La Botteresse Brune

Formerly brewed at Brasserie Artisanale des Bruyeres
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Jupille-sur-Meuse, Belgium

Bottle (from Cracked Kettle). Deep reddish brown colour with huge beige foamy head. Aroma is at first very much licorice, then turns into spices and a lot of citrus fruits. Flavour is quite much licorice along with spices. Not that much fruityness in the flavour. Some mildly burning alcohol in the aftertaste, otherwise alcohol is very well hidden. Superb.

Bottled, alc. 8.5% @One Pint Pub
Dark brown, a bit reddish color, small steady tan head. Spicey - strong clove nose. Very carbonated mouthfeel, licorice dominates the flavor. A bit spicey (clove), but not as much in the aroma. Slightly sticky mouthfeel.

Bottle @ home. Murky brown color. Cardemom, malt and caramel in the aroma. Malty sweet flavor with caramel, cardemom and ginger. Alcoholic but drinkable.

Yellow dense head over dark, opaque-brown beer. Little sourish nose with drop (liquorice-gum) nose, and a bit sweet pigfat ("zoete lies"). Again sourish lactic taste on top of rather sweet dark malts. And a distinct lavender flavour. Well bodied, sticky. Not bad, nice taste. No doubt some small lactic "infection", but not in any way unpleasant.

Brown coloured. Loads of sediment in the bottom of the 75cL bottle. Lovely aroma of spices. I find cinnamon, cardamom, clove, coriander and some orange peel. The flavour is also spicy with herbal notes and herbal bitterness in the finish. Complex and pleasant.

Bottle@Home. Jasmin and raisin in the aroma. Reddish brown color, firm beige head, good lace. Sweet, vanilla, licorice, jasmin, light bitter. Medium body, silky, little warming. Flavorful, interesting because it’s quite out of the ordinary.

(Bottled) Hazy, very dark reddish brown with a smallish, firm and beige head. Caramely-malty aroma with ripe fruit (prunes mostly), and a touch of sweet licorice. Flavor is slightly homebrewish, but with licorice, caramely malt, peppery spiciness, and dried fruit coming along in a moment. Hides the alcohol reasonably well, yet some burning remains, and leaves your lips sticky. Medium body with slightly foamy, but soft carbonation. A quite pleasant and balanced strong ale. It’s sad this brewery is out of business, as this one was quite good. I’ll drink to that!

Bottle. Pours a brune body with a tan head. Spicy cloves, ginger and pepper. Lighter fruity esters candi sugar, nutty caramel and bananas. Good brew.