Vondel Flemish Brown Ale

Formerly brewed at Riva Brouwerij (Moortgat)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Dentergem, Belgium

Bottle at the Relentless Thirst Gathering in Richmond, VA, 8.29.09. I think brewno from Cap Ale brought this one. Pours a reddish brown color with a slight haze and tiny floaties. Medium head with fair head retention and lacing. Aroma is earthy, musty and funky with caramel and leafy vegetal notes. Taste is caramel, light musty funk and a vegetal note. Very smooth and very enjoyable. Medium bodied.

Amazing beer. I was in a bar in Brugge when the bar tender realized that I really enjoyed beer. On the way out, we passed me this bottle - free of charge. What a delight! Aroma is of rasins. Beer is sweet and smotth - probably a bit of vanilla - but not enough to taste. The beer ends easy with a hint of alcohol finish.

Thanks to HogTownHarry. Not sure of the vintage but the best before is 2010. Appearance: Brown/red with a medium off white head, a little visible carbonation. Aroma: Floral, sweet with dark fruit, malt, caramel and metal. Flavour: Chewy caramel with nuts, dark fruit, metal again, alcohol. It has a pleasant hop-caramel finish.

Sortie de mon cellier et dégusté avec Viak dans un verre de Westmalle. Apparence d’un brun ambré très foncé avec de fine particules marquant le verre et une mousse géante. Arômes de sucre à la crême, alcool ( vodka ) très présente, caramel et sucre brun. Goût semblable à une ( gulden draak ), miel, caramel, sucre brun, malt, levure et un peu de sel. Équilibre , sensation crémeuse et une bonne amertume. Très surpris et en toute plénitude.

Bottled, 330ml. Dark brown with white head. Sweet and powerful beer, plenty of syrupy caramel notes with pulpy fruit, ripe plum and pear. This was 7 years old and I did get a rich port, fortified wine note. Malts and yeast in the finish, it was a decent beer.

330ml bottle in trappist glass. Huge head. Could not even pour it entirely the first time. Strong yeast aroma. Some alcohol and fruits. Dark brown.astringent, Good amount of carbonation on the palate. Warm alcohol at the begining and at the end. Alcohol is very present all along. A bit metallic on the finish. Seems more and more metallic is I’m drinking it. I’m now near the end and its a bit more fruity. It as gotten better actually. Some bitterness on the finish and less but still some alcohol. Overall Ok beer but not so drinkable. Nice aroma and appearance though. Rating #25

33cl bottle at Delirium Cafe. Pours amber/ruby with a small creamy head. Sweet matured, cellar, mouldy aroma. Caramel, earthy, bread and sugar. Medium bodied. Smooth and round with a mouldy sweet caramel cellar note. Nice one!

Bottle at Galbraiths Ale House (in Auckland, NZ), a lively pour, brown with a huge light beige pillowy head. Caramal, nearly cola-ish, nose. Quite effervescent on the sweetish malty palate. A heap of licorice in the mouth, before a cleansing drying finish. Went down well with me.