De Proef Flemish Primitive

Brewed by De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Lochristi, Belgium

I had the Pig Nun. I rolled the bottle around in my hand because the yeast inside was plentiful and powerful. Then set it down on the desk to grab my glass and the cork blew out of the bottle. HIERONYMOUS! I love wild yeasts. This is more Flemish Sour than Belgian Strong as others have noted. I very much like this.

Golden with a large white head. Tropical fruits, easters, peppers and alcohol in the nose. Fruit, sweet sugar. Not harsh but quite estery. Almost a little funky. Medium bodied, quite drinkable.

I had the spoonwhacker. a very nice ale this one. golden color, very hazy, cloudy. Generous frothy head. smells of grapes, sourish. Very tingly mouthfeel, much carbonation. A bit bitter for my taste. High alcohol content is quite noticeable, almost burns. A fine ale, that i would purchase again.

Pig Nun. Hazy gold. Huge, dense, sponge like, white head. Aroma is sugary sweet fruit soaked in vinegar, sour yeast, crisply balanced malt and hops, subtle alcohol. Same kind of flavor with some mustiness in the finsh and aftertaste, which are also dry and yeasty. Combine a flemish sour, a saison, and a golden tripel and end up with this beautiful brew. Full body with above average carbonation that complements the flavor nicely. 3.5 is an injustice. Exceptional. ***### Pinhead. (March 20, 2006) Clear, brilliant gold/copper. Huge, dense, spongey white head quickly transforms into a cavernous rock of large bubbles, then settles to one finger of thick foam.(app.- 5) Aroma of vinegared fruits, straw, funky yeast, subtle grainy malt, crisp hops. (aroma-7) Sour yeast and vinegared fruits up front meet a quick death, replaced by mixture of rich and grainy malts and crisp hops, followed by a dry, bitter hop finish. Musty, funky yeast underlying the flavor throughout. (flvr.-8) Medium/full, well carbonated body, again matches the flavor nicely. (pal.-4) (ovr-15)=(3.9 total) Great brew, but I prefer the Pig Nun over this. Have to try the others.

From the bottle, labelled as Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale.

Pours an appealing cloudy cider-gold with a small fizzy head and very little floating material.

Ah...what a lovely aroma, all Flemish sour (rather than Belgian strong). Vinegar and apples, sweet white grapes; musty basement (in a good way); a bit of spice.

The flavor is more bitter and less sweet/sour than I anticipated given the aroma, coming on hard with a very noticable 9% alcohol burn. Barnyard flavors, mineral oil, a seriously dry finish. Mouthfeel is dominated by aggressive fizzy carbonation, to the point that even the 9% alcohol is tasted more than it is felt. Wow, what a dry finish given the other characteristics of the beer. Very interesting, quite enjoyable.

De Proef Flemish Primitive pours to a beautiful, hazy, bright golden color with a very thick and creamy white head, and a very vibrant carbonation. The nose on this beer is very aromatic and complex, with aromas of horse blanket, fresh leather, and fruity aromas of fresh raspberry. The palate is smooth and gentle, with fruity flavors of green apple, rhubarb, some crisp pale malt, and tanic, winey flavors. Reinaert finishes with a very dry , "yeasty", slight herbal hoppy, and peppery finish, that lingers on the tongue. This is a very complex, refreshing, flavorful beer that would make an outstanding aperitif, and would work well with fish dishes, or as a sharp contrast to very creamy and buttery cheeses. I’d pair this one with a cheese course, or enjoy it to rouse the appetite before a nice summer meal served al fresco hot off the grill.

Try this when it is slightly chilled and then get an intial feel for it and walk away for a half an hour and just let it sit there and open up. This one almost needs to decant. The yeastiness of this beer is beautiful, what a combination of flavors. Somewhat initially sour, but that fades into this delicioulsy textured fruit bomb that is perfectly tart without being overly sour, and full of citrus. Very nice and warming sipper.

A sister in taste, color and appearance to the Dutch brewed Zatte by T’ ij: http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer/t-ij-zatte/6058/ I love this beer. Has a sour perfumy nose with pillowy white foam. Banana flavor with metal just like Zatte. The sourness is balanced by the banana. Highly recommended! The is a cross between a lambic and Belgian Strong and it is accomplished spectacularly!