Signature Ale

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

From a 750mL Bottle. Purchased at the Carlsbad location Bottle Shop. Healthy crack upon opening the bottle. Pours a mostly transparent, golden honey color with a thick layer of even, frothy white head. A fresh, lemony hop aroma immediately grabs my attention. Behind the fresh American hop layer erupts a nose of yeasty fruits that is uniquely Belgian. Notes of papaya, melon, honey, and rose petals promise richness. Earthy peppers and musky orange rinds add more depth. Medium bodied, richly carbonated mouthfeel. There’s plenty of doughy yeast to chew on up front, but the palate is lightened substantially by the richness of the carbonation. I’ve had this a couple of times before, but never an entire bottle to contemplate by myself. This beer is substantially more complex than I noted before. Along with the yeasty dough flavors come some creamy banana, cardamom spice, a hint of musky funk, and a gentle kiss of pepper. The palate dries up mid-palate as the American hops start to shine through, perhaps Amarillo. The yeasty characters outlast the hops in the end, however, leaving a brett-like dryness lingering on the palate. As it warms, I’m starting to notice the brett more and more in the aroma as well. A touch of warming alcohols are noticeable in the finish, but not really a negative point in the big picture. This is a wonderful example of a Belgian-American fusion beer.

bottle. golden/copper pour. light haze. foamy white head. lacing. delicious aroma earthy barn yard, light spice, apricots and plum, light yeasts and nice hops. beautiful balance. well hopped. funky earthiness behind the fruit. dry, light peppery finish. great brew. bottle purchased at Tony’s Fine Wines in Littleton.

Bottle. Murky pale gold-amber with a bubbly white head. Nose of peach, oranges and grapefruit from the Amarillo hops, and caramel. Huge complexity from the first sip. Fresh grapefruit and orange with musky brett presence. Caramel malt and fruity sweetness against a wonderful sharp musk. Thick and bubbly with huge drinkability.

Pours hazy dark golden color with off white head. Bready yeast aroma with caramel and brett. Flavors of citrus, caramel malts and tartness of brett. Medium body with livel carbonation and a creamy mouthfeel. I’d like to try this with about 6 more months on it to see how the brett flavors change.

Bottle sampled at Lost Abbey during RBSG. Pours the color of unfiltered apple juice and just as hazy. Head is soft with decent retention and nice lacing. Aroma is canned peaches with some funky brett. Flavor is yeasty with a peach syrup sweetness and a dry brett/hops finish. Alcohol is invisible. Interesting beer.

Picked this up at Ted’s Butcherblock in Charleston, SC. Pours a golden orange with a huge white head. The aroma has notes of brick oven baked bread, corriander, and sweet citrous. Bitter finish from the generous hopping. Very good.

Tasting session at jbrus. Bottled. Hazy golden coloured, big white head. Leathery nose, some citrus. Rather thick mouthfeel, brett, sweetness, more bitter towards the finish. Lasting bitter finish. Very interesting flavour, unusual but good.

Bottled @ jbrus. Hazy orange color, short head, some lacing. Aroma and taste remind me of Orval. Nicely bitter, obvious dry hopped taste with some Brett sourness. I quite like it.