Het Kapittel Watou Abt

Brewed by Van Eecke
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Poperinge-Watou, Belgium

I love the new label. After tasting this, if I downed a couple of bottles I’d share stories of cod-shit, misdemeanours and general bollocks with anyone, and with the same grin of triumph on my face. Hell I’d even share it with the monks to see their reaction, as this was a strong elixir. Poured a cloudy, tawny gold with speckles of yeast slowly drowning to the bottom of the chalice. Head formed but receded to a thin, firm lather of white cream that left some lace. Deep, malty, toffee and caramel dumpling nose with a hint of sherry, cinnamon and cracked vanilla - hell this was literally liquid dessert. Sweet, smooth and treacly in the mouth. Big, husky and warming alcohol combats gooey toffee, candi-canes, caramel, bready yeast and all manner of sweeter notes but it does it with a good manner of control. Very light notes of pine-nuts, kopiko coffee candi™, walnuts and butterscotch are it’s only complexities, but after a few sips I say that I could easily down these all night. Finish is all alcohol, sherry-like and smooth, and I believe the monks laughing on the label serves this one a favourable notion. Simple, but pleasant and warming, no matter the season. (33cL, BBE 02/07, Int’l Beer Shop, W. Leederville)

330 ml bottle. Cloudy golden color. Good head. Good carbonation. Really nice aroma that reminds me of caramel. For the taste, caramel also, light spices. a bit sweet. Doesn’t taste as much as alcohol like other 10% I had. Surprising. Usually you taste the beer at 50% and 50% is an alcohol taste. This one is pretty smotth.

Hazy light amber color with a thin white head. Sweet caramel malt aroma. Swwet caramel flavor with a light hint of spice.

Dull, murky, dark straw coloured body with a good size, dense white head. Yeast, orange and spice on the nose. Taste is definitely alcoholic but quite pleasant, some sweet caramel notes but overall dry with some citrus. I like this but it is not complex enough to make it outstanding.

A bit disappointing for a beer of its weight--it has much lighter color than most abt-type beers, and, while relatively pleasant, was no match for something like a Kasteel Tripel. Not bad--wouldn’t turn a free one down, but not a true contender.

On tap at Ortinos Pizza. Pours a hazy golden orange with a smaller off white lacing head with great retention. Aroma was fruity along with some Belgian spices and yeast. Flavor was spicy, fruity and yeasty. Actually reminded me of Golden Monkey, which is a spicy Tripel, so this is different than other Quad’s I’ve had. Picked up some slight metallic at the end of the taste. But still a very solid beer.

Light amber hazy ale with a nice creamy white head. Aroma of curacao, aniseed, and apples, with alcohol vapours. In mouth, rich tingly malt, dryish, with some pleasant tartness, a bit in your face, but overall, interesting. Bottle at l’Autre Oeil, March 3, 2006.

Almost overpowering aroma and flavor of overripe fruit, figs, and slightly metallic. Was not cold enough which added to the strong flavors. Good but not great.