De Proef L’Ange Tombé

Brewed by De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Saison
Lochristi, Belgium

Courtesy miketd via ChzMan. Clear, dark ruby. Tan carbonation. Closer to a regular belgian brown than a saison- sweet malt, mild licorice, peppery yeast, drier finish. Medium body, a bit overcarbonated.

Bottle cheese: pours good and clear medium off white head. Aroma is very herbal and earthy, sweet, slight fruittiness also. Very odd combination. Flavor is thin with a little earthy flavor with some anise and a slight roast. Odd combination might not be the best idea.

Bottle. Aroma of light fruits, pepper, licorice, some bubblegum, a dark, vaguely pumpernickel, breadiness. Flavor again very bready with a prominent but gentle spice character and balancing sweet malty notes, hints of chocolate. Pretty much what I’d expect out of a good black saison.

Bottle. Pours a cloudy light brown with a small ring of white head. Aroma of anise, licorice, light fruits (apple, pear, fig). Flavor is of much of the same -- lots of fruits, anise star, and some light spices. Very full-bodied and drinkable. Great beer! 8/4/8/4/15 [3.9/5]

Served from a 750 mL bottle via bonus from Tendermorsel. Thanks man. The appearance is a glowing amber with a medium lightly dense light sand head. The aromas are spiced fruit and light grapes. The flavors start with a grape flavor with some honey notes. The bready yeast favors come through in the middle of the drink. The mouth is super carbonated. Not too bad.

In short: A smooth Belgian dark golden ale with no specific character. Unremarkable. Easy to drink.
How: Bottle 750ml. Consumed very fresh, about a month after the beer release
The look: Clear amber body topped by a little off-white head
In long: A little horse blanket on the nose but that’s about all the wild character I got from that beer. Taste is forest ground, some fluffy caramel, grainy malts, some citrus and darker fruits, some hard candies, some liquorice, a light spiciness. Typical pleasant lively Belgian body and carbonation. Low on hops. No dryness. No wild character in the taste. Not very tasty. Not very Saison. Feels like a generic session Belgian amber ale. Hard to find something to dislike about this and hard to find something to really appreciate. It’s just, you know, a Belgian beer. At first I was excited. My favourite beer store (Juilo’s) license an exclusive Saison (my favourite style) from a brewery that has created some of my favourite brews (Signature, others...) and that’s what they come up with?!?!? I felt more letdown than a woman whose boyfriend forgot her birthday on January 9th 2009. Note to self: Reread this rating often.

Dark brown pour with an offwhite head. Aroma is fruity with some light yeasty notes. Grape skins and some earthy spiciness as well. Very Effervescent mouthfeel and flavor of green grape, mild spice and some notes of cocoa powder. A good belgian, but not very saison like.