Mon Jun 20, 2005 2:13 am
750 ml brown, big ’ole Belgian bottle. Weird gold plastic overwrap, and an even weirder looking big steel staple holding the cork in the bottle. This is the first beer I ever had to use a screwdriver to open. If there was a freshness date, I didn’t see it anywhere. Opened with a loud pop. Very effervescent, almost champagne like. Poured out a pale golden color, with a huge white head at first. It slowly slid back to a thick matting on top of the beer itself. Aromas are of a damp basement, week old boiled eggs, stinking refridgerator, fresh cut hay, malts, cheesy hops, and yeast. This is definitely an aquired taste, for these Flanders Ales. No aromas of alcohol, despite it being 8.5% ABV. Strange, huh? Slight Brett to it as well. Tastes are of Brett, damp earth, funky old farmhouse, wet hay, some toffee, strangely enough, tobacco, and a strange nuttiness to it as well. Walnuts or Brazil nuts come to mind. Slight caramel in the finish, along with a spicy hops bite, which in itself was rather surprizing. Medium mouthfeel, nothing special here. Very drinkable, once you get past the smell and the inital tastes. Paired well with my last chunk of Maytag Blue cheese.
