750 mL, corked and "clasped" (Corsendonk style) from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Lovely honey colored, clouded pour and a very noce initial, light, frothy head. Retention and lace aren't great, but still acceptable. Nose and tastes reveal muted alcohol, muted white pepper and muted Belgian sweetness (candy). A light spice note is there too. Yeasty finsh completes the picture. Very light, easy drinking. In a nutshell, a poor man's Duvel with similar appearance but a lot less depth. Perhaps a...
Notes on beers brewed by
Brasserie La Binchoise (Malterie des Remparts)
La Binchoise Spéciale Noël (Reserve Special – USA)
Very spicy and bitter with pepper being the most overwhelming sensation for me. There's plenty of other spices in there too, with coriander especially prevelant. Some lemon in the nose as well. Dark orange pour with a large, ivory colored head that hangs around some. A little lacing, but nothing to speak of. This is a a bitter, quite harsh beer, with only very minor fruit character. There are plenty of pineapples and mandarin oranges in the aroma, but very little in the taste. Having said that...
La Binchoise Brune Tradition
$6.99 750 mL, Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. What a super beer. Pour is dark brown and cloudy, with quite a lot of carbonation, but the head is thick, full of body and adds to the presentation and appearance. Like the quality product that this is, the head hangs around for a good portion of the drink. I don't detect the specific orange and aniseed aromas that others do, but there is no doubt that the beer is spicy and somewhat herbal. Don't let that description put you off, it is...