Het Kapittel Watou Prior

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

Sampled at In De Wildeman in Amsterdam, Holland. Ruby. Milk chocolate, toffee, butter toffee, caramel and prunes in the nose. Full bodied, round and very complex. Chocolate throughout with vanilla, berries, melon and raspberries. What makes it great though is its thick, chewy and coating feel in the mouth. Truly outstanding in every facet. I also sampled this on draft later at Erasmus in Brugge and it blew me away once again.

Bottled. Purchased at Delirium Cafe. Ruby brown body with a medium tan head. Candyish nose with sweet malts, dark fruits and light flowery notes. Tastes semi-sweet with a light hop bite and fruit notes. Body is medium with decent carbonation. Finished bittersweet with somehwat light fruity notes and some decent spiciness.

33cl bottle BBD 05/06 Brillant, clear pour. Auburn hued brunette. Rocky, thick tan head. Lots of carbonation races up. Dusty powdered chocolate aroma, somewhat subdued overall, but something else is in there...wet wood? Whoa, twangy in a bad way taste...not sour, but odd, uncomfortable. Its the same as the aroma, only more pronounced...Bad water? Metal? it diminishes through the bottle, but doesn’t leave...very distracting...oxidized? My best guess is some bad water pipes letting this metal, iron taste through. Its a shame, it had potential otherwise.

Malty sweet aroma, light canvas musk smell, fruity. Cloudy dark brown-amber with thin off-white lacing head. Medium-bodied with medium-light carbonation. Malty sweet start, grain, alcohol. Bitter chalky bite to finish underneath sweet alcohol.

Large tan head, good retention and lotsOlace hanging around. Clear, deep brown, red hued brew. Spicey, malty nose, fruity notes. Medium body, good carbonation. Medium dry maltiness, nutty with hints of citrus and chocolate. A fairly dry finish. Tasty little critter!

Bottle Small, fizzy, light brown head, which is mostly diminishing. Black body. Nose of malts (toffee, burnt). Lightly sweet, moderately bitter, malty initial flavour. Lightly bitter finish with some sweet hints. Light to medium bodied. Soft carbonation. This is a pleasant drinking abbey ale, not that complex as others, but still very nice.

Huge dark head, not very persistent. Brown coloured and torbid. Very interesting flavour and taste. Caramel and something sour. Very balanced in sweetness and sourness, with a good alcoholic and hoppy finish. Complex enough to be considered a very good beer, as for me.

Bottle bought in Belgium. 330ml, in a chalice. Pours lighter than I expected, with a big and lasting head. Aroma was slightly old and dusty, not too bad though. The beer is reasonably good, malty and fairly rich, a little spicy also.