Oerbier Special Reserva 2008 (Bottled 2009)
Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers

A: opaque; cola brown in color; no head or lacing;

S; balsamic vinegar, wood, cherry, acidic;

T: the balsamic is still there up front, but it’s balanced by notes of cherry and red wine; finish is sweet, but that sweetness is somewhat offset by the acidity; there’s a mild tartness in the aftertaste;

M: medium bodied; no carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: after 18 years, this is still a complex, interesting beer to drink;

Leather brown with garnet highlights + a fast-fading ribbon of off-white froth; wine, wet wood, red currants, winter spice on the nose; walnuts, ginger cake, red plum, waxy leather, a whack of tannins, red wine vinegar, and a pepper finish; dry, warming, lt-med.

4 4.5 4.5 4 4.75

Gives off balsamic aromas but more so wine and wood individually.
Similarly the taste ranges from sharp, fruity acid to deep dark candy sugar - there are sips that are bracingly tart + sips that aren’t sour at all.
It all has a library mustiness on the end - that’s 12 years of age, no doubt.
Dunno if to call this a bruin or BDSA but it’s shifty + mature + lovely.

A pleasure.