Affligem 950 Cuvee (Belgian Blond Ale)
Brouwerij De Smedt / Brouwerij Affligem

I have to be in a mood for Belgians. I found this one smooth, and not aggressive. I was especially pleased with it's accessibility, as it is NOT one I would normally purchase in a store...and, apparently, it's no longer being brewed, so if that's the case I guess I needn't worry about that aspect. Nonetheless, I am glad I tried this and was very pleasantly surprised! Nice body, really rolled around the mouth without being intimidating.

 

Wonderful light golden copper with a touch of haze. Betraying it's Belgian heritage, almost no head. Poured his very gently though because the drift on the bottom of the 750ml bottle looked aweful.

The smell is dominated by funky yeast, dark portabella mushrooms, hat and a touch of banana.

Taste is light and refreshing starting of juicy with sweet mandarin orange and clay earth. A tart prickly pear and green apple finishes lively with a touch of dry leafy green. A long sweet and sour peach flavour pokes at the back of the tongue with a slight nutmeg spice.

The mouth feel is very light and prickly. Just a light dash of fruity acid finishes with a song of lemon and stone fruit. At first impression though, I was a touch disappointed as I was hoping for a bit thicker body. Going back to read the bottle though, this is a 6.8% golden, so maybe I was wrong to e pect the body of a triple.

Delicious golden ale all around. After drinking a bit, I'm starting to detect a slight bit of alcohol heat building. But it's refreshing.

Not as full bodied as I want it to be but good for a hot day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a chalice. Nice golden color with fluffy head. Lots of carbonation keeps the head active, and no lacing on the glass.. Faint aroma, but a little bit of bitterness on the palate.Taste is of hay grass and has astringent finish.

i dont really get the quadruple dry hopping that the label claims, its not hoppy at all, but its a good belgian blonde ale more in line with a traditional biere de garde honestly than with a hoppy belgian pale. tons of fish food yeast sediment in this, unappealing really, but its otherwise clear and shiny orange gold with a just off white head thick and lasting in the belgian tradition. the nose lacks the hops i was looking for, and is more fruity and yeast driven, sweet orange peel and oatmeal are detectable, but the flavor is much cleaner, more straightforward, light grain and belgian yeast, summery and rich. light honey sweetness to it, hops would make this awesome, but maybe they have faded in my slightly dated bottle. a refreshing enough beer, but maybe has a little more body than is absolutely necessary. i like what its going for, but it could use a little cleaning up. expensive for what it is, but so are many belgians. beers like this show me that american breweries are evolving at a much quicker rate than some of the old world ones, but that there is still a role for tradition in my fridge.

 

 

Appearance - clear golden color with little white head

Smell - green apple, bread

Taste - Green apple, pear, liquefied baked bread, hint of booze

mouthfeel - medium bodied, high carbonation, slightly sweet upfront

Overall - good beer, tastes like a hopped up, slightly boozier version of Affligem Blond

Price Point - $10.99/750ML bottle

 

Looks cloudy and amber, not as light and clear as a regular pale ale. It has a white, persistent foam on top that lasts until the last sip. Smells like malts and hops, with slight fruity notes. Strong taste of malts and typical belgian yeasts, lightly hopped. Although it's 6.8 ABV you don't taste the alcohol that much, it's a very balanced beer. Low fermentation, average carbonation, slightly sweet aftertaste.