750ml, sampled in 2003, not sure of the vintage. This beer proved to be entirely different than I expected due to the brewers’ style classification. The pour is a dark reddish brown, a sad abyss no light will soon penetrate. Aroma is very raisiny, with big, flat sticky and sugary malts. Flavor is reminiscent of traditional Dutch barleywine, if ever there were one to grace these lips. At room temperature, this beer looks asleep, but the attack on my palate, once ingested, will forever be memorable. So thick and vinous. Odd, De Horste’s specialty. I can’t help but wonder if that’s why they folded.

Thanks to WBC for this one. No carbonation at all.hmmmm. Lots of fruits here. Lots of ripe dark type of fruits almost has a port like quality with no bubbles and all that fruit flavor.Tasty but not real good. Where did this come from?? The ratings are from east of the Big River and not many of them to boot.

Cork Finished 750ml. Dug this bottle out of the cellar at work. I was surprised to find out there were only 7 ratings. I think of this as a slightly oxidized beer that had very little carbonation with a quickly dissipating off white head. This beer didn’t seem to be in the tradional blonde color of most Belgian Abbey Tripel’s (but that was no big deal). I liked the depth of aromas:sherry is the most prominant, followed by candied pears, caramel, brown sugar, molasses & there is an interesting subtle truffle like earthiness. The flavor is amazingly earthy. I think everything that is on the nose rings true on the palate. I extremely glad to have found this beer!

Deep red-brown body, thin off-white head. Strong appley, estery aroma with hints of pear and tart dark fruits, spice, toast, and caramel. A bit "dark" for a Tripel. Leathery, salty body with dark fruits and soy, in addition to apples and spice. Medium-bodied, estery, phenolic. Interesting.

06.15.05 750ml bottle thanks to matta. Pours a rather flat looking, clouded, burnt mahoganey brown; minimal head is fleeting at best. Aromas are pungent, strong notes of cheap cream sherry, band-aid, old plum, strong alcohol. Also present are some strong herb oil notes a bit like walking into a hippie co-op. It’s resinous, but not in a bitter way, rather a sort of burnt sage perfumey way. If aromas could ever be cloying, this is as close as they could come. Palate is slickly unctuous with strong alcohol coming through on back of palate as well as retronasally. Some tobacco and more plastic along with lingering strong vinous flavors. This beer took some getting used to and I couldn’t decide whether or not it was intended to be as it was. All in all, it’s no diamond in the rough, but it was worth the try to get a sample of something relatively rare. Thanks, Matt!