 Ernest (4197), Boulder, Colorado, USA
Aug 1, 2002 Updated: Feb 20, 2004
Head is initially large, frothy/fizzy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body
is hazy dark amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (caramel, cookie, toasted bread, coffee), moderately hoppy (flowers, herbs), lightly yeasty (cobwebs, cellar), with notes of peach, orange, honey, toffee, plum, cask wood, etc., hint of alcohol. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately bitter, lightly acidic. Medium to full body, velvety texture, lively carbonation. Finally some newer bottles arrived locally, so it was high time for a re-rate. Super-clean and superbly balanced, with a wonderful aroma that I can't say enough about (the complexity overwhelms as it warms), this is really a marvel. I've had it in bad shape several times, though, either gone sour or rubberized by protein chunks, so the variability of this one may hurt its score. But trust me, you'll know when you have it in good condition, assuming you give it your attention. This is something special.
kmweaver (1948), Takoma Park, Maryland, USA
Aug 15, 2008 750mL bottle. Pours a hazy, golden-orange color; off-white head with good retention and lacing; lots of particulates near the bottom of the bottle. Nicely toasty, citrusy aroma: mild acidity, toasty malts, and honeyed sweetness; strikes a very nice, enticing balance in the nose. Good, very drinkable levels of carbonation. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: lots of citrus, toasted malts, crackers, and honeyed sweetness upfront; intensely drinkable, nicely dry, with plenty of honey and sweet maltiness while still being crisp. Beautiful rendition. Lengthy finish: honey, crackers, and toastiness; nicely dry.
biggcb (442), Harleysville, Pennsylvania, USA
May 1, 2008 Bottle. Pours light brownish/amber color with a bubbly off-white head. Some fruity sweetness and earthy notes in the aroma. Medium bodied. Slight sour notes and some fruit in the flavor, with some malt and yeast. Somewhat crisp and rather refreshing.
JoeinUccle (658), Brussels, Belgium
Apr 12, 2008 Malty, bitter and refreshing... reminded me of an Altbier for obvious reasons. 25 cL bottle at Delirium pours a dark, reddish copper, with a nice beige head that fades. Malty, sweetish, grainy nose with dry hoppy notes. Flavor has a light, caramel sweetness, carrying into a dry, raspy, moderate bitterness. Finishes dry with a hoppy aftertaste. Really nice.
DSG (835), Yuvalim, Israel
Apr 1, 2008 (3/10/08) 25cl bottle at Delirium Cafe in Brussels. As La Bavaisienne Ambree. The label on the bottle looks like the one on La Bavaisienne Blonde just with blue instead of red. Best before 10/06. Deep amber with floaties and a medium off-white head. Aroma of malt, caramel and some ftuirs. Great malty flavor, rather sweet but with some drier tones – caramel, bread, some toastiness and some hoppy notes. Finishes dry. Medium-bodied. Quite simple but very good.
bitbucket (1536), Kirkland, Washington, USA
Mar 13, 2008 750, capped. Thanks, after4ever! Pours orange-amber with a lacy off-white head. No lace. Mild nutty/funky nose. Medium body, subdued carbonation. Caramel, spice and a touch of funk in the taste.
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