Radermacher Rader Ambrée

Brewed by Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Aubel, Belgium

A very smooth and tasty amber ale--almost blonde in color and texture. Pours light golden and is cloudy with a somewhat creamy head. Very smooth with light fruity flavors of apricot and hints of banana.

I like these strong ales. Bottled sample from the MLCC. Nice bubbles (I like those bubbles). Fairly spicy. Drinkable.

Stale. Bit of shoe aroma. Poured without any distinction. Not impressive. Barely got through it.

Bottled, BB 6/6/09. Poured medium golden-amber with a lovely, creamy cap of white head and lacing.. lots of fine sediment suspended in there. The aroma was very fruity and yeasty with pears, green apples, and orange zest present.. maybe a tad too sweet, but still warm and inviting. The flavor opened with heavier pale malt and honey impression, opening into a spicy, rather muddled middle with the aforementioned warm malts, peppery spices, and herbal notes. Heavier-bodied, sweet, and hot on the palate with OK balance.. left some green apple skins on the finish. OK.

Bottle from Wine and Cheese Place in (near) St. Louis, MO. Small gusher upon decapping. Hazy amber color with a ferocious off-white head. Aroma is spicy over mildly roasted caramel. Medium body with frothy carbonation. Flavor: Some heat. Some citrus. Some roasted caramel. Finishes a bit peppery hot. Pretty good ale. Pretty strong ale.

33cl, brew with juniper, from Geers Oostakker, complex, cloudy, small head, nice brew, but too heavy

Brown bottle, 33 cl, best before 01/2010, via Importations Privées Bièropholie, savoured on July 10 2008: eye: dark caramel, hazy, suspended matter, lots of tan head made up of rather small bubbles and that looks like melted ice cream as it falls, good lacing, no effervescence; nose: alcohol and spices pierce the head, caramelized malt, coriander, lightly stale, yeast, light orange; mouth: lots of caramelized malt, lightly stale, alcohol, light hops, light Cointreau, finale in caramelized malt with a hint of pepper and alcohol, rather sweet, slightly bitter, not much carbonation (feels almost dead), medium body, hide its alcohol very well; overall: disappointing FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 33 cl, meilleure avant 01/2010, via Importations Privées Bièropholie, savourée le 10 juillet 2008; œil : caramel foncé, voilée, matière en suspension, mousse fauve importante formée de bulles petites, bonne dentelle qui ressemble à de la crème glacée fondue lorsqu’elle tombe, pas d’effervescence; nez : alcool et épices percent la mousse, en rétro-olfaction, malt caramélisé, coriandre, légèrement éventée, levure, léger orange; bouche : gros malt caramélisé, légèrement éventée, alcool, léger houblon, léger Cointreau, finale en malt caramélisé avec pointe de poivre et d’alcool, plutôt sucrée, texture crémeuse, très légèrement amère, peu carbonatée (j’écrirais même qu’elle est « morte »), corps moyen, cache très bien son alcool; en résumé : déçu

Cloudy orange-copper with a creamy off-white head that lingers for a good while. Sweet malty initial taste with hints of Molasses. Yeasty finish. Good tasting beer.