Barrel-Aged Project 2014 (Dark Ale) Moscatel
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal

750ml bottle, caged and corked. Pours dark reddish amber with a fizzy off white head that retains fairly well and leaves little lacing.

The aroma is sweet sugary dark fruit and cakey malts with woody vinous alcohol.

The flavor is sweet malts with sugary dark fruit, some wood and slightly harsh vinous alcohol. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with spritzy carbonation.

Overall, interesting but a little too sweet and boozy for me.

 

 

 

 

 

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2014 vintage bottling. Pours slightly hazy deep reddish brown color with a 1-2 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, pear, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, red wine, toasted bread, oak, pepper, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great complexity and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, wine barrel, and dark/bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, pear, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, red wine, toasted bread, oak, pepper, and yeast/oak earthiness. Fair amount of yeast spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, pear, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, red wine, toasted bread, oak, pepper, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice robustness, complexity, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, dark/bready malt, and wine barrel flavors; with a great malt/yeast spiciness balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Some light-moderate dryness from carbonation as well. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, fairly crisp, and lightly creamy/slick mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent barrel aged Belgian dark ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, dark/bready malt, and wine barrel flavors; and very smooth and easy to sip on for the big ABV. A very enjoyable offering.