McKenzie Bavay

Date: 04/29/2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Dark Lord Day, 2005

light amber, fine white head, sweet spicy funky aroma, rich malt flavor, nice spices, slight funk, light fumes, good complexity, touch of sweetness, very nice,

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Score: *4
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The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

KSBF 06. Multiple pours off an old keg I think. Pours a hazy light amber with a fluffy good beige head. Loght solventy aroma, phenolic, spicy lgith malts, but seemed a bit stale- and got a bit of oxidation and some woody dry pencil aromas and flavors. Rubbery phenols and solvent flavors, light old malts, some sweetness, hay, spices, and a dry almost bland finish. Too old, I wasnt as impressed with this.

Multiple samples, GABF 2006. Head is mostly lasting. Body is light to medium amber. Aroma is moderately malty (cookie, toasted grain, caramel), lightly to moderately hoppy (honeysuckle flowers, orange), lightly yeasty (cobwebs). Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, watery/velvety texture, lively carbonation. One of the better beers I tried at GABF, and one I would gladly purchase if bottles were available.

KSBF 2006. Hazy golden-copper body with a frothy off-white head. Rubbery phenols take the lead here along with nutty, lightly toasted, and bready malts, plus some pleasant yeastiness. Nice malt profile, but plastic and clove overpower a bit and produce a moderate phenolic-bitterness in the finish. Solid overall.

Shared 730ml bottle. Nice beer. Best way to decribe it is flowery and herbal. Solid beer for the style.

KSBF 2006. Pours a hazy brown amber with a foamy off white head. Aroma of some fruit, grainy malt, vanilla and sweet. Flavor was a bit funky, barnyard, various spices and yeast.

750mL, bottled Nov 2003, drunk on 9/14/06.
Fabulous bottle conditioning job leads to, even at almost 3 years of age, a dense, rocky, mountain of off-white head that is well-retained and provides sheets of lacing. High clarity from being well-settled out, with tiny bubbles still rising in the liquid. Deep orange-magenta with strong copper and auburn hues.
Almonds, pale sugars, rich butter toffee and a decidedly snappy, borderline tart, Belgian yeast are well-integrated in the nose. Sweet, richly extracted malts up front give way to earthy, crusty, more dry flavors and then finish on a lightly acidic, fruity Belgian yeastiness. White bread dough, angel food cake, lots of sweet almond paste-like notes. The aroma is very strong as well, with no alcohol noted. Absent are any stale/oxidized notes.
Creamy sweet malts in the flavor showcase rich, sun-baked honeycakes, minor fruit esters and a touch of vanilla and toffee. Almond notes on the finish grow slightly dry and almost biscuity, while the complex yeast notes evolve from lightly acidic, yellow/red fruits to a more robust dryness and more integrated soft fruitiness. Unfiltered texture is vastly sumptuous, while the frothy, engaging carbonation is done well enough to showcase this beautifully done malt, but keep it from growing cloying. A dry, lightly dusty/earthy note hangs on after the finish, providing more authenticity and dashing any possibility of this being an overly clean, American example. Thanks to Bucknaked for the bottle!
2006 draught at Kennett on 10/7/06.
Favorite beer of the fest and deliciously drinkable. Really the best of both the saison and BdG worlds. Not too heavy on the malt, yet what is there has both honey, biscuits, light graininess and just a touch of toffee. Hops are perfumey, moderately done and give off grass, lilacs, lavendar and I like Ernest’s suggestion of honeysuckles. Very well-attenuated, though not bone dry by any means, without any overyeasting (no meatiness, overt doughiness) and no crude phenols/esters. Strong mouthfeel boasts a moderately tight carbonation, especially given the draught nature. Not too much acidity and a nice lack of nuttiness relative to the style, as a change of pace (no almondskins). Moderate fruity esters are reserved, but aromatic. Very clean for a Belgian, and definitely notable as being American-made, but not in a bad way, in my opinion. I guess you just either like McKenzie’s Belgian approach or you don’t. Raising the score a little.

Appears a hazy dark coppy toned amber with a small off white soapy head that slowly fades out. Small patches of lacing are left around the glass. Smell is of light caramel, vanilla, toffee, earth notes, and a little hop punch. Taste is of the same aromas. Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, and smooth with a mild amount of sugar.