Taras Boulba
Brasserie de la Senne

Taras BoulbaTaras Boulba
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From:
Brasserie de la Senne
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Pale Ale
Ranked #23
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
87
Ranked #16,472
Avg:
3.88 | pDev: 11.86%
Reviews:
238
Ratings:
588
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 08, 2024
Added:
Sep 19, 2006
Wants:
  53
Gots:
  60
Light blonde with 4.5% alc., generously hopped with the finest aromatic hops, giving it a very refreshing character and a scent reminiscent of citrus.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BuckeyeNation:
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Sparkling sunshine yellow with a generous amount of carbonation and an expansive head that was first visible extruding out of the bottle neck following cork removal. The foam looks much better in the glass. It's pearlescent ivory in color, has a fantastic texture (softly rocky and ridiculously sticky) and is depositing patches of thick lace.

TB smells more like a saison than a Belgian pale ale. The nose is lemon peppery and herbal at once. I keep reading about how hoppy this ale is, but it doesn't smell as hoppy as a trio of great Belgians that I've had in the past year or so (Urthel Hop-It, De Ranke XX Bitter and Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel). Let's see what the taste buds have to say.

Taras Boulba is very good beer. It's also amazingly quenching and refreshing beer. Given the flavor and the ABV, this '750' should be gone in no time at all. Back to appearance: a second pour has added a huge amount of yeast to the glass and has made the already attractive head even more attractive. This is one gorgeous ale.

Several ounces are gone and my initial enthusiasm has ebbed a little... but only a little. The beer's biggest negative is that the flavor isn't quite as deep and as complex as it could be. I wonder if a slightly higher ABV would help in that regard. That's pretty much it for the negatives... on to the positives.

Despite a lack of barnyard funk, saison is still the more appropriate style. There's a modest amount of untoasted crackery malt, just enough to give the top notes of hops and yeast an adequate amount of support. Hop flavor and bitterness is generous for a Belgian ale. The finish is especially snappy and tight.

As far as specific flavors are concerned, let's go with lemon zest, meadow grasses, white pepper and spicy cardamom. Maybe a little ground clove as well, but it isn't dominant. The flavor is definitely more assertive as I get into the middle of the bottle. It could be due to warming, but I suspect that the yeast are simply now more plentiful within each gulp. The next highest flavor score is a small step away rather than a giant leap.

Considering the 4.5% ABV, the mouthfeel is surprisingly enjoyable. It doesn't venture beyond light, yet has enough smooth creaminess to get the job done. Longer lasting bubbles would be good; both overall and within each mouthful.

Why would Brasserie De La Senne name a pale ale after an obscure historical novel written by an obscure Ukranian named Nikolai Gogole? Who cares, as long as the beer is delicious. Taras Boulba is another hoppy Belgian that saison freaks owe it to themselves to try.
May 16, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of bluejacket74
Reviewed by bluejacket74 from Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
11.2 ounce bottle, dating on the label is smudged so I can't tell what it says for sure. Guessing it's probably not fresh but I haven't seen any bottles in my area so I wanted to try this anyway. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a somewhat hazy dark golden color with about an inch or so off-white head. Decent amount of lacing. The brew smells like bready malt, earthy hops, floralness, funk and some citrus. Taste is similar to the aroma for the most part, but there's also some peppery spice and pear flavors noticeable too. Mouthfeel/body is light/medium, it's slick and smooth with a lot of soft carbonation. Maybe a little too much carbonation for my taste. Would like to try this one fresher sometime, but it's worth picking up if you come across a bottle for sure!
Mar 08, 2024
 
Rated: 4.21 by ummswimmin from New Jersey

Jan 25, 2024
 
Rated: 4.24 by brutalist from Pennsylvania

Oct 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by EatonHops from Massachusetts

Jul 14, 2023
Photo of AzfromOz
Reviewed by AzfromOz from Australia

4.19/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Purchased by my Old Man and muled back Johnny's Off-Licence in Rome in April 2023. Drunk in June that year.

L: Hazy, egg-yolk-yellow with a very bright white, fluffy, long-lasting head. Fast-moving, small-bubbled carbonation streams up the middle of the glass.

S: estery yeast; lemon; egg nog; fresh, sprucey bitterness.

T: Lemon rind; soft, cakey egg nog; soft, lemony citrus bitterness. Very drinkable.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth and luxurious, much more than expected from a pale ale, adding significantly to the drinkability.

O: This one went down extremely quickly, attesting to its well-balanced, smooth drinkability. A very nice beer I'd very happily drink again.

Cheers!
#258
Jun 21, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by kybeerdrinker from Kentucky

Apr 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by ajdemma from New York

Jan 10, 2023
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
11.2oz brown bottle. Label is stamped 'BOT:25.JUL.22 BBD:25JUL23'.
Cloudy, pale straw colored body. Thin white colored head. Leaves limited horizontal layers of lacing.
Aroma is floral hops, toasted malts, and yeast esters of pepper spice and fruit, such as pear and apple.
Taste is white wine carbonated as a beer. Pear, peach, and apple fruit, along with grassy hops, and pepper spice.
Medium mouth feel. Very dry finish. Admirable carbonation.
So good as a hoppy ale with yeast spices.
Jan 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.37 by The_Kriek_Freak from Pennsylvania

Nov 23, 2022
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.69/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 4.5%. Slightly hazy pale yellow colour, large white head. Distinct aroma of grassy and herbal hops, some spicy yeast too. Light bodied. Dry and peppery flavour, spicy yeast and plenty of bittering hops.
Aug 21, 2022
 
Rated: 4.02 by HarlotBronte from District of Columbia

Aug 14, 2022
 
Rated: 3.5 by archero from Texas

Aug 07, 2022
 
Rated: 3.9 by bschmidt_37 from Illinois

Jul 11, 2022
 
Rated: 4.01 by minterro from California

Jul 10, 2022
 
Rated: 4.14 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Jul 05, 2022
Photo of Sheppard
Reviewed by Sheppard from Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a hazy straw with pillow white head. Spicy, black peppercorn, floral hop character on the nose. It's light, crisp, but with some peppery earthy zing. It's floral and slightly sticky. It's slightly citrusy as well. Just a completely refreshing beer. Light carb presents this beer in a soft fashion, which kind of contrasts the bitterness a little bit. It's slightly phenolic but not in a very measured way. I love this beer. One of Belgium's best.
Jul 02, 2022
 
Rated: 4.1 by AirBob from Massachusetts

Jun 27, 2022
Photo of MichaelKristensen4
Reviewed by MichaelKristensen4

1.51/5  rDev -61.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.25
Light blonde with 4.5% alc., generously hopped with the finest aromatic hops, giving it a very refreshing character and a scent reminiscent of citrus.

Aah, det er en ganerenser. Den er ret bitter, og ikke meget hvis nogen aroma.
May 02, 2022
Taras Boulba from Brasserie de la Senne
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 588 ratings