Radermacher Rader Ambrée

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

Best before Feb. 2005. Bought 1.5 yrs ago. Hazy golden ale with a thick white head. Aroma of rising bread and alcohol. Sharp alcoholic gin in mouth, with fresh finish. Some citrus notes. I remember this beer as being sweeter initially, now it is smoother.

Head is initially average sized, frothy, white, mostly lasting. Body is hazy medium yellow, dense tiny and small particles, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately yeasty (cobwebs, earth), moderately malty (cookie), lightly hoppy (flowers, herbs), with notes of alcohol, pear, honey, and clove. Flavor is heavily sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, creamy and syrupy texture, lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. It’s quite sweet, and the alcohol is a bit too striking, but it’s actually quite pleasant for such a strong beer. Improves as it warms.

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.

From a 750 ml bottle. A new arrival at John’s Grocery in Iowa City. The body is medium gold with a slight haze. The long lasting head is large and white. The aroma has an earthy musk of some leather with some pancakes. There is also a bit of alcohol. The taste is sweet peaches with almonds in the strong booze. There is also a little bit of cinnamon spice in the finish. The body a little thick and syrupy.

Hmm. That commercial description is incomprehensible... Somewhat shy, husky, grainy aroma with herbal hops, sweet vanilla and some notes of alcohol. Clear blonde body with fine carbonation is topped by a dense, fine-bubbled, white head that recedes slowly to lasting cover with some very nice lacing. Sweet nutty flavours are balanced with herbal and earthy hops with some vanilla and wood-like notes. Alcohol comes to the fore in the finish, then subsides to a floral aftertaste. Medium body with moderate carbonation that is strongly effervescent. Complex and interesting if not quite a show-stopper. Bottle (Bieropholie Dec. 2004).

Dull muddy apple pie with cloves. Left over alcohol. I’m sure the puss faced brewer’s boy did more than spit in this concotion. Maybe P-tor44 spat this out after drinking his Stag.

Bottle. Off-white high creamy and lasting head. Hazy amber body. A bit sharp aroma of cherries and alcohol. Flavor is mild and sweet cherries with a bit of bitterness in the aftertaste, maybe from cherry stones. A bit flat becasue of little, if any, carbonation.

Sampled at joebrew’s Sunday BBQ, pours a hazy golden amber brew with an average off-white head that quickly dissolves to a ring. Aroma of sweet bready malt, hard fruits with a bit of alcohol on top of any hop presence. Taste is medium bodied, well carbonated with a sweet bread flavor and plenty of alcohol. Finish is slighly metalic from the alcohol, spritzy and a slight dry gin aftertaste.