Het Kapittel Watou Prior

Brewed by Van Eecke
Style: Belgian Ale
Poperinge-Watou, Belgium

330ml bottle from BeersOf Europe. A malty beer with a bready sweetness obscured by a well soaked English hop bitterness. Flavours are blurred and, while not being unpleasant in any way, are not distinguished or highly attractive. A beer that is just there in a vague, bitter, sweet, yeasty, muddled way that is typical of Belgian brown ales. I’ve had this sort of thing before so many times, and usually done much better. Quite gentle for the strength. Stale, cardboardy aroma, even though one year within best before date.

Bottle. Mahognony beer with a nice light tan head. Malty, caramel aroma. Malty, toffee flavor with slight roast that leads into a bit of berry fruit that lingers. Molasses and a bit of spice. Medium body. Alcohol slightly present. Good complexity while keeping it very drinkable.

Brown body, big beige head; Quite sugary, malty big nose, with a very little rotten apple behind; Huge carbonation in a little thin soft textured body; Medium length in a bit thin finish, malty sugary aromas.

Above-average Belgian and beer. Dark brown with good lace throughout, and head. Mollasses and yeast and anise? Taste of brown sugar and mollases and yeast. Warming alcohol. Good at cellar temperature, likely better with meat like steak. Full mouthfeel and satisfying afterglow.

Bottle (from Bitter Virtue< BB Apr 08). Mahogany colour. Fruity malt and chocolate with a littlle sourness in the finish. Initially I wasnt that impressed but after a few mouthfuls the dark bitter chocolate opens up with hints of roast complementing tart berries and dried fruit. There is even a rounded hop flavour in the finish which keeps the mild sweetness in check. Pretty good.

Sean (illinismitty) brought a bottle of "Het Kapittel Watou Prior" to share at the Tennessee Spring(ish) Tasting in Knoxville, TN on 3/10/2007... The pour revealed a clear amber/dark honey color beer with a dense off-white head. The sweet aroma is heavy with malt and dried fruit. The initial flavor is a bit dry and metallic, but a depper maltiness and dark fruit flavors become more noticeable it subsequent tastes. There is some alcohol in the finish, but overall its fairly muted for 9% ABV. The carbonation level is moderate to generous causing this medium bodied beer to feel lighter and more dry on the palate. Kapittel Prior is a good Belgian beer with a disctinct flavor.

Thanks to illinismitty for sharing this bottle with us at the Tennessee Spring(ish) Tasting! Poured a dark amber with a creamy white head that left light lacing. Fruity aroma with hints of roasted malts. The flavor had an overwhelming iron presence with some malt in the background. Medium body with a dry texture.

Bottle best before August 2008. I brought this to the Knoxville tasting. Pours hazy copper with a tan retentive head. Malty and yeasty belgian aroma. Belgian beers are earthy, but this one takes it a step further. Flavor is dry, with lots of chewy maltiness. There are also notes of faint roast and well water. Finish is mildly sweet and mineral like, with a lingering earthy dustiness. Odd at first, but more enjoyable as I drank it.