Signature Ale

Brewed by De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Lochristi, Belgium

Light almond brown, thick, whipped creamy head. Lightly malty aroma, cherry, mild brettiness. Flavor is burly crystal malts, but quite dry, moderate bretty character, cherry syrup, fruity chalkiness (sweet tarts), clean finish, lightly orangey, ashen bitterness. Graham crackers, sharp carbo fading out.

Bottle... O-Town Christmas Gathering ‘07... Hazy, light golden ale with a small, creamy, white head. Decent retention. The aroma provides grainy, herbal and citrusy notes. Medium-bodied and watery with prickly carbonation. Flavor of sweet pale grains with a whisper of tart acidity. Lengthy, sweet, grainy finish. Thanks to boboski for providing the bottle!

Corked bottle and served in big ole snifter: Pours a clean initial golden hue with a fading frothy head and spotty lace. The aroma has notes of light brett and cheesy yeast funk, herbal and aromatic hops, hint of bready and pils malt, touch of honey and apple esters and some wood.

The taste starts with equal amounts of sweet malt and wild yeast characteristics backed by lovely acidic fruit and some sublime leafy hops. What I like is the sudden rush of pepper, clove, and lime leaf towards the finish. The mouth feel is sprite and lively dancing across the palate and oh so refreshing with just a hint of alcohol noted. Could stand to be a bit dryer but I think that will come with time.

Seems a bit of a hybrid to me, part Biere de Garde, part Saison and part Tripel. Think a slightly young and funked up Duvel...Whatever it truly is, I like it and need to get more. Sorry Vinnie, Ron, Phil, and Steve but Tomme is still the best American brewer I know (you guys are still pretty good in my book).

Pours a lightly hazy, golden-orange color. A small, frothy white head leaves behind minimal sudsy lacing that mostly rejoins the body. The aroma shows the signature, subdued dry funk of Brett, followed by bready, yeasty scents and notes of creamy lemon chiffon. The flavor shows ample, varied, acidic citrus components. Oranges and lemons come to the forefront, but the bready notes are present throughout. The Brett dries things out nicely. Medium bodied, smooth, and very easy to drink. Similar to Ommegeddon, though perhaps not quite as dry. If you told me this was a Saison, I wouldn’t doubt it for a second. Good stuff.

On tap at Hopleaf, Chicago. Very light "Strong?" I ’d say farmhouse ale, with subtle funky aroma/taste from the yeast. I liked this one a lot and would have had another, but the bar was too packed to stay in for too long.

Pours light golden color. Sour apple aroma, very subtle, not overpowering. Very carbonated. Nice sour apple, caramel taste. Finishes dry and bitter, Very nice.

Bottle courtesy of alexanderj, shared with kleyland and alexanderj at the GA-CA-VA-NY-MA pre-NYE Extravaganza Day 2. Pours a pure gold with a small, bubbly, white head. Aroma of clove and fresh cut grass. Flavor is really balanced between the bready malts and honey sweetness. Finish is dry and bitter with a bit of pepper.

Bottle; poured a pure gold with a quickly diminishing white head. Aroma was of clove, yeast, must with some tartness. No one else picked up on any tartness in the aroma or flavor but I did. Not too pronounced, but had some characteristics of brett. It does seem from other ratings that it was bottled with some. Flavor was of bread, crystal malt, yeast, with a peppery finish. Good, not great beer.