Balthazar Oak Aged
Picobrouwerij Alvinne

Balthazar Oak AgedBalthazar Oak Aged
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From:
Picobrouwerij Alvinne
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
9%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.62 | pDev: 9.39%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
20
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 24, 2022
Added:
Jul 30, 2009
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of edthehead
Reviewed by edthehead from Maryland

3.77/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Murky dark brown appearance with a foamy tan head and spotty lacing. Leather, oak, raisin, molasses, cocoa, stone fruit. Moderate body and carbonation.
Jul 24, 2022
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
From the 1 pt 9 fl oz bottle in a snifter. This Belgian Dark pours a murky brown with
a decent head of kahki foam that settles to a thick ring, thin wafting layer, and sports
light lacing. Nose of oak, dark fruit, vinous wine notes, and subtle vanilla with touches
of candy sugar and bubblegum. Flavors surpass the nose with brown sugars, vinous red wine,
dark berry notes, faint bubblegum, leather, oak, light tobacco, and white pepper hints
amongst touches of Belgian spice. Mouth feel is medium, light soft carbonation, and
a moderately dry and tart finish.

Overall, nice to try something new and this fit the bill.
Closer to a Flemish brown with a lot of character, but just seems to
miss a good mark.

Cheers
Jun 04, 2022
 
Rated: 3.73 by Wer34truh from Minnesota

Jan 25, 2022
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

3.56/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Bought at Liquor Shed.

Pours first a clear muddy brown then gets murky. Nice head of foam.

Smell is of the oak, fruity, tart to a degree, also some bitterness.

Light fruity tartness taste, oaky, bitter notes.

Medium body with medium carbonation.

It's okay.
Nov 30, 2020
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
With only two reviews in 7 years, this bottle is obviously beyond its prime.
So to make fair statements, my review is as much based on what I sense... but also what I can infer from the 2012 reviews.

I'm not Looking at a pretty ale; but I can believe it had more clarity and foam. There are interesting Smells, mostly malt and oak; laced by Alvinne's house yeast. Despite deterioration, Tastes are complex: dark fruit, oaky vanilla and only a modest sour. There is not a clean Feel in my mouth, but by now... I've adapted and am enjoying this bottle in a more abstract way.

I have had only 4 from Alvinne as I am not a fan of the sour or wilds. But Alvinne probably deserves more attention from me and I intend to try their more traditional ales.
Oct 03, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by bigred89 from Maryland

Mar 10, 2019
Photo of Tony210
Reviewed by Tony210 from New Jersey

3.07/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
Pours a deep mahogany color with minimal head. Aromas of raisins and grapes. Light and fruity, very sour and tart, dark fruits dominate the flavor. Barrel comes through on the finish; short and tannic. Overall I am dissappointed - not sure what to think of this beer.

6/18/18
500ml bottle, no date on bottle.
3 rating
Jun 17, 2018
 
Rated: 3.94 by BKotch from Texas

Jun 13, 2016
 
Rated: 3.68 by REVZEB from Illinois

Apr 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.97 by braugon from Connecticut

Apr 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by bullywee from Colorado

Aug 25, 2013
Photo of gford217
Reviewed by gford217 from Georgia

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
750ml from the BSP boys.

I was expecting an eruption but only got an agressive hiss and a little foam up to the top.

The pour is deep chestnut brown with a big foamy beige head. Definitely a tin of carbonation.

Aroma is really spicy with cardamom and oak dominating. There is a little fruity tartness but really just a wine-like character, nothing like an infection. The sugary fruits of the underlying beer are present but definitely have faded with time.

Taste is similar to the aroma but with the dark fruits taking on a more prominent role. The cardamom is a bit lighter but the finish is all about the oak - spicy and dry but with hints of grapes and tartness.

Mouthfeel is highly carbonated and maybe a tad light for the style.

Definitely not at the top of list of BSDAs but it's a seriously tannic version of the style. The oak and spices are dominant.
Sep 12, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by dejrrma from Georgia

Jul 06, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by jophish17 from Georgia

Dec 24, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Nov 25, 2011
Photo of weeare138
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to egajdzis for sharing this foamer...
Appears a hazy dark brown with a small beige head that never fades away. Scattered bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of cardamom, ginger, bubblegum, clove, and toffee.
Taste is of the aromas with flavors of raisins, oaky wine, cocoa, and vanilla.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, sweet, fizzy, slightly sour, and oaky.
May 25, 2010
Photo of weatherdog
Reviewed by weatherdog from Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Bavarian Lodge in Lisle Il. They said it was the only place in the USA to have it on tap so i felt obligated to get a pour. It was served in a 11oz footed tumbler

It poured a muddy dark brown with hints of red along the side. A nice dense bone colored head caps the beer.

The smell is of just a little funk and some dark fruits and raisins. The aroma profile is in the same ball park as an excellent BSDA but not quite hiting all the notes. It was billed as a beer that lovers of Flanders, Lambics and Geuze styles wil appreciate but the funky aspect of the nose is lacking as well.

Th flavor is much the same with the nose again. The funkiness that is there is mostly brett with some lactic tang. There is no real acetic component which is my favorite sour flavor. Behind the light tartness is a mediocre BSDA with some overly ripe dark fruit flavors that plays nicely with the present oak character.

The mouthfeel is nice and chewy with a medium to low carbonation level. I was unaware of the ABV when drinking the beer but now that I see it is at 9% I'm impressed that there wasn't a trace of that to be found in the beer.

I think this beer suffers from a split personality, unsure if it wants to be a regular oak aged BSDA or a dark sour ale and can't really pull them both off at the same time very well.
Apr 28, 2010
Photo of IBUnit63
Reviewed by IBUnit63 from Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Picked this up on a lark - have heard of issues with infection, so I won't be surprised. Still, into a Duvel tulip it goes.

Heavy-handed powdered ginger is the color of the head. Although over a finger it doesn't stick around too long. Body is turbid brown; reminds me of my days auditing poop plants for the EPA. Mmmm...who's hungry NOW?!

Aged in oak? Yep, oak's in there. And something else is going on, as feared. Definitely funky; there's some nice dark malt in there, along with some piney hops. And, alas, a little bit of lacto or some other beastie boys in there.

It's spritely and pretty damn dry, but that's not entirely what we're looking for. Pretty sure some lacto or other infection dried this crazy deal out wicked fierce. But still, it doesn't taste horrible with the nice dark malts and piney hops. Slightly root beer like in a way.

Carbonation is nicely effervescent if out of style. Light helping of roast and piney hops again shows up on the finish. After a half hour, the fuel chills and I'm actually getting more true BSDA characteristics that emerge.

Drinkability is fair to middlin'. It is what it is...they are who we thought they were...it's an infected Belgian stout or BSDA that still tastes pretty good. You take the risk and if there's some enjoyment out of it, so be it. I enjoyed it to an extent. As much as the makers wanted me to? Doubtful. Let's hope the QC issues are resolved, 'cause it has promise.
Sep 28, 2009
Photo of Nickls
Reviewed by Nickls from District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
(From notes)

A - Poured with a half-finger of lightly tan head; nice retention and lacing; deep dark brown hue

S - Grape-like and vinous aromas; touch of toffee; sour; hint of unripened dark fruits and booze

T - Very tart at first; sour unripened grapes; bit funky; very faint hints of woodiness; pretty nice stuff actually

M - Lightish MF; nice vibrant/bubbly carbonation

D - Hugely drinkable brew; interesting and tart; refreshing and a bit of fun on the palate

Overall, this was an interesting brew and I would definitely pick this up again, the sour was unexpected but very nice.
Aug 18, 2009
Photo of Georgiabeer
Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Also known as Balthazar the Oak, this was a 750mi bottle, corked and caged that was generously shared by Dave at the Brick Store Pub. The Alvinne website lists an oak aged Balthazar in a smaller bottle as being aged for 6 months on oak chips. I assume this is similar. After the cage was removed, the cork exploded out of the bottle with such force that it popped a bolt out of the metal celing of the vault. The beer then came pouring out of the bottle with lots of foam. Luckily it settled down, and even more luckily it wasn't infected. Poured a hazy brown with a thin, foamy head. Smells a bit funky, but it hasn't turned to the point where its bad, just picked up some of the critters from the oak. Funky with overripe fruit. The taste is slightly sour with more overripe fruity funk. Starting to border on band-aid and medicinal, but doesn't go there yet. If you've got one of these, in my opinion you should drink up unless you like that band-aid taste. For me, that's the one flavor I hate in a funky beer. Right now, it still has some richness and creaminess and some of the typical Belgian yeast notes can still be tasted along with the slight sourness and fruity funk. Interesting, and good to very good as is, but has peaked.
Jul 30, 2009
Balthazar Oak Aged from Picobrouwerij Alvinne
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 20 ratings