Haandbryggeriet Ardenne Blond

Brewed by Haandbryggeriet (Norway)
Style: Saison
Drammen, Norway

(Bottle) Pours light hazy, pale golden. Off white head. The aroma holds coriander and white pepper upfront with light plastic and clove-like phenols in the background. Light fruity - banana, apricot and grape esters. Undertones of almond/cracker-ish malt and bready wheat. Hints of grassy, herbal and light orangey hops. A touch of vanilla power and honey is also present. Bit dusty. Maybe some viola/liquorice candy, red berries and mint. The flavour is medium sweet, light bitter and tiny salty. Peppery, but the fruitiness is rather dry on the finish. The grassy and herbal notes play well with cracker-ish malt. Some sweetness, from candi sugar. The mouthfeel is clean but surprisingly round. Spicy and fruity. Medium bodied.

Bottle from Systembolaget. Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a mediumsized white head. It dissapears after a while. Aroma is spicy, yeasty, a bit phenolic, with notes of cereal, hay, grass and orange. Ligth vegetable note. Flavour is spicy, yeasty, with some light phenolic notes together with cereal, grass, orange and hay. Bitter, rather dry finish. Mediumbodied. Carbonation is rather soft, I think it actually could slightly more lively too bring a more refreshing feel. Okay beer, but Haandbryggeriet can do better than this.

Frothy head. Standar lager-color. Fruity fragrance, stale flavor of old cabbage, kiwi and fermented grain. Quite sweet. No good.

Bottle, 50cl - Hazy golden orange beer with a large white head. Aroma is very fruit with notes of apples, caramel, citrus and spices. Flavor is sourish fruity with notes of metal, straw, spices and grass. Highly drinkable and dry saison.

Bottle 10 C, 2009-11-21, Göteborg AR: sweet yeast, apricot, light bread AP: pilsner colored body, lively rocky white head F: great bitternes, yeast, citrus, heavy carbonation, a bit to sour for my taste. A watery trapppist unfortunatly!

Golden colour, white creamy head, lacing. Aroma is full of lemon coriander and other spices, it is also full of yeast. Flavour is hoppier than the smell lets on also there is yeast, lemon and spices. Mouthfeel is average with clean crisp bubbles. This was my first from Haandbryggeriet and apparantely those Norwegians know what they’re doing.

Pours hazy yellow with a huge frothy white head that lasts. Virtually no lacing. Pear, clove, alcohol and touches of solvent and broth on the nose. Flavor is a bit sweet and quite bitter until the end. Light to medium bodied. Syrupy texture. Lively carbonation. Alcoholic finish. (Batch 205, Vinmonoploet Kvadrat)

Bottle. The pour is golden yellow and slightly hazy. A mediums-sized white head leaves some lacings. The smell is of sweet fruits, fresh spices, malts and yeast. A hint of alcohol in the nose as well. The taste is somewhat sweet at first but quickly turns quite bitter and spicy in the finish. Notes of sweet fruits and citrus, yeast, herbs and spices. A clean crisp malty backbone. There’s notes of hops and a hint of phenolic alcohol in the finish along with the bitterness and spices. Moderate body, lively carbonation and a somewhat dry finish. Saisons are usually really refreshing and easy to drink, but I think the bitterness in this one is a bit too much. Other than that, a good beer. Bottle