Beer - #641 - Breda - Royal Beer / Lager

A beer I drink with trepidation. Odd beer, Odd music, odd numbers and odd one out.

..a beer brewed by everyone and no one wants to own it....

500ml can of beer 5% ABV, so 150 calories a serve size,

For United Dutch Breweries this is brewed at Randalls in the style that is Pale Lager and they're in Breda, Netherlands

Brewed by Oranjeboom, Rotterdam (Netherlands) until the early 90’s.

After the closing of Oranjeboom production was moved to Breda (Netherlands).

[caption id="attachment_11567" align="alignright" width="300"] Trepidation....[/caption]

This brewery was called Verenigde Bierbrouwerijen Breda-Rotterdam at that time and soon to be renamed to Oranjeboom Brouwerij.

The Breda Royal brand however always still mentioned United Dutch Breweries (which translates to Verenigde Brouwerijen). On closing of Oranjeboom Brouwerij, Breda in 2004 by InBev production was moved to both Bremen and Leuven. Until 2008 when Randalls acquired the licence. Some production is also done at Hofbrauhaus Wolters (under the name Getränkeindustrie Altewiek).

So what could possibly go wrong?

Smells like a lager. That is all.

Pale is an orange golden, it looks quite nice, and has a decent head, all the things you look for in a beer.

Unmistakable malt euro lager with a rather interesting if not odd sweetness that is a bit plastic and uncomfortably perfume like.

But it is just a euro lager \ malt lager like so many others, differentiated only in small degrees from another, and often not by that much.

It is cold, but it isn't crisp, there is no 'bite' to it, and it is mostly inoffensive quaffing beer for the person with a thirst and not much by way of discernment in the moment.

Nicer though than the 3 horses, by quite a way.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 4 of its things from the thing. It isn't an average drink, it's below that but it's not awful. I don't think I'd be reaching for this even at the price it is, it isn't worth it.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? Not really, it's flavoured water.
Would I have another? Not if I could help it.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? No.

Music for this

I'm listening to ' The Hunts ' and Indie Folk band, which I though for a moment might have been a Mumford and Sons tribute band,  They have an album  '  Those Younger Days '  listen here on the Spotify 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MywXY6Q21LM

I can't honestly say that I enjoyed it, it was a bit twee and after the M&S over-exposure the last few years it might not be a wise sound to pursue. Each to their own though, it made a change and a challenge.

PALE LAGER

The colour of pale lager ranges from light bronze to nearly transparent and the alcohol anywhere from 4-6%. Adjunct usage may be quite high, though in some cases the beer is all-malt. Carbonation is typically forced, though not always. One thing that doesnt vary is that neither the malt nor the hops make much of an impression on the palate. These beers are brewed for minimum character, though faint traces of hop or malt may show through. More likely though is that adjuncts like corn will show through, or you’ll find notes of higher alcohols (fuel notes) due to the use of high-gravity brewing. The body will be thin and watery, and the finish is typically non-existent.

Beer - #638 - Breda - 3 Horses

This really does appear to be an orphan child of a beer. Which never ends well. Free beer, Free Music, free numbers thinking and freedom from the crowd.

500ml can of beer 5% ABV, so 150 calories a serve size, so 2 standard drink units.

For United Dutch Breweries this is brewed at InBev Belgium in the style that is  Pale Lager and they're in Breda, Netherlands

[caption id="attachment_11539" align="alignleft" width="300"] I'm trying not to laugh but frown[/caption]

Brewed by Oranjeboom, the Netherlands until 2004.......

The can has "Imported" at least 9 times on the can, so I'm guessing it's an export beer.

So what could possibly go wrong?

Aroma is a bit MIA.

Pour is pale and there is a head that starts well and just fades away to less, more than a film though. Aroma is trying to be that more hoppy grassy thing that is familiar of lager.

Taste is of a sweet malt base lager, almost over sweet and cloyingly so. Not much by way of body, and it leaves a rather metallic mouth feel as a linger.

I've had some average beers, even recently, and this sets a new bar, so low.  It is tasteless sugary water with some token flavour tossed in.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 1 of its things from the thing. I have nothing good to say about this, and unlike some other everyman this is so nondescript that exporting it to another country is a way of offloading it onto unsuspecting punters who will pay next to nothing and complain. but never see it again as it does the rounds of the markets. A shocker.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? No
Would I have another? No
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? No

Music for this " Wilco "   an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The album " Star Wars "  of course on the Spotify  or it's a free download for a limited time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JYeg3XKpUY

PALE LAGER

The colour of pale lager ranges from light bronze to nearly transparent and the alcohol anywhere from 4-6%. Adjunct usage may be quite high, though in some cases the beer is all-malt. Carbonation is typically forced, though not always. One thing that doesnt vary is that neither the malt nor the hops make much of an impression on the palate. These beers are brewed for minimum character, though faint traces of hop or malt may show through. More likely though is that adjuncts like corn will show through, or you’ll find notes of higher alcohols (fuel notes) due to the use of high-gravity brewing. The body will be thin and watery, and the finish is typically non-existent.

Beer - #562 - Hertog Jan - Grand Prestige

An annual beer, this one the Hertog Jan - Grand Prestige 2013

Hertog Jan Grand Prestige is a deep, reddish-brown beer with a high fermentation and a full, ripe, bittersweet flavour.

Daunting 750ml bottle, cork and cage, which has beer that is 10% ABV, making it 300 calories a serve size, also making it 5.92 standard drinks.(!)

Brewed by Arcense Bierbrouwerij (InBev) In the style that is: Abt/Quadrupel and they are Arcen, Netherlands. However this could well be English BarleyWine, Belgium Strong Dark Ale,  and or other styles.

Heavy dark beer with a full ripe sweet-bitter taste.

Grand Prestige carefully by us is brewed with the finest ingredients. It is one of the toughest specialty beers from the Netherlands.

[caption id="attachment_10644" align="alignleft" width="300"] I look tired, I think it's too much sun again.[/caption]

Grand Prestige is a special beer, also known as "barley wine" is called. It also has many features in common with a good wine, such as the full, ripe flavor.

When you take the time for your Grand Prestige enjoy the full creamy head, you can smell the hops and can distinguish sweet and bitter clear.

The taste and odor need the rest to develop. Grand Prestige so you can best preserve a while, until you have the opportunity to agree to sit there quietly.

Full-bodied dark beer with a sweet-sour taste, Hertog Jan Grand Prestige is prepared with the finest ingredients. It is known as the "barley wine" for its fruity flavor. The hop aroma can clearly discern the sweet and the bitter.

What could go wrong, Google translate seems on the money.

A pleasant change from a diet of various takes on Pale Ale that seem to be awash at the moment.

Interesting aroma, I would have picked chocolate.

Deep dark beer, dark red, that did have a head of sorts but then don't. In the glass you can pick the alcohol bit, but also the rich fruit thing that is familiar.

Wow. Just wow. That is very very lightly butter and has a massive massive sweetness. A lot of sweetness. When you've recovered a bit the next sip or two again brings forward the alcohol astringent in this.

Not convinced that this has been aged well though, that or it's a beer that might not age well.

When you've got over your initial shocks then you realise that the body could have been fuller and richer, this seems to lacks a depth of flavour and fullness in the mouth.

Easy drinking though, did I mention that? Easy quaffing, and then with the realisation that this is really going to make you squiffy. It isn't a sipping beer though, it is a beer for drinking.

Too sweet though, By a notch or two, and it stops you in your tracks and reminds you to slow it down.  But I can't. It's very moorish, which I think speaks to my sweet tooth rather than the greatness of the beer.

Money well spent? Yes and no. Yes because frankly I'm a bit over the pale ale thing. Yes because it's a style of beer that I enjoy. No because I think it isn't at it's best.  I should know, it could be the best it's ever been, has a lot of fans. Not likely to be a beer I'll ever see again.

And there it was gone.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 a of its things from the thing. A lovely change of pace and different beer to one I've had for a while.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I am enjoying it, because it's a style I like, but part of me thinks it's a bit average too, it has the taste, colour and aroma but it lacks the punch.


2. Would I have another? I would though


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Gosh yes, this is a beer that is like a desert thing, have some of this to finish out the evening, hopefully you left it late enough.

Music, well, Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, model, record producer, and actress. From "The London Sessions" this is "Right Now"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAsF2C2B-GA

I have to admit that I gave up before the beer did and listened to something else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr7TAfOkEVc

ABT/QUADRUPEL

Abt, or quadrupel, is the name given to ultra-strong Trappist and abbey ales. The name Abt was pioneered to describe Westvleteren and the beer that would become St. Bernardus. Quadrupel was pioneered by La Trappe. Abts are the darker of the two, with more rich, deep fruity notes. Quads are paler, with corresponding peachy notes. Neither have much in the way of hop, and both are very strong and malty. Though both are bottle-conditioned, abts trend more towards yeastiness. Alcohol is very high (10+% abv) for both.

BARLEY WINE

A Barley Wine is a strong, top-fermenting ale, with an alcohol contents of at least 9% and up to 13% (or more) by volume. Hops may be hardly noticeable at all or very noticeable. Sip them out of the special glass, that will concentrate the aroma. They are excellent with cigars or with dessert.

BELGIAN STRONG ALE

Belgian Strong Ales can vary from pale to dark brown in color, darker ales may be colored with dark candy sugar. Hop flavor can range from low to high, while hop aroma is low. The beers are medium to full-bodied and have a high alcoholic character. Types of beers included here include tripels, dubbels and ultra-strong abbey ales.

Related articles

• 5 High ABV Beers to Warm You Up


• Beer Man: Amazing fruit, malt flavors stand out in Abt 12


• Dark As Night Flights Boarding Now

Beer - #357 - ’t IJ - IJwit

They ran out of consonants and this is then another one of those unpronounceable beers  - ’t IJ - IJwit

Brewed by Brouwerij ’t IJ in the style of  Belgian White (Witbier) and they are in the progressive city of Amsterdam, Netherlands

A 330ml bottle of a 6.5% ABV beer, with about 195 calories, only 18 IBU things, this would be 1.69 standard drinks in NZ

[caption id="attachment_7931" align="alignright" width="300"] Ears like Rocket Fins[/caption]

Formerly called ’t IJ Scharrel IJwit A full-bodied, Amsterdam wheat beer that is dangerously ‘moreish’. Slightly cloudy, it has a beautiful golden colour and a soft, foamy head. When we brew IJwit, we use wheat malt as well as barley malt, which is also how the beer gets its name. The wheat malt gives the beer a delightful, fresh flavour, and the addition of coriander and lemon during the brewing process produces a rich aroma of banana, citrus and spices. Topped off by a fine, slightly sweet aftertaste, IJwit is a delicious thirst-quencher.

Same old familiar aroma from this style of beer.

Well nice poor of golden yellow with a dense head of  white foam, bubbles dancing in the glass it looks great.

Lemon citrus wheat beer familiar on the nose, musty aroma under,, really dencet flavours and profile in drinking this, it's much more than I thought I would be.

Here then is a beer that is what it says on the label, it's clean,. refreshing, has some nice flavours and is pretty decent, not dressed up or challenge you to taste what the marketing people say it is. I like that.

However there isn't anything else in this except easy drinking, which is a pretty crowed field.  Eventually the sweetness of this would catch up ab become perhaps cloying and you'd need a change of beers to refresh your tongue.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 a of its things from the thing. It's a really clean drinking beer that refreshes but does not challenge you to more than that.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? I am


2. Would I have another? just the one, after that I'd be looking to change


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? As a lead in to something but not for a long story of unrequited love and lost fortunes.

BELGIAN WHITE & WITBIER

Belgian style wheat beers are very pale, opaque, with the crisp character of wheat, plus the citric refreshment of orange peel and coriander. Ingredients sometimes also include oats for smoothness, and other spices such as grains of paradise. Serve with light cheeses or mussels.

 

Beer - #343 - Emelisse - Smoked Rye IPA

Two in a row from this brewery then , this one the an Emelisse Smoked Rye IPA (Innovation Serie)

330ml bottle of a 6.25 ABV beer being 1.61 standard drinks in NZ, 186 calories and 55 IBU things.

Brewed by Brouwerij Emelisse in the style of either a smoked or an India Pale Ale (IPA) and they didn't move in the last few minutes from Kamperland, Netherlands

[caption id="attachment_7776" align="alignright" width="300"] Selfie![/caption]

An IPA brewed with 20% Rye malt and 10% Weyermann Smoke malts. Simcoe and Cascade Hops.

The Smoked Rye IPA is a beer in the Emelisse Innovation Serie’s

Light smoke on opening.

An orange pour with a small and firm lasting head.

The smoked notes are lesser in the glass, but they are there.

Peaty smokey taste with this, the peat is lasting and all present. I guess you could mix peat and smoke, I'll switch to smoke for the rest of this.

So a smokey backbone in this, with little bitterness up-front and a short finish. Lots of carbonation on the tongue.

There's a few things going on in this, some of them are not adding to the whole.

The carbonation gives you a sense of drinking soda water, the taste really isn't strong enough to carry that amount of bubbles.

The smokey note though is there and present and lasting, it give you a full finish, even if the bitterness doesn't.

The pdubyah-o-meter says this is a 6 on the scale of all arbitrary things.

And that's all I've got to say about that.

Except that there are really some very very good smoked,  whiskey, peat beers and this isn't one of them.

The Double Dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? not as much as you'd think


2. Would I have another? Nope


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Nope

SMOKED

The classic smoked beers hail from Bamberg in Franconia, Germany. These are made using malt that has been smoked over beechwood. The insistent smokiness may be applied to any lager style. In North America, the same technique has been used to make smoked porter. Whiskey malt beers are made using peat-smoked malt.

INDIA PALE ALE & IPA

India Pale Ale gets its name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India. This style has an intense hop flavor which was used to preserve the beer for the long voyage. India Pale Ale has a golden to copper color with a medium maltiness and body. The aroma is moderate to very strong. IPAs work especially well at cutting the heat of chili, vindaloo or Sichuan cuisine.

Related articles

• Review of Emelisse TIPA

Beer - #342 - Emelisse - TIPA

Always keen to try something new, from somewhere new.

Tonight then,  Emelisse - TIPA, brewed by Brouwerij Emelisse, in the style of an  Imperial/Double IPA and they do that in Kamperland, Netherlands.

This 330ml bottle has an a ABV of  10%  which translates to a measure of  2.6 Standard Drinks in NZ, and 300 calories in this. This is also 103 in the IBU scale.

[caption id="attachment_7767" align="alignleft" width="300"] Selfie[/caption]

A massive Triple IPA, Brewed with Chinook, Simcoe, Cascade and Amarillo hops. White Labs WLP 001 yeast. Double is sometimes not enough. Besides the double India Pale Ale is now also the Triple IPA developed. And yes, that means that there are three times as many hops is used as usual. Take a sturdy chair, sit back and enjoy …

Not overly hoppy on opening this, more caramel sweet. Pours a really cloudy hazelnut brown with a small and disappearing head.

Much stronger hop aroma in the glass. Sour hops on the palate, but with quite a strong sweet backbone,  finishes to something approaching dry which sparks up the back edges for the tongue.

An intriguing beer this.

A mix of sweet, sour, hoppy, under-carbonated, and dry finishing, but not all-in-all unpleasing, but not something that isn't raising an eyebrow, at least not in admiration.

A confusion is what this really is, and the pdubyah-o-meter thinks that this rates as a 6 on the scale of things. As it warms it gets more hop alive in the mouth, and the sweetness takes a bit of a step back, making this a slightly more aggressive beer on the palate.

The Double Dip review

• Am I enjoying it? Nor so much.


• Would I have another? Not of this but I have another in the fridge


• Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Nope.

Tonight is kind of a Rufus Wainwright - New York State of Mind / Piano Man kind of night; [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnRylN1aK40]

IMPERIAL/DOUBLE IPA

Imperial IPA, Double IPA or DIPA is a strong, often sweet, intensely hoppy version of the traditional India Pale Ale. Bitterness units range upward of 100 IBUs and alcohol begins at 7.5% but is more commonly in the 8.5-10% range. The flavour profile is intense all-round. Unlike barley wines, the balance is heavily towards the hops, with crystal and other malts providing support.

Related articles

• Review of Emelisse TIPA

Beer - #266 - De Molen - Hel & Verdoemenis (Hell & Damnation)

Paired with the Kopi Loewak is this - De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis (Hell & Damnation),  Brewed by Brouwerij de Molen and styled: Imperial Stout in Bodegraven, Netherlands.

Brewed with brown malts, an English traditional specialty malt, we created an Imperial Russian Stout that has won prizes at festivals across Europe from Sweden to Italy. It’s big (10% ABV), black, roasted and complex. We are convinced that not trying this ale will be a mortal sin to your taste buds and beer experience.

The third RIS, Rasputin a Belgian IS. Tsarina Esra a Scandinavian/US RIS Now Hel & Verdoemenis, used old malts for this one like brown malts. (!)

The usual 330ml bottle, of this a 10%ABV beer - which is 2.6 standard drink units in NZ. Coming in at around 300 calories. This particular bottle was bottled on  9th November 2012 and good for seemingly 25 years.

This is the beer after a hard act to follow. the Kopi Loewak. I'm game though.

This has a much deeper coffee/chocolate aroma on opening. Pouts a deep dark black, with no head at all, There is a really soft carbonation in this because you can see it dancing in the glass. It must be me.

Settles to much more muted aroma in the glass, again with a background of fruits and raisins, might be the malts I might be daydreaming.

That is much bitterer and sour like than I was expecting, which makes no sense.

The sourness is almost almost "the beer" but it shouldn't be so.  There is some coffee, and there are some steeped fruits, like raisins, in this. Not sure where the sourness comes in, because it's not bitterness, but it is really pronounced.

There's no hint at the alcohol content with this either. I am however resigned to the fact that, and I may have mentioned this, that this is sour.

The pdubyah-o-meter frowns the frown of the confused. Of the two beers this is the one I thought would be the better.  I'm confident that I wouldn't be thinking differently if I'd had these beers in different order.

So, not for me,  sadly, but I'm going to be arbitrarily objective. But it is arbitrary and I'm not sure I'm to far from the centre in my opinions.  The pdubyah-o-meter then creaks it's weary way to 7, good, because it is actually not all bad. The underlying sweetness is there, the fruits and sweetness in the carry is nice, it's just the journey is carried on a sourness that again I wasn't expecting.

I'm thinking though that the sourness might be coffee bitterness, which is like trying to find a justification, but I really didn't enjoy this and I have been a lot harsher on better beers. This didn't live up to billing, as it warms up I don't expect it to get better. I'm going to have some cheese and crackers.

Related articles

• Beer - #265 - De Molen - Kopi Loewak (pdubyah.com)

Beer - #265 - De Molen - Kopi Loewak

Yet another beer to make it to the front of the fridge is this, the De Molen - Kopi Loewak.  Brewed by Brouwerij de Molen which is styled as an Imperial Stout in the lovely Bodegraven, Netherlands

As an aside : On september 17th 2013, De Molen has announced it will stop producing beers with Kopi Loewak coffee.

Back to the action though , the now familiar  330ml bottle of this, an 11.25% ABV beer, or 2.8 standard drink units in NZ, 336 calories it seems, and an IBU of 85 - which compares this to a Barley Wine.

Bottled on the 24th January, and best before 5 years later says the label. If only I had the patience.

Kopi Luwak or Civet coffee is the most expensive coffee in the world. The high price is not because of the rareness of the coffee berries themselves but because of the special production process. The coffee berries are eaten by the Luwak - a civet cat. The beans however can not be digested by the Luwak and therefor can be found in their pooh. The beans are washed and slightly roasted. This whole process of eating, pooh, find the pooh and treat the berries is very time consuming. This is of course reflected in the price of the coffee. Real coffee connaisseurs highly appreciate this coffee. And what does Brouwerij de Molen do with it? We use it in our own production process of brewing beer. Our KopiLoewak is an Imperial Stout with incredible coffee flavours. Roasted and bitter like an expresso.

So beer made from ferret poo? said MrsPdubyah.

Hoping for a dark, coffee and chocolate drink, bit acidic and a great finish.

Really really rich coffee aroma on opening, alone a treat!

It's like cold drip coffee, it's really intense, and the soft carbonation gives it a really decent carry. The underlying bitterness isn't intruding and all in all this is a thoroughly entertaining beer.

What's not easily known is that this is a fairly strong beer, and that I should slow down and enjoy the experience rather than sip and smile, should introduce the pause..... Like the rugby strum mantra "touch, pause, engage"

As well as the coffee in this I get a sense of fruits in the palate. I Might be the only one to get that though.

Putting aside the irresponsible nature of harvesting the coffee, and the inherent cruelty of farming specifically for it, and only for the entertainment not as a byproduct this is something very clever indeed. I like the way the coffee aroma assaults your nose, and then it translates into the taste, and then carries on to a really decent finish. Just the right amount of carbonation and the thing that really let it down was for me the lack of head, which as you know with my drinking is a common theme, I need to investigate lessons.

The pdubyah-o-meter then says that this is a great 9's worth of beer in and of itself. Lacking a head, and because perhaps I'd have enjoyed more chocolate notes in this holds it back from me doing the high-five.

It is really easy drinking, really easy, and each mouthful is a coffee-bittersweet entertainment that just makes you want to go again. The bit about 'pause'... didn't happen. Definitely not for Lager drinker.Definitely not for Lager drinker. This isn't a spectacular stout as stouts are measured, but what it is is a spectacular use of coffee in beer.

I can say without doubt thought definitely not for Lager drinker.

MrsPdubyah chose the music tonight, Beyoncé, at least this offsets that a bit.

I left this to go cook on the barbecue, some Portuguese spiced chicken,  and came back to a few more sups. I'd found that as it had warmed it had altogether got softer and more rounded and complete.  You should if you can can get one.

Related articles

• The Sad Truth Behind Civet Coffee (onegreenplanet.org)


• Kopi Luwak (behance.net)

Beer - #73 - De Molen - Bed and Breakfast

For the second act I present De Molen Bed & Breakfast,  This is a beer you have to enjoy within 2 years, says the label.  In a panic I realise that this is brewed in the style of a  Spice / Herb / Vegetable beer,  by Brouwerij de Molen in Bodegraven, Netherlands. The one I have was bottled on the 23rd August this year, it's still in the cot! I'm not waiting 2 years to enjoy this, sorry.

And for real - a vegetable beer!. I feel like I'm plumbing new depths. The label indicates a coffee expectation. A 330ml bottle of a 4.4% ABV beer, which is about standard. I'm a bit scared about opening this based on the last beer I had, the Heen and Weer.

This one is so excitable in the bottle even before I pour it it's trying to escape, all over the place, and then there is coffee in abundance.

Pale yellow with a frivolous head, I'm still smarting from being caught out by the aroma, which really is all of coffee. This must be by design, the aroma not the catching me out.

Surprise! the taste is of coffee. Fizzy cold coffee, and a bit of chocolate. I'm intrigued by this because it's strangely odd and alluring.  There is an hoppiness underlying the taste, you can tell it's there.

A confusing state of affairs to arbitrarily make this an arbitrary score on the pdubyah-o-meter and I get a 6. But only because coffee aside this is a bit thin, and if you're going to be a leader you need to deliver on more than one thing, I think. If they could get a little more out of this it'd be a something, that might be cranking up the alcohol to make this a finisher beer, but at it's current strength it sits as a curiosity.

Related articles

• Borefts - De Molen Beer Festival (beersay.wordpress.com)

Beer - #72 - De Molen - Heen and Weer (Back and Forth)

De Molen - Heen & Weer  - Brewed by Brouwerij de Molen in the style of an Abbey Tripel and this one comes a long way to be here from Bodegraven, Netherlands.

It says on the label "Best within 5 years" to be honest I expect to be through with this in under an hour. This little treasure of a 9.2% ABV beer in a 330ml bottles was born on the 2nd February 2012. So in man years at a month per year it's 8 years old already!

so  Heen & Weer - pours a brilliant  gorgeous orange colour, and with a fearsome head, slightly cloudy, well carbonated. I failed to take due care and at the last I managed the sediment and turned it all very cloudy.

Bazinga! What a glass full of flavour. That really did being a smile to the dial, based on the aroma I wasn't expecting a huge drama, I love it when I'm surprised. Then of course it's a Tripel, and that's a big clue on what you've got in store.

The head settles into a pleasant depth, the caramel aroma escapes, nicely rich and sweet. it's all a bit good. Taste is lovely fruity and ideal for a quiet Sunday in the afternoon sun. A couple could see you head off for a nap though at 9.2% ABV. As it sits longer the under bitterness becomes apparant, and creeps in, just a peek, not a jazz hands entrance, but it's there, and the alcohol is well hidden in the overall taste of things.

The pdubyah-o-meter loves this, but then I've made no secrets of my enjoyment of all things Wit, Tripel, Trappist et al. Not sure I ever had a Dutch beer though, if this is the bar then they're doing ok. Loves it at 8.5 from 10 arbitrary things from a thing, loves it like a comfort blanket.

There is no fancy packaging in this, it's just a tidy bottle with a tidy beer inside. Just like it should be. Couple of these and a tasting platter of things would make a old man very happy.

and a late save face ....... ok look to make it all better, yes Heineken and Grolsh and Amstel all from Holland. All brewed in Onehunga locally, not dutch beer :-), besides which despite the odd lapse of judgement and ignorance I'm trying to pick the boutique beers from an expanding shelf of things.  I'm going to sit in the naughty corner for a bit and think about my lapse.