Barrel-Aged Project Brew No. 2 - Cognac
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal

So I know this bottle has been properly cellared for years, but where is the love ba community? This is a fantastic ale! The cognac booze simply melt like butter into the dark fruits of plum, fig and grape, the baking spices like clove, nutmeg and ginger, the bready malts, honey, and yeasts that make up the skeleton of the beer, and the many many accenting flavors including green apple, vanilla, orange, mushroom, oak, brown sugar, toffee, and cotton candy. So much going on, each sip is an experience in itself. The wife loved this one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

750 ml bottle into tulip glass; 2014 Vintage, 2580 bottles produced. Pours fairly hazy deep orange/amber color with a 2 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of big apricot, peach, pear, apple, lemon zest, orange peel, light banana, clove, pepper, cognac, oak, candi sugar, honey, herbal, grass, light vanilla, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great complexity and balance of big fruity/earthy yeast, pale malt, and moderate cognac barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big apricot, peach, pear, apple, lemon zest, orange peel, light banana, clove, pepper, cognac, oak, candi sugar, honey, herbal, grass, light vanilla, and yeast earthiness. Good amount of earthy yeast spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of apricot, peach, pear, apple, lemon zest, orange peel, light banana, clove, pepper, cognac, oak, candi sugar, honey, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity and big robustness of fruity/spicy yeast, pale malt, and moderate cognac barrel flavors; with a great malt/yeast/barrel balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a smooth, fairly crisp, and lightly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a light-moderate warming present well after the finish. Overall this is an excellent barrel aged Belgian strong pale ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of big fruity/spicy yeast, pale malt, and moderate cognac barrel flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the huge ABV. A very enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

Picked this up at my favorite beer store in Belgium, Dranken Geers. Hazy copper-amber pour with a two finger creamy off-white head with minimal retention and decent lacing. Somewhat subdued nose with hints of caramel, oak, vanilla, apples, grass, and maple. No sign of the cognac. The taste is a bit boozey up front with lots of woody character along with hints of vanilla, butter, caramel, brown sugar, butterscotch, and finally some cognac. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a smooth, buttery texture and a subtle warming, boozey finish. Overall, I was hoping that the cognac would be more prevalent, but there was a lot of barrel influence nonetheless. I had one of these when it was younger and the booze has definitely mellowed with age.

enjoyed this at the mega beer class at Kelly's Package store in the berkshires. Great complexity with the toasty malts and cocoa up front gave way to a very sweet finish. caramel and honey blended into a nice cognac tone on the end. kind of bummed it was only a tasting. i will have pick one of these up next time. As i really enjoy what these masterbrewers have been doing with the barrel aging. this one ranks right up there with different barrel aged products i have had.

 

 

 

 

Pours a bright orange amber with a soft off white head of foam that wasn't too tall and fell slowly and luxuriously to a thick layer and finally a ring and cap. Plenty of streaming effervescence and lighted glow from the body of the beer. Very attractive. Nose is soft belgian with a light sweet cognac over the top. A touch woody and earthy with deeply ripe stone fruits. Peaches and apricots drizzled with brandy. There's some musk or must from the belgian character and some honey from the malt but neither of those is powerful enough to overtake the sublimely sweet ripe peach. Taste is drippy, sticky ripe peach with cognac poured over. The cognac which is somewhat subdued in the nose is more vivid on the palate. The wood from the barrel aging is perfect on the palate and adds depth and vibrance to the cognac flavor. The mineral qualities make the body soft and it's a refreshing carbonation. The finish is dry and with a sweet lingering aftertaste with just the heat from the alcohol alongside the cognac flavor for a terrific authenticity.

This is a distinct beer that brings together the most delicate aspects of both a belgian blonde and a rich sweet cognac. Radiant and sweet. Well turned out and the perfect compliment for after a meal much like cognac and fruit is on their own. I served this after a pan seared veal rib chop lightly seasoned with only salt and pepper, roasted chick peas flavored with sea salt and rosemary and a green salad with a few fresh thyme leaves in a light lemon dressing .