Tag Archives: strong dark ale

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, S.A. Bières de Chimay

Chimay Grande Réserve Vieillie en Barriques: Châtaignier neuf, Chêne, Cognac 15/03/2016

Leave a comment

Brewery: S.A. Bières de Chimay
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: 38% French oak, 22% American oak (second utilization), 22% new cognac barrels & 18% new chestnut

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The “Grande Réserve” barrel aged is an exceptional beer that benefits from triple fermentation and extended maturing in barrels. Unfiltered, unpasteurised, this beer has an incomparable rounded, wooden flavour.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.1
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 15th March 2016, with a best before date of end of 2021. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A dark amber brown colour, with a thin half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, and a gently replenishing centre, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Light to moderately sweet dark fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, oak, with light toffee notes.
Taste: Sweet dark malt, dark fruit, plum, prunes, caramel, toffee, oak, cognac, light booze, and a touch bitter on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s a nice complex sipper, but my preference is still the base beer, which is just so good. Despite this, the barrel aged variants are still very interesting, and I would love to keep trying more.

Advertisement
4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Deschutes Brewery, USA

Deschutes Pinot Suave

Leave a comment

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 11.8%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: Belgian style ale with pinot noir grapes aged in French oak barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Belgian style ale aged in French Pinot Noir barrels with Pinot Noir grape must. The result, notes of Pinot grape, berries and fruit along with light malt and a hint of caramel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.1
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. black waxed bomber, bottled on 25th April 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: An amber orange brown colour with a thin tanned head that dissipated quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, caramel, dark fruit, prunes, fig, vinous, grape.
Taste: Sweet, vinous, overripe grape, dark fruit, prunes, raisin, caramel, oak, with red berry notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A touch sweet, but the Pinot Noir grape must and barrels give this sipper some nice interesting aroma and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar

De Dochter van de Korenaar Embrasse Peated Oak Aged

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: Aged in peated Islay whiskey barrels

Brewer Description: (from website) Embrasse matures four to six months in whiskey barrels. For the peated oak aged Embrasse Islay barrels are used. By barrel aging the beer it takes the rich tones of the whiskey and the beer gets a softer and fuller taste.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.98
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a notched best before end date of October 2022. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Peaty, leather, dry grass, roasted malts, with milk chocolate and whisky notes.
Taste: Roasted malts, peat, smoke, milk chocolate and whiskey.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s peat forward and obvious, but not overpowering. The peat is balanced with some nice roasty and chocolate flavours. The body was lighter than expected though, and I was hoping for a bit more carbonation.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar

De Dochter van de Korenaar Embrasse Blended Oak Aged

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: Aged in whiskey barrels

Brewer Description: (from website) Embrasse matures four to six months in whiskey barrels. For the blended oak aged Embrasse non-peated whiskey barrels are used. By barrel aging the beer it takes the rich tones of the whiskey and the beer gets a softer and fuller taste.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.93
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a notched best before end date of I think July 2022. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a one finger beige head that had decent retention, before settling to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, dried dark fruit, raisin, fig, caramel.
Taste: Roasty, coffee, dark chocolate, bittersweet, caramel, whiskey, with notes of dried dark fruits.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice bittersweet flavours with the roastiness, coffee and chocolate coming through nicely.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Pannepot Special Reserve Cask Strength Port BA

Leave a comment

Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.1%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: 27 IBUs. Cask strength limited edition with medium carbonation

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our barrel room is housing more barrels each year. As our team does not grow as quick as our barrel total, it is needless to say our barrel aged beers are also aging longer. This batch has 5 years of Port barrel aging. Enjoy!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.05
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2011 vintage, cask strength limited edition, bottled on 15th November 2016. Poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a very thin beige head that disappeared almost immediately, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruit, plum, prune, raisin, dates, port, oak, strawberry, chocolate.
Taste: Light sweetness, dark fruit, plum, prune, raisin, port, mixed berries, slight booze, with notes of caramel and chocolate on the backend.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s not the first time that De Struise has mentioned ‘medium carbonation’ when in actuality it is either soft or really close to no carbonation. In this case, while I would prefer more carbonation, the soft carbonation is not so bad. It’s a good sipper with lots of good port notes.