Blond
Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu

BlondBlond
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From:
Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Blonde Ale
Ranked #26
ABV:
6%
Score:
87
Ranked #17,800
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 11.43%
Reviews:
125
Ratings:
234
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 30, 2023
Added:
Mar 04, 2002
Wants:
  15
Gots:
  22
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Patrick999:
Photo of Patrick999
Reviewed by Patrick999 from Florida

4.24/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
750 ml bottle, a birthday gift from my brother.

Poured a cloudy gold into a tulip glass. Nice head, but really excellent lacing. Beautiful and classy-looking beer.

Smell is a bit understated, like a pilsner with some Belgian yeast, unsurprising given the pilsner malts and Saaz hops in this beer.

Taste - wow, quite nice. A little spicy phenolic kick with copious sweet pilsner malt and gentle hops. Reminds me of a less intense Duvel.

Mouthfeel, drinkability - well carbonated, but doesn't seem filling in the slightest. A little sweet but never cloying. Sits well on the tongue and easy in the stomach. Exceptionally easy to drink - if I was to session a Belgian ale, this would be a fine choice indeed. Big-time props to my brother for picking this out for me; it's right up my alley.
Nov 02, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of Hamme
Reviewed by Hamme from Netherlands

4.57/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
The first time i drank this beer i found it kinda watery. A bit dull and nothing special. But as a previous reviewer stated, this beer gets better after you drink more. I can most certainly second that. It gets better and better, until it ends up a favorite go to Belgian blond for myself. I was a long time German style beer drinker, but beers like Val Dieu in the 6% alcohol range have converted in to a Belgian blond ale fan. The aftertaste is extremely pleasant and makes yo yearn for more. It seems watery at first, but the water gets turned into 'wine' so the name Val Dieu certainly fits the bill.
Dec 30, 2023
Photo of Hephaistos
Reviewed by Hephaistos from Netherlands

3.29/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
330ml bottle, dark glass, 6% abv. Lable only says it contains barley malt. Pretty sure there is some water, yeast and hops in there as well. Design of the bottle changed, bit more pretty now.
Poured at around 7 degrees in a leffe chalice.
1 finger white head, low big bubble crabonation. Not much retention.
It smells a little bit dirt-yeasty, bread with some pepper.
Taste is surprising. Not as full and round or powerful as you would expect from this style of beer.
It is herby, grassy.
Not quite balanced. Bit pilsner like aftertaste, but with some of that bitter herbiness.
Not my favorite in this style of beers.

Looking at the comments below, I wonder if we all experienced the same beer. The answer might be on the bottle yeasting. Maybe the taste of this beer will develop in the matter of years.
Mine was best to be drunken before July 2025. So I assume it was a quite young one.
Dec 11, 2023
Photo of BrisLoganite
Rated by BrisLoganite from Australia

3/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Surprisingly poor Belgium beer, very light water taste, $8.90 Aussie. Disappointed
Dec 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by steverx8 from England

Jul 07, 2023
 
Rated: 3 by prisdefer from New York

Aug 24, 2022
 
Rated: 4.16 by fiveiron from Minnesota

Jul 10, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by NorbertB1974 from Germany

Mar 22, 2022
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. Also available in Norway at Vinmonopolet. ABV is 6%. Brewed in the abbey. Secondary fermentation in the bottle. Hazy golden colour, no head, minimal carbonation. The bottle cap can’t have been air tight - a part of the glass rim was missing. The aroma and flavour were okay, though. Yeasty, sweetish, fruity and spicy aroma, notes of leather and oak too. Fruity and spicy flavour, quite nice. Soft mouthfeel, due to lack of carbonation. Will need to try another bottle.
Jan 27, 2022
Photo of BucBasil
Reviewed by BucBasil from Rwanda

3.92/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from the 33cL bottle into a mug. The beer is a pale yellow color with particles suspended inside, topped with a foamy white head that leaps up over 3 fingers and sticks around a while.

S; Banana bread, spicy clove, sweet Belgian yeast and honey. Light fruits round things out here.

T: Bright and fruity up front with crisp apple and pear and a hint of honey. Rounds out into Belgian yeast and some spices including clove and even ginger. Finishes smooth with banana bread and a vague nut character lingering on the palate for a while.

In many ways a typical Belgian blonde, but a superb example of the style. Not super remarkable, but spot on.
Nov 04, 2021
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

3.11/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
On tap at Das Beer Garden. Cloudy yellow. Smells a little sweet and a little fruity. Grain and Belgian yeast character. Tastes of grain and fruity yeast flavors. A bit sweet. Medium body. Decent.
May 20, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by brandonld23 from Massachusetts

May 17, 2021
 
Rated: 3.74 by shelby415 from Oregon

Apr 28, 2021
Photo of JonnoWillsteed
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England

3.79/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Blind-tasted except for the beer's name and brewery/country, zero reviews below read (yet!)...
L- Pale straw, slightly hazy, pours with eager 6Cm pillowy white head. Chilled/rested bottle but the foam went like a rocket! Rising CO2 is vigorous too. ps @ +10mins, Head still 1Cm, and lacing formed down side of glass.
S- Belgian yeast, some aromatic notes.
T- Dry! First sip of beer today and this has quite some hoppy dry zing to it. Brief suggestions of some malt before heading off again into a hoppy-dry finish.
F- Dry, with some malts revealing themselves bringing partial balance.
O- I was surprised by quite how hoppy this was right on the front. It's not a profile I associate with abbey-brewed beer. It's a nice beer, nothing to note 'wrong' or out of balance, just... IDK for me this might be more suited to warmer months than when it's 6C outside.
Review/scoring all done, now the reveal, I get to read the bottle lables to see what I missed! --> Bottle-conditioned [yep, there is minor silt left in the bottle]. They also claim this is the only 'true Abbey beer', it being brewed by monks inside the abbey itself.
330ml bottle BB: 14/08/22 £2.85 Bought from BeautifulBeers/BurySt.Edmunds as part of a large pick-your own consignment to London.
Mar 01, 2021
 
Rated: 3.14 by DvdP from Netherlands

Nov 11, 2020
Photo of janubio
Reviewed by janubio from Spain

3/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottle at Echarle Huevos. Huge head that fades quickly, pale head, almost no lacing. Aroma, at first, is citrics and barnyard. Then comes banana, cloves, pear.
Medium body, rough texture.
Taste of citrus, clove, coriander, pears, bananas.
Correct.
Aug 22, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Dec 26, 2019
Photo of elnachooo
Reviewed by elnachooo from Spain

3/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
De color dorado, con una buena cabeza espumosa. Cuerpo y carbonatación media. Aroma a pan y malta. En boca es agradable, frutal con un final levemente picante sintiendo la presencia del cilantro.
Nov 09, 2019
 
Rated: 3.94 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Sep 11, 2019
Photo of Anacross
Reviewed by Anacross from Oregon

4.27/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pale gold and refreshing. Crisp and citrusy, a bit malty but not too much. A variety of fruits come to the palate, always with pleasant notes. Rich as the great beers are, a must drink.
Jul 05, 2019
Blond from Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Val-Dieu
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 234 ratings