The Bruery Black Orchard

Brewed by The Bruery
Style: Belgian Ale
Placentia, California USA

Interesting beer. Cola-ish taste lingers. Lots of wheat without the traditional wheat spices/flavors. Not a heavy beer.

Pours brown with a beige head. Aroma of caramel, apple and quite a bit of yeast. Light body and active carbonation. Lightly sour finish

Pours a dark ruby-brown, almost black, with a huge frothy tan head. The aroma reminds me of some of Unibroue’s darker beers, like Trois Pistoles... very nutty, with hints of dark fruit. Flowery, too. Mouthfeel is light and prickly, with a nice clean finish. The flavor isn’t oppressive like Trois Pistoles... the nuttiness and the fruits switch places from their aroma positions and it’s a nice, light dark fruit character that gently leads the way. A really great beer... I’m surprised that the rating is so low!

Dark murky amber with a fluffy head. Aroma is a bit roasty and malt sweetness and some bread and yeast. Taste is similar. Caramel, bitter roast and a little spice and earthyness.

750 ml bottle poured a clear deep dark reddish brown with a small lasting tan head. Aromas of coriander, orange peel, burnt carmel, light wheat and light yeast. Palate was medium bodied and crisp with a smooth lightly dry finish. Flavors of burnt carmel, wheat, coriander and citrus with a smooth dry lingering spiced finish.

Date: May 15, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Appearance: muddy brown, wispy beige head
Aroma: roasted aroma with light spicyness, touch of caramel sweetness
Body: light body
Flavor: rich roasted malt flavor, touch of dark chocolate, light spicyness, touch of chocolate
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Ruddy prune in color. Large off-beige head slowly settles and forms a tight but broken cap. Cocoa, plums, alcohol, apple, bready malt, and brown sugar aromas. Faint sulfur, bubblegum, and roasted malt hulls. Soft and expansive effervescence. Dryish and earthy with chocolate-tinged roast upfront. An array of delicacies abound, though the residual sweetness packs substantial weight. Distinctly oaty as well, which also somewhat hampers the body as it deposits an aggressive oiliness on the tongue. Notably floral yet slickly appley with trace notes of banana and bubblegum. Ensuing twinge of coriander echoes the feisty plasticy phenolics as doughy yeast films the palate and neutralizes the fervid spice. Pleasant tang of iron comes and goes, but enhances the quaffable nature. Buried yet perceptible banana esters continue to lend more slickness to the body. Alcohol provides warmth despite its modest strength. Bold notes of plum form an agreeable alliance with the sturdy bready-malt spine. Finishes with apple and plum notes with hints of coriander and distant glimpses of plastic. The malt does show occasional promise as it exhibits some depth and rounded texture, but is partially overshadowed by the plasticlike phenols and oily oats. Yeasty and fairly alcoholic. Middle of the road.

Other than the slow and constant geyser from the bottle, this beer is not as interesting as I’d hopped. Slightly herbal, with some hints at a classic wit, but not one I will revisit.