The Bruery Black Orchard

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

Bottle used to start a night that included an expensive italian dinner and a strip club off. A great start indeed! Poured with a black hue - tarry look to it, with no head whatsoever. Aroma of some spices - peppermint? lots of wheat, and citrus. Hints of dark fruits, coffee and chocolat as well. Flavor has a nice wheatey, fruity taste. Spices dominate the latter half of the taste making this beer pretty darn good! Medium mouthfeel with light carbonation.

750 ml bottle From Holiday Wine Cellar: Dark brown, almost black with small fading off-white head. Aroma of black cherries with some belgian spice. Flavor is dark fruit (raisin, plum, cherries) with a peppery bitterness and fruity dry finish. Light-medium body is thin with very lively carbonation. Kinda Trois Pistoles like.

Pours an opaque black with a large, clingy-lacing froth of dark tan head. Has a sweet dark caramel and milk chocolate nose with some doughy Belgian yeasty notes and a hint of tartness. Starts very effervescent with some dark caramely sweetness and mild light fruity tart notes before a drier, bready slightly more bitter finish. A pretty true to style and drinkable Belgian ale.

Very dark brown with a small off-white head. The aroma is roasted with lots of chocolate and licorice and a little spicy touch. Sweetish chocolate flavour, medium bitterness and a little citrus in the finish.

Sampled at Stone World Bistro on tap; June 2008
Arrives with a hazy, murky, dark brown color and is topped by a thin, frothy and brown tinged, tan colored head. The aroma has the characteristic Wit notes of orange peel and coriander; the coriander is nice in the aroma as it is not overly sharp / earthy-herbal like some Wits and it melds in quite well with the citrus notes. This is also fruity smelling with notes of fermented plums, rum-soaked raisins that are a product of esters and higher alcohols. The nose is actually very ester and phenolic driven; producing ample spiciness and fruit notes beyond the typical orange peel and coriander character; aromas of pepper, ginger, lots of clove, bubblegum notes, banana and phenolic resin are all found here. There is also some dark malt notes here in the nose, it is more of a light roast / light toasted grain character than anything.

The taste is quite dry and tart, yet it still has an ample fruitiness to it as well as a noticeable, background, dark malt character. This is very light on the palate, quite quaffable, almost thin even, but the ample carbonation provides lots of texture to this beer. This is very spicy and phenolic tasting from the fermentation derived character; flavors of light plastic, big clove, higher alcohol warming notes in the finish as well as a peppery bit that couples with a slight hop bitterness in the finish. This has a surprising fruitiness to it despite by quite dry; flavors of plum and light raisin notes are quite noticeable, especially the former. This gets a touch vegetal in the finish, it is nothing major and might just be a bit of the coriander note coming through. Flavors from the dark malt, while not over the top, have a profound influence on the flavor of this beer; it definitely mutes the spice notes; provides a touch of soft, dusty cocoa; and contributes a toasted, even lightly roasted flavor that is especially noticed in the finish.

This is quite an interesting beer; tasty, complex, but somehow almost too much. The flavors are at times a bit too cacophonous and almost, though not quite, jarring. I would guess that this was fermented at just a smidge too high of a temperature; the high heat is good because it boosts complexity via fermentation by products, but seems to have gotten a touch too hot. Still I like this quite a bit and will definitely be looking to get a bottle of this brew.

(750ml bottle) Pours a murky brown body with a medium beige head. Aroma of toasted malt, wheat, rye, florals, coriander, banana, and orange peel. Flavor of wheat, black malt, lemon zest, rye, coriander, and fennel.

Very dark brown with lighter brown edges. Aromas are very nice, sour cherry, lightly roasted wheat and some floral/lavender qualities. Palate is lightweight and rather thin, finishes watery and a bit mineral. Flavors aren’t notable beyond the roasted malts.

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