Cuvee Angelique
KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren

Cuvee AngeliqueCuvee Angelique
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From:
KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
8.3%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.09 | pDev: 8.07%
Reviews:
95
Ratings:
171
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 18, 2022
Added:
Jul 20, 2007
Wants:
  34
Gots:
  11
"The "Speciale Belge" beer style was created in 1904 for a brewing contest that was organized by the Universities of Belgium. The goal was to improve the quality of Belgian beer. The winner was a new style, called "Belge". Due to the success in the contest, a number of brewers decided to brew the style and called it "Speciale Belge".

A "Speciale Belge" is pale amber in color (slighly darker than a pilsner) as brewers tried to copy the color of pilsner in a top fermenting ale. Later the color became darker as pilsners became very common to prove that the style is something special.

After the second world war, when the quality of life in Belgium increased, several brewers created a "Speciale Belge" with a higher alcohol content, called a "Dubbel Special Belge".

The beer has a big body, high effervescence, and a deep caramel flavor. There's a slight amount of yeast based sourness that creeps in to offer balance, with a flavor that reminds of dates or caramel covered apple.
Today the "Dubbel Speciale Belge" no longer exists, the current higher gravity beer styles are trappist, abbey ales and so on. Therefore Brouwerij de Glazen Toren decided to recreate this special beer style. "
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Ratings by TheBeerWatcher:
Photo of TheBeerWatcher
Reviewed by TheBeerWatcher from Belgium

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle from web shop Belgian Beer Station. Hazy amber. Moderate carbonation. Very beautiful tan foam, creamy and stable. Aroma is sweet, toasted malts, caramel, fruity freshness. Very inviting. Taste: wonderful and unique, rather complex with sweetness, sourness and bitterness, all well balanced. Full and sweet finish with a touch of bitterness. Mouthfeel: medium body, not too sticky sweet Overall: a very well balanced "Dobbel Speciale Belge": a mix of 2 styles, a perfect blend of the malty sweetness of a double and the freshness of a speciale belge
Aug 07, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Feb 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by steverx8 from England

Apr 03, 2020
 
Rated: 4.41 by ummswimmin from New Jersey

Nov 28, 2019
Photo of JudgeRoughneck
Reviewed by JudgeRoughneck from Louisiana

4.11/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Really interesting beer. Hard to do in-depth review as it kinda jumped out of the bottle but basically a farmhouse interpretation of dubbel. Light bodied and highly effervescent with tangy, creamy, Belgian aromatic malt flavor with hints of vanilla and clove. Big spicy yeast character and dryness gives it that farmhouse thing. Dark copper colored and hazy with floaties, big beige head. Quite quaffable for 8%, really has a nice palate. Not overly complex.
May 10, 2019
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Delicious. Elegant.
If I were to select the ten best traditional Belgians for American crafters to emulate (and interpret), Cuvee Angelique would probably be one. This ale is not over-done and does everything well. Its full head and amber translucence Looks like something good to drink. Smells give me mostly dark fruit from a very active yeast. Taste that caramel ! It stays through the finish while different spices come and go in a well-orchestrated medley. I don't know how these masters do this... but I am glad they do. I will look for this again along with their other offerings.
Sep 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by aztraz from Sweden

Apr 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by XicanoBeerRun from Texas

Jan 27, 2018
 
Rated: 4.17 by bshefftz from California

Jan 10, 2018
Photo of lmaduells
Reviewed by lmaduells from Spain

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
When you have to celebrate a great event there is nothing better than an exellent beer. This is it. A well-made, balanced and well-traveled beer, with the right point of gas and alcohol.
Oct 28, 2017
Photo of captaincoffee
Reviewed by captaincoffee from Virginia

4.19/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Possibly the most delicate 8.5% beer I've ever had. It is honestly difficult to rate because of that. Lots of contradictions and points where I'd be tempted to lower the score, but at the end of the day I'm wishing I had more...so that says a lot.
750ml from Bootleggers in Paris, France.
Pours a somewhat unattractive murky brown with a super head that is dense, long-lasting, and leaves great lacing. Already with the contradictions. Nose is light caramel and light white pepper along with some dusty basement notes. However, it lacks some of the esters you might be expecting. Taste is where it is even more subtle. Light residual sweetness holds caramel, and there is a bit of granny smith apple as well. Drinks like a 5% beer, but I'm not sure how to say that in a positive way because in this case it is meant positively. Beautiful delicate mouthfeel with tiny champagne bubbles. Overall, a real treat where the sum is more than the parts.
Jun 24, 2017
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

4.44/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Erroneously placed in the "sour" section of my local, usually learned bottle shop. Can't blame them, though, because I had always associated the word "cuvee" with sourness, because I am illiterate.

Anyhow, it pours chocolatey brown, very hazy and fizzy, could easily pass for a quad. The head is excellent.

Smells malty and lightly spicy, with chocolate and caramel ruling the roost alongside some yeasty, very ripe fruit and a little bit of pepper.

Tastes pretty darn good, a similar profile to a good quad only lower octane. Heavy malt up front with yeast mingling with chocolate and fruit, finishing sweet, bready, and dry with some fruit and pepper on the finish. Propped up throughout with a thick, doughy body. Not quite like anything else I can recall having, but very good.
May 02, 2017
Photo of Silke_Neryn
Reviewed by Silke_Neryn from Sweden

4.45/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
This is what a dubbel is all about. Good complexity. Extreme drinkability. With looks to boot.

De Glazen Toren continues to impress with each rendition of classical Belgian styles.
Nov 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.89 by Nurglitch from Norway

Jul 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.74 by leitmotif from Romania

Mar 10, 2016
Photo of Ciocanelu
Reviewed by Ciocanelu from Romania

3.7/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Murky dark orange color with white head. Sweet malts, caramel, molasses and some dried fruits on the aroma. Taste follows, really balanced, you get some sweet malts and dried fruit but also some bitterness on the finish. Body is medium with high carbonation. Not bad but overall it lacks some depth of character.
Mar 09, 2016
 
Rated: 4.28 by Intlpostman from California

Feb 29, 2016
Photo of mactrail
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

3.91/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
This is really just like a Dubble, though not as sweet as some. The usual Belgian musty and grainy aroma. Beautiful big foam on the dark hazy amber brew. Wonderful sudsy mouthfeel.

A grainy and malty brew dark amber brew with just a touch of sugar. Intriguing musty and slightly roasted flavor. Some hints of apple and a nose of pear nectar. Scratchy and slightly bitter aftertaste with the usual yeasty dry finish. Highly drinkable beer with a cleaner taste than a lot of Belgians. From the 750 bottle purchased at Healthy Spirits in San Francisco.
Jan 25, 2016
 
Rated: 3.84 by desint from Belgium

Dec 29, 2015
Photo of drpimento
Reviewed by drpimento from Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Nice beer. Aroma is malty, fruit, yeast, almost bubblegum. Flavor's similar to nose, plus has some tang and a little bitter in the finish. Texture is soft, maybe too soft. A bit of warmth in the finish too.
Dec 20, 2015
Cuvee Angelique from KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 171 ratings