Malheur 12

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

Clear dark brown with a tiny off-white head. Aroma of prunes, raisins, toffee and cocoa... perhaps a note of cinnamon too. Very full, sweet body... loads of fruit and spice in the flavour, rum, vanilla and toffee too. Brown sugar and light alcohol in the finish (nowhere near 12%), sweet.. but very very nice.

Bottle, 25 cl. Bought @ Vinspecialisten, Kolding Storcenter. Pours a deep nutty brown with a rather small beige-yellow head. Aroma is very deeply fruity, with plums, raisins and some roasted malts. Lively and fresh mouthfeel. Flavour is clearly vinious, a little burning, plums and cloying sweetness. The flavour has a lot of the same dried fruityness as the flavour and stays with a warming sensation for quite a long time.

Bottle (25 cl) from Hildigöltur’s beer cellar (many thanks!). Murky brown with a small beihe head. Fruity and roasted malt aroma, with a sharp and unpleasantly bitter hint which I’m not sure is supposed to be there. Alcohol clearly present. Light to medium bodied with a fizzy carbonation. Quite dry and again that strange bitterness is there.

Blind rating
330mL bottle, shared by Olivier on 9/30/07
Very "Belgian" appearance, with sloppy lacing cast everywhere, and a dark, scorched hickory colored body that shows medium clarity. Head is moderately well-retained, and a medium beige color.
Clean smelling yeast (similar to Westvleteren) shows moderate fruity tones (prunes, apples, plums) and a soft, but very supportive chocolate-raisin maltiness sits in the background. Medium-high strength of aroma, with some poignant tart, berry-like notes possibly from the dark malts. I claim it to be Belgian, thinking it too clean for Canada and too Belgian for an American knock-off. It does seem shockingly smooth and well concealed is the alcohol (I guess somewhere around 8%!). Interesting array of malts, but I think, just slightly, there is a bit too much cookie dough and chocolate-vanilla-like sweetness. Soft and luxurious on the nose, though, indeed.
Very interesting dark fruits fill the gaps (which are few) in the caramel and raisin-tinted flavors. Low on phenols, with only a hint of peppery-like dryness on the finish, and no crude clove/anise notes. Again, the alcohol is no where to be found, and the mouthfeel is supple, with low carbonation giving it a nearly creamy feel. Almost fudge-like, though is the sweetness and it comes across very chewy, despite ample bits of tart fruits on the finish. Very drinkable and quite nice, if somewhat not outstanding in any one way.

Bottled. BB 24.07.2006. Big thanks to ekstedt. Clear dark brown colour. Big, yet diminishing head. Aroma is compact, with mint chocolate, ripe fruits and candi sugar. Bit overmature/oxidized in flavour which gives a domination from wet grass. Alcohol is very present. Mint chocolate here as well. Very compact in flavour and bit bitter, edgy alcohol. Long, long finish.

Bouteille de 250 ml obtenue via Importations Privées Bièropholie. Arôme: Odeur de cerises et de caramel fruité avec une pointe chocolatée. Apparence: La couleur est brune opaque. Présence d’un très mince col beige mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de caramel fruité et de figues. Longue durée de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement vineuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’alcool et de chocolat en arrière goût. (Rating #1318)

Bottle (thanks Tom from Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia) Pours a deep brown with a nice creamy head of somewhat decent height. Aroma is very malty with notes of chocolate, vanilla, lemon, and bubblegum. Flavor is the same, with a subtle and sudden complexity assaulting your taste buds. What an amazing surprise.

Dark brown beer with creamy medium head. Aromas is sweet and malty with notes of chocolate, overripe fruits and spices. Flavor is pretty much the same and has good complexity. Warming alcohol in the end.