Petrus Speciale

Brewed by Bavik-De Brabandere
Style: Belgian Ale
Harelbeke, Belgium

Two gushers in a row??? Might actually get some beer in the glass at some stage this evening. Was never expecting that- looks dead in the bottle. Erupts over the worktop a rich glowing bronze. White lid with lace in the glass. Aroma oak, butter, bile, cooked English aroma hop (Fuggles?). Sickbowl acidity, nuttiness, resins, marzipan. Cooked buttery deadness reminiscent of a pasteurised Bateman’s or Shep Neame effort. Not getting the coriander but it is in there, apparently. Caramel, marzipan, papery grain. Attractive freshbread and vanilla aftertaste. OK, but can’t get those clear-bottled Shep Neame beers out of my mind. Industrial English deadness, Belgium-style.

33cl, from De hopduvel Gent, easy to drink brew, not complex, yet balanced, clear, small head, simpel brew

Bottle, bought @ Vinspecialisten, Hasle.
Impressive-looking beer. Clar amber with a great, creamy, off-white head. Great duration and even better lacing. Aroma has a little butter, some yeast, sweet caramel. Smooth mouthfeel with a highish carbonation. Flavour begins with a metal off-flavour, some yeast, a little butter and sweet brown sugar. This is really below Petrus/Bavik standard.

(330 ml bottle from Bootleggers, part of a Petrus sampler pack) Nice aroma, so-so taste...Pours cloudy darkish amber with two fingers of firm biscuit head that recede to a thin lasting layer. Aroma of fruit, red wine and brown sugar. Mouthfeel fairly smooth and pleasant but dryish. Fairly mild flavor of mostly red wine and perhaps malty rock candy but kind of has an unpleasant sour quality. A bit metallic initially. A bit of cinnamon in finish as it warms. Kind of a lackluster Belgian.

Really simple but refreshing. I’d like to see what else they do, because this particular brew was lackluster and thin. Michael Jackson had more to say about their brown ale.

Tap @ Novare. Pours orange with a bright white 1 finger head. Nose is sweet and light. Taste is pretty much a basic ok belgian ale.

A pretty beer to look at- fluffy head and amber in color. Thin on the palate but saitsfying in a simple way.

Lots of little bubbles inside this orange-coppery brew with a creamy white lumpy head. Laces the goblet beatifully as it recedes. Bready aromas but not particularly pleasant for some reason that I can’t pinpoint. A nice bready taste as well without the harshness of the aroma. Sweet and malty with no bitterness seems stronger than the ABV on the label. A good Belgian.