Kasteelbier Donker

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Ingelmunster, Belgium

Bottle, 2005. Small light brown diminishing head with fair lacing. Dark brown cloudy body. Heavy malt aroma of caramel, grain, nutty, raisin, plum, prune, toffee and brown sugar. Light hop aroma. Heavy in alcohol, full body with a sticky texture and a soft carbonation. Heavy sweet and light bitter.

Bottled on 070416. Smell is sweet earthy figs, plum, wet hay, brown sugar and slight hints of vanilla. This is a very sweet aroma, quite fruity and a little spicy. The flavor had an early bite to it, but after a few sips it smooths out more. Flavor is more hearty, fuller and has a flavor or sweet bread and dark fruit flavor. Quite the fine strong Belgian ale. Balanced, sweet, fruits and a good texture.

Rich dark brown color in the pour- translucent and offset by a ruby red hue. Nice beautiful tan head and sexy Belgian lacing that covers the rim of my snifter after each sip. Aroma is delighfully warm and spicy, filling the nose with cinammon, nutmeg, clove, coriander, and spruce. This is like a rich, filling Christmas barleywine with all of the malty, caramelly, burnt sugar sweetness and roasted, intense herbal earthiness to warm the soul on a cold winter night. Unfortunately, it’s still summer here, but this beer is still amazingly flavorful AND, at 11% abv, still quite easy to drink, with a velvety soft mouthfeel. This is an easy complement to rich desserts and spicy, fruity holiday treats. Niiice.

This is a top 5 beer. The total bomb!! Richest beer since I can remember. Black color, not much head, good lacing. The flavor of powerful malts and lite hops makes this one Xtremely drinkable and rich. Touchdown!!!

Start with no head at all, aroma is promising - ripe fruit and chocolate, flavor - BAAAAAAA.....pure sweetener no other flavor could be sensed beyond it, hope it is this bottle only, disaster, goes down the drain.

33cl Bottle. Aroma is caramell and some malt. Taste is really sweet and syrupy with lots of dark fruit,burnt sugar and caramel in the mix.

Belgian Brown ales are definitely a different brew then American or English brown ales. I love Belgian brown ales when I am in the mood for a succulently rich, complex brew. Kasteel Donker is no exception, and it didn’t take me long to realize that this particular brown ale is best enjoyed only slightly chilled.
My Kasteel Donker came in a corked 750ml bottle, as if there were any other way to enjoy a Belgian beer. Maybe, but I prefer them this way. She poured a thick dark brown into my glass. Tinges of amber glint along the sides of my glass while a small head lingers on top then fades into a soft ring. I swirl her liquid depths before taking a good whiff of her nose. Sweet malty nuts along with caramel and crisp fall apples almost like cider tease me with taste sensations to come. As I go to take my first quaff, brussels lace line my glass and sticks like spider webs. Since Kasteel had only just come out of the fridge, my first couple quaffs were mouth-coating thick and viscous. Not overly sweet, but definitely a sweeter brown ale presence then some others. Candy apples and spiced cider along with sweet roasted nuts are the first flavors I taste. As full-bodied as Kasteel is the finish is pleasantly semi-dry with a tinge of bitterness in the aftertaste. As Kasteel warmed I was amazed at how much she opened up. She becomes less sweet and nuttier with a well balanced palate of molasses, caramel and spiced apples. A very enjoyable finish.
Kasteel Donker is an excellent Belgian brown ale. With its rich and complex palate I enjoyed her more than I do many of the lighter varieties of brown ales. Next time I enjoy my Kasteel Donker I will definitely remember to only give her a minor chill because her colors truly shine when drunk that way.

Dark with thin head that dissipates quickly. Smell is ok, but tastes overly sweet. Overall, a disappointment.