2020 Vintage, will keep for 5 years according to De Ranke.

Tea colored pour with a bubbly head that fades quickly – as expected. No retention, no lace. Fair enough given the style.

Nose is surprisingly non-descript. Perhaps a little funk (that I was NOT really expecting), and a little cheese. I was expecting some more acidity.

Tastes are very light, dry tartness. In no way heavily ethanoic acid, and the oak is a real feature. No sweetness that can sometimes blend with any acid present. Almost zero carbonation in the mouth, just still, with a little life around the edges. It’s smooth, easy drinking and has a dry finish, but to be honest rather unspectacular. Don’t get me wrong, the beer is well-made and tasty, but it ‘s certainly not especially rich in terms of the experience. The tannins give a dry red wine experience.

This is a complicated blend of young and old beer, plus some Jacobins Foederbier from Brewery Vanderghinste. Given the effort that has been put into the blending of all of these pieces, I guess I was expecting a wholly different, deeper, more spectacular experience. That’s not really what I got. Honestly, a bit disappointing. Lost of dry oak is the underlying experience here, and if I am totally frank, a pretty uninteresting beer.

In the end this felt a bit bland and fell flat for me. Maybe this will develop over time and the cellar will be kind, but for now, especially given the De Ranke label not a beer that’s really hitting any high notes.