Bravoure O.A.S.E. (Oak And Spice Experiment)
Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar

Thanks to Pierre from Délices et Caprices in Brussels for pulling this out of his cellar. He has a great shop and his enthusiasm for beer is contagious. I'm happy to bring this home as a souvenir from a recent trip.

The beer pours a cloudy pumpkin hued amber. The thick khaki colored head maintains its presence well. It has been well kept since the bottle's date of September 2012.

The scent is absolutely wonderful. Spicy and herbal notes consisting of rosemary, orange peel, allspice, and vanilla. A hint of caramel and the scent of freshly baked bread. A slight spiced rum soaked raisin quality as well, but without any alcohol heat.

The taste with an initial candied sugar sweetness with some caramel. This gives way to a nice interplay of spices and dark fruit including dried plums. Finishes fairly dry with a lingering spiciness. Mouthfeel is quite lively with carbonation and medium bodied. The oak seems to come and go with only a faint glimpse. I imagine the oak played a stronger role when the beer was younger.

If I were to close my eyes I would think this beer to be a well crafted quadrupel. I can't imagine how such complexity fits into only 6.5%. Well done!

Up-front warning: this beer is nothing like its base version, which is a nicely balanced smokey beer. It is entirely out of style: those expecting a smoke beer will be disappointed to say the least.

2010 edition.

Pours a warm brown-red with a nice fluffy white head.
Nose is Bretts all over. It's as if thebeer were aged in old lambic barrels, rather than whisky/wine/whatever (it's unclear which barrels were used anyway). Not a hint of oak can be detected through the overwhelming Brett presence. Only after 15' of acclimatisation does a bit of the smoke come through.
Flavour is also Brett-sourness, masking nearly all other flavours. No spice nor oak can be detected: this tastes like an infected beer, or else a rogue Brett strain. Effectively an entirely different beer than the base Bravoure, lacking all its subtleties and delicately layered smokey flavours, this beer is for Brett lovers only.

The beer is entirely drinkable (provided you like Bretts), even though I wasn't particularly fond of what I tasted. My dislike is entirely based on comparison with the base version, which I found vastly superior, and the nagging suspicion that this simple an infected batch, launched as an "experiment".

However much I appreciate this brewery for its beers as well as their presentation, this is an experiment in the loosest sense of the word: a stab in the dark, with a wildly unpredictable result.

Nice pour with a thick frothy head and a cloudy golden tone. Interesting smell of sourness, maybe a hint of brett. Taste is a somewhat sour brett taste, not too puckery, but limited malt and not much bitterness. Not really sensing much rosemary, however the smokeiess really comes out in the finish. It's a nice smokiness, but it clashes a bit with the sourness in my opinion. Overall the beer seems to be a blend of smokiness and sourness-- very unusual.

I absolutely love this brewery - their tripel is the best I've ever had - but this is a beer I probably wouldn't get again unless I was really in the mood for something unusual or unique. This one definitely feels "experimental".

The beer that starts to slowly foam out of the bottle pours hazed light coppery-brown body with quickly dissipating beige head. Aroma is dominated by rosemary ("spice") advertised on the sticker, with caramel-toffee malt & sugary-sweetness , light smoke reminiscent of ham, fruity citrus-like esters and spicy alcohol underneath. The beer is airy on the palate and starts with fruity tartness, followed by restrained ham-like smoke, spice added and bitter finish with woody notes and slight astringency. Rosemary flavor is not overpowering and in good balance with the smoky character.
(330 ml, best before 09-17-2012, into tulip)