Embrasse Peated Oak Aged
Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar

Embrasse Peated Oak AgedEmbrasse Peated Oak Aged
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From:
Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
10%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.07 | pDev: 14.5%
Reviews:
37
Ratings:
88
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 16, 2022
Added:
Oct 30, 2011
Wants:
  15
Gots:
  17
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BEERchitect:
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.02/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Rich with peated flavor but light on true smoke, the masculine aura of lavish scotch whisky and fine cigar seduce the palate with ale sweetness and savory satisfaction.

Its tawny amber pour glistens upon the pour- looking the part of brandy or port as much as it does ale. As its light carbonation pulls from its pits and simmers on its surface delicately. With little retention or lace to amount or to remain, its whisky influence becomes readily apparent.

Malty richness of caramel, honey and butterscotch embark on the nose first, just ahead of the scent of scorched earth. Its highly fragrant perfume is of cedar, pepper, acorn, tobacco and delicate leather comes hot on the heels of the barley sweetness and mesmerizes the senses.

As its gentle sweetness of butterscotch coats the palate, its buffer of biscuit and pistachio brittle keeps the full brunt of smoke at bay. But alas, the rich taste of heavy peat and oaken whisky sinks into the taste buds like mesquite, cedar-plank grilled meats and maduro. Its nutty and earthen flavor finishes with mild ash, smoldering embers and spicy peppercorn.

Lighter than expected in body, the beer's slight oily viscocity latches onto the mouth with its lingering sweetness and continues to protect it from the onslaught of smoke and spice. Yet as the ale lifts, an arid and ashy finish transpires and somehow keeps the ale drinkable.

Simply put- this is a smoky beer- and adverse reaction to scotch whisky to be enough to repel this beer. But for those who find favor in fragrant cigars, barbecue and dry scotch whisky should go ahead and put this beer on your wish-list.
Mar 27, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of kitch
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

3.98/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A 330ml bottle with a notched best before end date of October 2022. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.

Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some lacing.

Aroma: Peaty, leather, dry grass, roasted malts, with milk chocolate and whisky notes.

Taste: Roasted malts, peat, smoke, milk chocolate and whiskey.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

Overall: It’s peat forward and obvious, but not overpowering. The peat is balanced with some nice roasty and chocolate flavours. The body was lighter than expected though, and I was hoping for a bit more carbonation.
Jul 16, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by BdM from Netherlands

Sep 14, 2018
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar "Embrasse Peated Oak Aged"
66 cl brown glass bottle, "botteldatum" and "batch nr:" are illegible but it appears to end with "15"
15,90€ @ Johnny's Off License, Via Dei Balestrari 9, Roma, IT

Notes via stream of consciousness: So, first off, a peated beer of any kind makes me a bit nervous. Peat is so phenolic that I've avoided brewing with peat smoked malt myself, but in addition, I just don't know that it can add enough to a beer to balance what it might take away. But OK, let's forget about that, looking at the paper hang tag that's stapled to the red colored paper that wraps the bottle there's something going wrong with the nomenclature. Inside it states "In order to produce this beer 'Embrasse', a dark all-malt ale of 9% ABV, is matured for several months on Islay whiskey casks." (I should point out now, just for the sake of clarity, that the Islay whiskeys are my favorite Scotches just in case someone thinks I'm biased against peat). Now here's the problem, on the back page it lists the beer as "10 vol. % alc." and gives "-begin SG: 1090" and "-eind SG: 1015". That gives me via my own calculation 9.84% alcohol by volume, so which is it? Is it 9%, 9.84%, or 10%? On top of that they also list it as "ong. 20˚ Plato" starting, but a specific gravity of 1.090 is actually 21.57˚ Plato so I don't know what's going on - I just wanted to point that out. On to the beer... it's poured a cloudy deep chestnut brown body beneath a creamy head of light tan. The aroma clearly displays peat over a medium to medium-dark caramel maltiness. It's actually quite pleasant, but it's not the aroma that I fear, but the flavor, so... I am quite relieved to find that it's also fairly mild in the flavor, and it works really well with the caramel malts that are present. There's a subtle dark-skinned fruitiness like dried figs or prunes, some dark brown sugar, and even a suggestion of chocolate but it's not really there, let's just call it a very light dusting of cocoa powder. Ahh, some limited oak as well in the flavor, and then more in the dry and smoky finish. It's nice, and with a moderate bitterness to give it some ballast it all wraps up into one nicely balanced bundle. Hahaaa! I just tore the paper off of the bottle and I see that it's imported by Twelve Percent LLC in Brooklyn, NY - and here I was thinking I'd only find this beer in Europe! How wrong I was, although I'd hate to see what it would cost me in the United States when I just paid the equivalent of around $12.50 here in Roma! And, on top of that, although he was a very nice guy, I was a little skeptical and slightly distrusting of the guy who sold it to me regarding this specific beer at Johnny's Off License - whereas had I known it was Brian from Twelve Percent I'd had never questioned it as I trust him completely - they don't sell bad beers! Only the best!!! Onwards, I should also note that this is not from peat smoked barley, but rather aged in barrels that once held peat smoked whiskey, which is a different ballgame altogether, and I should have made that connection earlier. It's medium bodied with a little bit of a dextrinous edge, and very smooth with a fine-bubbled, moderate carbonation - that probably helps to pull all of the components into focus as well. Overall I am now very impressed. It's interesting, and it's got some complexity to it, yet it's also very drinkable. They suggest on the hang-tag to pair it with "dried fruit and (old) cheese" and I'd completely agree with that but I also think it would go great with steak au poivre, a grilled portobello mushroom drizzled with Balsamic vinegar, or Coq au vin - or why not, moules frites with the right sauce. I think it's very food friendly and would add an additional layer of depth to an enormous amount of dishes. Fantastic, and certainly worth seeking out for fans of smoked beers despite it's not actually being smoked.
Review# 6,108
Jun 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Dutchcraftbeergeek from Netherlands

Jun 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.41 by Antyk from Belgium

Jan 13, 2018
 
Rated: 4.56 by BelgianBeerChef from Romania

May 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.04 by tux_alin from Romania

Dec 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4.65 by Pierre_Pressure from Pennsylvania

Jul 16, 2016
 
Rated: 4.29 by gdub from Massachusetts

May 01, 2016
 
Rated: 4.11 by ClePaul from Ohio

Apr 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.71 by Euroglot from Belgium

Mar 05, 2016
Photo of Ciocanelu
Reviewed by Ciocanelu from Romania

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Dark brown color with beige head. Aroma has dried fruits, figs mostly, dark malts and dark sugar. Taste has also lots of dark, dried fruits, bittersweet taste, slightly roasted malts and dark sugar. Body is heavy and well carbonated. Really nice overall, not very peated, just enough to make it more interesting.
Mar 01, 2016
 
Rated: 4.1 by leitmotif from Romania

Mar 01, 2016
 
Rated: 4.14 by desint from Belgium

Nov 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by chickenm from Canada (BC)

Nov 08, 2015
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.32/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
660 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 5/2015. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy very dark brown color with a 2 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of huge raisin, plum, fig, date, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, cocoa, peat smoke, dark bread, toasted oak, leather, vanilla, pepper, light nuttiness, and oak/toasted earthiness. Fantastic aromas with awesome complexity and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, fruity/spicy yeast, and scotch barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge raisin, plum, fig, date, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, peat smoke, cocoa, dark bread, toasted oak, leather, vanilla, pepper, brine, light nuttiness, and oak/toasted earthiness. Fair amount of yeast/oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes if raisin, plum, fig, date, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, peat smoke, cocoa, leather, pepper, brine, and oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, fruity/spicy yeast, and scotch barrel flavors; with a great malt/oak/spiciness balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/saline, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic scotch barrel aged Belgian strong dark ale. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, fruity/spicy yeast, and scotch barrel flavors; and very smooth and easy to sip on for the big ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.
Nov 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.43 by GreenMind from Pennsylvania

Jul 12, 2015
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Reviewed by infinitebruner from Arkansas

3.76/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
June 21, 2015

750 ml bottle, snifter

A – Pours very thin with minimal head, just some light brown bubbles rest atop a deep mahogany brown liquid that, while dark is pretty clear.

S – Plums, chocolate, some light caramel and chocolate malt. Barrel character of vanilla, and a definite impression of mild Scotch whiskey. Peat smoke is light but obvious.

T – Plums and golden raisins, low chocolate and caramel malt, woody vanilla and light smokiness.

M – Very low carbonation, almost non-existent, with a thin body. Somewhat sweet, very low bitterness.

O – I was really hoping to be blown away by this beer, but it is thin and kind of plain, considering the process it went through. The most exciting thing about it was the red wrapping paper it came in.
Jun 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.31 by HopBelT from Belgium

Jun 20, 2015
Embrasse Peated Oak Aged from Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 88 ratings