Petrus Winterbier

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

This started out nice, I really enjoyed what the nose had to offer with some lighter fruit notes and some lemony acidity I have come to know from Petrus. The flavor is thrown off though, slightly sour, but really high in acidity, a little higher in the carbonation levels, and then the spices hit your toungue, and it makes for a really tough mouthfeel, not very enjoyable.

Color: Amber with foamy off white head. Nose: Nice and malty. The same theme of lemony, oaky notes that seem common in Petrus. Fresh and herbal notes on the backside of the nose. Palate: Musty, citrusy notes. Green strawberries. Long finish of dry malt and oak.

Crystal clear filtered reddish brown, huge foamy head from explosive carbonation, vanishes, leaving some lacing. Nose of orange and spice. Taste a bit tart, strongly spiced, leaving a dry, tannic, chalky feeling. Also rather thin in the mouth.. Overall impression was pretty middle of the road for a Belgian brown.

Pretty beer with a decent head and nose, flavor was just O.K. Malty and caramel, but not very smooth.

750 ml, uncorked itself when uncaged! Humongous head settles into a nice cream atop the hazy, copper-amber body. Sour caramel and a hint of cedar in the nose. Flavor is tart cherry, earthy yeast, and sour apples bordering on vinegar. Some nice roasted flavor shows up only in the way aftertaste. Light-medium body is dry, and very astringent from all the acetic acid. Not my idea of a winter ale.

750 mL bottle. Pours a deep reddish orange with tons of carbonation and a huge off-white head. The aroma is very musty, with a little bit of a sour edge to it. There are also some perfumy fruit scents, a touch of cherry, some spicy alcohol. The flavor is a spicy, earthy must. Behind that are notes of cherries, maybe some sage. The finish is warm and phenolic, and intensifies slightly into the aftertaste. Nothing terribly special, but decent.

Bottle. Poured amber color with minimal head. Aroma and flavor was of caramel. As I learn more about the different beers, I guess this "sour" beer is not up my alley.

Highly carbonated. Blew the cork right out of my hand. Dark red pour, very effervescent. Huge, pillowy white head. Dank, yeasty aroma, light maltiness, and faint spice (cloves, cinnamon). Bread like flavor, very dry, sour fruit, and nuances of bland spice. Finishes with a twang. Nothing here to remember, very bubbly, dry flavor, twangy finish. No where near what I would call a winter brew. There is not that lush, full flavor of a true winter warmer I am looking for. Not one I would get again.