De Molen Cuvée

Formerly brewed at Brouwerij de Molen
Style: American Strong Ale
Bodegraven, Netherlands

Draught@EBF 2008. Dark brown with a ruby shade. Thin beige head. Inviting aroma of acidulous fruits, ripe berries, bubble-gum, toasted malts and a pleasant whiff of yeast. Taste is vinous and fruity with a nice sour-tart twang. Modest maltiness, notes of mild coffe and wood. Very complex and well-bodied. Thick mouthfeel. Nice all over.

(Cask) Clear dark brown with a warm reddish hue and a rough, off-white head. Piquant, lightly tart and vinous aroma - not really much of a malty feel. Not overly full-bodied and a little low in carbonation, some hard roasted maltiness but again very piquant and lightly tart. Subdued bitterness and a very warming alcohol in the finish. Very delicious - the wine barrel really did wonders to this one 120908

Bottled, courtesy of NoiZe. Much appreciated! Dark brown colour, tiny off-white head. Aroma has sour fruits and roasted malts. Flavour has liquorice, oak and red fruits. Nice bitter-sweetness, endless finish. Excellent beer! Rerate: heavy and sour flavours. Too much going on in this beer. Didnt quite work for me this time. -0.6

Draught, EBF, Copenhagen, 2008. A masterpiece. Nose initially hints at sour, some raspberry vinegar, with a sweet, almost clinical, talcum undertone. Mouth is sweet, initially, then a punchy sourness, cherry undertones, wood and cherry stones. Finishes sweet and fruity. Very very good, very complex, and one of my favourites of the festival. Absolutely stunning.

@EBF: Deep unclear reddish brown, Strong malty fruity aroma of wood and berries. Spices and oak develops in mouth. Flavour is sweet with long sweet finish. Very complex and well balanced.

Draught at EBF. Sourish, vinous nose with butter, oak, little vanilla. Vinous, buttery flavor, liquorice and oak. Full bodied, low carbonation. Great brew, full and round with good oakiness.

Bottle (750ml corked & caged). Shared by Mes_and_Sim - wow ... I mean, wow - thank you again so much for these. Bottle #164 of 289 - and I’m to thank Menno as well - I don’t know who you are, but man, TWO bottles? - you’re certainly generous! My rating notes are minimal, so I’m sorry, but this was an amazing beer, copious description wouldn’t do it justice. Deep murky ruby pour, with an average frothy beige head. Initially this seemed boozy as hell (Sim got washing-up liquid, I got something I still have no idea what it was) but as it opened up it emerged as vinous, still somewhat boozy, floral and sweetly yeasty - it must have been a merlot echo in the taste as we got old leather, even fresh-cut tobacco - it settled into a strong, sweet, wine / yeast and slightly anise-bitter brew that we all took our time savouring. Truly well-done - and yes, the oak really came out in the finish - light wood resin for sure. Not my best rating - again, sorry - but a fantastic beer.

From the wooden cask at EBF 2008, Copenhagen. My notes for this are very sketchy as I was simply too busy enjoying it to write much! Very dark brown, still with a complex woody, spicy aroma and flavour of dark fruit and roasted malts. Great stuff.