Kasteelbier Donker

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

Deep amber, slight head, part of BJCP training session courtesy of maniac. Aroma was raisin, a hint of perfume, and bread. Flavor matched, definitely malt accented. Seemed simplistic in comparison to the Rochefort and Gouden Carolus we had previously, but not a bad beer.

Bottle. Dark mahogony beer with a light tan head. Fig, raisin, yeast, light roast aroma. Rich caramel, light sweetness, fig, raisin flavor with molasses and brown sugar. Full bodied. Lingering caramel, fruit (plum, raisin), and slight sweetness. Nicely done - not overly complex, but good. Alcohol slightly present.

Bottle as Kasteel Donker (33cL). Bottled on 03/28/2007. Rich "brown" aroma with typical dark fruit aspects. Under halogen it’s a dark mahogany color with a beige/tan head that left rapidly. Full bodied with creamy carbonation. There’s a Port sort of taste/flavor. Except the sugar is brown, and perhaps there is a bit too much yeast for Port. The dark fruits are well blended, if anything stands out it might be date or raisin. The finish is mildly sweet, and extremely smooth. The alcohol is in the nose, but, again, like Port the alcohol does not interfere. A very tasty sipper.

Bottle: fruity, malty and fairly alcoholic in the aroma. The taste is very sweet, very vinous, plums, prunes, raisins, brown suger, very malty, very weak bitterness, quite alcoholic, overall quite rich, thick and syrupy mouthfill, a little unbalanced, a little too sweet, not enough bitterness and a little too much alcohol in the flavor but still a nice sipping beer.

Aroma is a rich sweet scent reminds me a bit of red wine. Color is a deep dark ruby (almost solid) with good carbonation and a big thick head that loosens up around the edge leaving a whip cream like head in the center. Taste is rich and sweet. Starting with a full body it goes down with a sweet feel like you drinking syrup. Finish comes on rich with a very sweet dried fruit, plum taste then just a faint dry end. After taste lingers like a cognac with a hint of alcohol. The only negative to this beer is in the first couple of sips there is a very faint skunk in the after taste, but it seems to fade as you drink it. This is an amazing brew and a very interesting Belgian. Its much, much better then I ever imagined after having there Blonde. Again they have put it in a green bottle, but I see on there website that they put it in a small brown bottle and I will look for it that way and try it again.

[bottle from Holland] Smokey sweet aroma with some green apple-y and vinegary sourness. Clear, dark garnet with just a little brown fizz that leaves dots on the side of the glass. Sugary and sourish, but more sugary; too sugary for my taste. Some dried fruit and nuts with a little alcohol play off the sweetness and high alcohol content nicely. Medium to full body. Low carbonation, lasting sweet and sour in separate places on the tongue.

Pour is a dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma is has a red wine quality with some dark fruit and candi sugar. Flavor is super sweet with some cherry and brown sugar. Finish leaves a toffee taste on the tounge with a small dose of alcohol. This is just ok as this is another beer that is way to sweet.

bottle, bottles in 2002. Dark bwon, tiny but persistent head. Aroma of roasted malt and port wine. Sweet and full-bodied, hints of sherry and port wine. Slightly hoppy and bitter in the finish. Great!