfying mouthfeel and and a solid, dense head that retains its form very well. The smell is clean and hoppy, with notes of of farmhouse grains and funk. The taste is very much the same, with a dominant golden yeastiness up front followed by a wonderful interplay between sweet, chewy malt and crisp, bright hop flavors. The clarity of flavor is still very "high definition", but this is a slightly more sweet and sturdy brew in comparison to the regular Zinnebir. With the oak aged Zinnebir, the trade off is that you lose a little of the perfect flavor transparancy for the density and richness the oak aging provides. I personally find it a worthwhile experiment, as the chewier, maltier character really compliments the otherwise clean and hoppy side of this beer. Check it out.
Earlier Rating: 2/19/2007 Total Score: 4.6
Excellent Beer! Pours a nice dark gold color with a dense meringue-like head, reminiscant of (if not as insanely thick as) Duvel. I can smell the yeast and a hoppy "grass" tang, but ,upon drinking, I am astonished at the incredible balance of flavor in this beer. It’s slightly hoppier than most Belgian blondes, but the first taste to register is the balance of sweet malts and golden yeast. Afterwards a tangy bite lingers. The mouthfeel is crip and light and this is a very refreshing beer. I think this beer should beer ranked substantially higher and I suspect the modest ratings have to do with the "session beer" abv% and the fact that a lot of serious beer drinkers desire brews that kick them in the face. This beer, while certainly flavorful, is more of a ingeniously balanced thirst quencher than an in-your-face flavor bomb. Well done.

Golden straw. Ornate stark-white head adorns the glass and entices the senses. Hop aromas are fragrantly herbal with oodles of honeysuckle and lemon zest qualities. Hints of musty yeast, cork, perspiration, and doughy Pilsner malt. Fluffy effervescence graces the palate. Juicily hoppy and bracingly grassy and herbal, initially, with a pinpoint snap of plasticy phenols. Brisk, crunchy and simultaneously-fluffy honeyish malt provides an elegant foundation, and the yeast, which sits atop, enriches things by coating the palate with a mild pistachio characteristic. Malt is extraordinarily deep, and its dusty hay-like malt textures cling to the filmy yeast which helps buoy the body. Highly appetizing flowery-hop softness. Extravagant beyond belief. Magical equilibrium of phenols, esters, hops, yeast, and malt. Notes of honeydew impart a soft slipperiness. Absolutely clean as a whistle, and the low alcohol never interferes with the vast array of subtleties. The core possesses just enough residual sweetness to complement the rich yeast. Lemony twang emerges as the temperature rises, and immediately beckons you for another large gulp. Dense hop backbone also lends a peppery sting which is augmented by the invigorating dryness and zippy phenols. Finishes remarkably well-integrated with a full but clean yeastiness, peach-fuzz bitterness, and a background sweetness reminiscent of dried pineapple. Juicy and peppery hops harmonize with the minty and aniseed dryness and accentuate the lingering Pilsner malt which is artfully extracted. Airy phenols, bright herbs, and honeysuckle exude with each burp. Hot diggety! If you are a lover of low-gravity Belgian blondes with a host of subtleties that seem to reveal themselves in a variety of ways with each sip, then you’ll adore this. This 750ml bottle certainly kept me entertained for 3+ hours. De la Senne is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries

Poured from a 750 ml bottle. Misty blonde. Gorgeous herbal-funky aroma; fresh flowers, lemon juice, quiet white fruits, lavender. Vivacious and complex, but stunningly soft and cleansing; like taking a springtime nap in a wildflower meadow. Flavor of green peppercorns, flower petals, dandelion residue and a soft, dusty sweetness of yeasts. Funky bitterness; white tea, sweet basil leaves; so much earthy complexity all glowingly fresh and intimate, while the shades of musty yeasts, sophisticated clean malts and vibrant garden hops just adhere to each other so easily and artfully, with a kind of indesribeable nostalgic aura. Palate is soft, medium bodied, crispy and green; lightly nutty and buttery dry white wine finish. Wholly evocative; a beautiful beer that made me feel like it was blossoming at just the right time, and just for me. Thanks Eric!

2007 regular bottle. Head is initially large, frothy, white, mostly lasting. Body is hazy dark yellow, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly to moderately malty (toasted grain), moderately hoppy (herbs, flowers), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of pepper, lemon zest, candied pineapple, Juicy Fruit gum. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation. Much better than the blond Crianza...fresher, brighter, better balanced...impossible to stop sniffing and drinking. Beautiful.

2006 Crianza bottle. Head is initially large, frothy, white, fully lasting. Body is hazy dark yellow, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain), lightly hoppy (flowers), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with light notes of clove, oak, and lemon zest. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. Quite pleasant blonde ale with hints of wood. (7/5/7/4/14=3.7)