Bolderiaan
Brouwerij Anders

surprised this beer hasnt garnered more attention. its somewhere between a belgian strong blonde and a tripel, but its brewed with vanilla and saffron as well, two pretty unique ingredients in belgian brewing, and two very interesting ingredients to pair together. clear pour from the bottle, orangey golden in color, with nearly an inch of white fluffy head with perfect rings after each sip. it smells sweet, thats the tripel elements with the extra sugar added to spike the abv and the malts as well, but the vanilla is there adding to it and rounding it out. i also smell a nice bright belgian yeast strain, hints of bubblegum and taffy, but also some more subtle fruits, pear and apricot, very pleasant aroma. the taste is even better because the saffron shows up. any chef knows this is a subtle delicate flavor, and these brewers have used it beautifully here, slight floral delicacy in the finish, accentuated by the vanilla, an unlikely but amazing partner here. the yeast remains the most abundant flavor here, but there is a lot going on, all hanging in wonderful balance. a touch of booze, a touch of import oxidation, but this one really comes together well. solid carbonation and it doesnt end up being all that sweet in the end. an extremely enjoyable experience overall.