Malheur 10

Brewed by De Landtsheer
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Buggenhout, Belgium

Hazy golden color with a tall off-white head. Sweet aromas of honey and light fruit. Stewed raisins and figs with a few thin slices of orange floating on top. Touch of yeast and some white pepper and vanilla. Interesting scents but I’m not being sucked in. Alcohol also creeps in as this sets in the glass for awhile. Light sweet malt in the start is met by an in rush of ripe light fruits soaked in light rum. Mild yeast and spice in the middle. Apricot really comes in the linger. I enjoy this and am thinking the sum is truly greater than the parts.

Citrus and spicy aroma. Amber/golden colour, lots of foam. Very full. Hop, malty sweet, citrus and spices. In the finish it burns in your throat and becomes a bit more hoppy.

Bottle: Hazy blonde, light head and lacing. Nose of faint yeast and some tart zesty hop notes. The majority is the pilsner malt and citrusy anise and hop. The flavor is clean, nice and zesty. Clean belgian.

Bottle sample at Keg Liqour Fest of Ale. Pours a hazy orange hue with an large creamy white head that mostly lasted with fair lacing. Good sour citrus yeasty aroma. Medium body with a sticky texture. Medium well balanced spicy flavor with a good sweet finish of moderate duration. Good soft drinkable beer.

Bottled. A hazy blonde sedimented beer with barely any head. The aroma has spices wheaty lemon and yeasty alcohol. The taste has a bit more of the same. However the overriding feeling is one of disappointment as the taste is a bit flat and just dominated by the alcohol. It’s a bit like a strong tripel but without the balance of spiciness and alcohol.

Cloudy orange with a bubbly white head. Aromas are fruity and yeasty with bubblegum and spices. Flavours are citrus fruit, especially orange with with bitter hops. Warming alcohol on the palate this is like a more grown up, thicker on the palate, Duvel.

Golden hazed ale with an extra thick white head. Again, the classic coriander and catnip in aroma, with notes of thyme. In mouth, a light and spicey malt, crisp with a tingly mouthfeel, oily character, coriander, orange peels. Rich and smooth. Mondial 2006.

750mL bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy, white, most lasting. Body is hazy medium yellow, bottle conditioned. Aroma moderately malty (toasted grain/bread), lightly to moderately hoppy (herbs, flowers), lightly to moderately yeasty (cobwebs, basement), with light notes of lemon zest, pepper, and Juicy Fruit gum. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. A good, clean, strong golden ale. Nothing flashy or adventurous here, but for a strong golden ale it’s exceptionally clean smelling/tasting and frighteningly quaffable (amazingly well-hidden alcohol). Would easily put this up against nearly any 9-11% Belgian golden...some may have more exciting aromas, but few are so elegant and efficiently put together.