Flamländer
Braustelle

Pours a deep mahogany coloration with a medium, creamy, lasting head. Quite a complex nose of dark, bready, caramel malt, chocolate, toffee, dark/red fruit: fig, redcurrant, light tannins and oak. Taste follows the nose, with a complex, yet well-balanced flavour profile that is dominated by sweet notes of caramel, bready malt, chocolate/toffee and sour notes of balsamico and red grape tannins, with a strong musty/earthy/woody oak barrel character and lighter additional notes of licorice, tobacco, dark/red fruits: fig, raisins, redcurrant and a certain herbal note that is somewhat reminiscent of rosemary. Finishes with a mixture of bitterness and tartness, with some herbal/tobacco notes lingering in the aftertaste. A little thin mouthfeel with a light/medium body and light/medium carbonation.

Not only does this have an outstanding balance of sweet and sour notes, it also brings the impressive complexity together in a very well-rounded fashion. The rich flavor profile makes this drink heavier than the low ABV would suggest, which is still evident in the relatively light body and mouthfeel though, unfortunately.

Pours a murky dark brown color with a beige, spongy head, which wont‘t fade away at all.

Smells of toffee malts, sugared whole grain bread, gingerbread and a balsamic, fermented red berry fruitiness. Has a prominent, earthy barrel presence, which provides an almost peaty flavour among dried plums and licorice.

Has a lighter body with a lower carbonation presence, sparkling up during the finish for a short glance.

Tastes of the barrel right from the very beginning with a huge amount of oak, earth and dried, herbal hops. Right after this first impression, red currants come up, sour and prickly, coated up by bakers chocolate and a note of toffee malts. Develops a late, powerful bitterness, which thrives from the hops, while adding more balsamic and wood. Finishes a little smoky, with a savory sweetness to it, with a prevailing dry freshness from the hops and some caramel.

Highly complex, easy drinking and entertaining, this convinces by its pure diversity of flavors, which all blend together to a truly delighful melange.