Alcohol-doused dry-hopped bottle conditioned Belgian Saison sets the pace with mammoth bruised orange tang and lemon rind bittering, leaving hints of grapefruit, pineapple, white peach, and dehydrated fig-prune-grape in its wake. Spry floral backdrop recedes to herbaceous earthiness before juniper finish seizes control.
Tag Archives: abbey ale
HARPOON ABBEY ALE
Limited edition single batch abbey-style re-creation layers bruised orange bitterness above prickly hop tongue and buttery crystal malt flow. Green apple, lemon peel, and grapefruit tartness lure durable clove spicing.
SOUTHAMPTON ABBEY SINGLE ALE
(JEANNE D’ARC) GRAIN D’ORGE BLONDE DES FLANDRES
Champagne-styled bottle with cork set-up contains hefty 8% alcohol abbey-styled artisan ale. Sugared barleymalts, musty wheat grass, and highly fermented herbal-spiced yeast provide straw-hued blonde with full-bodied assertiveness alleviated by resinous grain-hopped bittering to buttery caramel finish. Bold after dinner treat makes fine alternative to French wine.
(SAINT REMY) TRAPPISTES ROCHEFORT ALE 6
Steadfast burgundy whiff and ester-y grape dryness inform sour plum-prune-fig opening of intriguing hazy copper abbey ale. Heavy molasses creaminess cloaks tropical papaya, pineapple, and banana sweetness and mocha-doused anise illusion, leaving fruitcake trail. In deep recess, vinous apple tartness, port-rum variance, and whiskey-soaked cherry nuance cuddle up.
JENLAIN FARMHOUSE ALE
WESTMALLE TRAPPIST BIER
KARTHUIZER IPSO FACTO ABBEY ALE
Traditional top fermented bottle conditioned Dutch abbey with strong barleywine essence, ripe prune overtones, and loud liquor-stained fortitude (11.2% by volume). Very unusual for Dutch brew: caramelized instead of sour malted like Heineken or Grolsch beers. Compares favorably with less fruity Belgians.
WITKAP-PATER ABBEY-SINGEL ALE
Yet another brew that rips us off for .8 ounces (11.2 oz. instead of 12). Smooth, somewhat fruity Belgium ale goes down like clove-spiced champagne. Musty apple-pear misting and phenolic lemony grapefruit dissonance reach ransacked doughy bottom. A tad too sudsy to fully satisfy the beast within, lacking body and character (especially when compared to finer Belgian ales).
MAREDSOUS ABBEY ALE (8 DEGREES)
(YARDS) TRUBBEL DE YARD’S BELGIAN STYLE ALE
NEW BELGIUM ABBEY BELGIAN STYLE ALE
Eloquent yeast-candied sugaring envelops bittersweet dried fruited piquancy to creamy caramelized center. Wispy fig-spiced raisin, plum and cherry sweetness contrasts orange-molded banana souring. Dry peat-smoked barleymalts hang in the balance as mild cognac finish unfolds. Less alcoholic and more buttery than Belgian competition, therefore easier for amateur imbibing.