Braumeister Nr.1: Belgian Style Dark Strong Ale
Lichtenthaler Bräu
- From:
- Lichtenthaler Bräu
- Austria
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale
- ABV:
- Not listed
- Score:
- +9 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.04 | pDev: 0%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jun 16, 2014
- Added:
- Jun 16, 2014
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Texas
3.04/5 rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.04/5 rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
33cl brown glass swingtop with no label purchased at the brewery a few hours ago and served into a Wieden Brau-branded glass krug in me friend's gaff in Vienna, Austria. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average given the brewery. Price was a rather high 4.90 euro. I was told that (for this batch at least) this is one of about 50 bottles. No ABV was indicated anywhere at the brewery, and obviously since there's no label none is indicated on the bottle.
Served cold. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.
Yields a LOUD pop and ensuing spray upon opening. Not a gusher, just a bit of spray is all. Overcarbonation is anticipated.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: Pours a four finger wide head of pale khaki colour. It's thin for the style, and lacks much creaminess or frothiness. Leaves no lacing as it recedes. Retention is above average - about 3 minutes.
BODY: Murky as hell. Best described as a dark brown with some weird orange and copper hues. Hm. Doesn't look clean. No yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible.
Appears overcarbonated. This is not in line with the appearances of the best beers in the style that I've had. I'm suspicious, but optimistic. There are no obvious egregious flaws...
AROMA: It's a surprisingly dry aroma of raisin, dark malts, brown bread, dark bread, dates, vinous character, and dark almost seemingly unrefined sugars. I don't pick up on much yeast character, and aptly there is no hop character or alcohol presence. I expect far more than this in a good beer in the style. Overall, it's an inoffensive aroma of mild strength.
TASTE: Raisin, dark bread, brown bread, dark malts, a hint of some kind of herb (the closest thing I can think of is anise or maybe fennel, but it's not quite that), and some yeasty notes including nicely subtle banana. Dates, a hint of plum, dark sugars/candi sugar. No, it's not the most complex or intricate Belgian (strong) dark ale, and it isn't all that subtle or well-balanced, but it's cohesive and has good amplitude. Average depth, duration, and intensity of flavour. I do like it, but it's largely unremarkable and feels rather generic for the style. I like that they took a stab at a Belgian style, and it does fall short, but it's enjoyable enough even with its flaws.
TEXTURE: A bit too coarse and dry - particularly towards the late second act. Surprisingly, it's not too overcarbonated. Full-bodied. It's a meal in a glass, sure. It's not real creamy or soft. Overall presence on the palate is decent. This texture suits the taste well in a general sense.
Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, or harsh. Perhaps it's a biteen too rough and even scratchy on the palate, but that's nitpicky.
OVERALL: Not a great beer in the style, but I applaud experimentation with foreign styles and I'm glad this exists in Vienna. If I lived here, I'd probably buy it again even at its high price point. You could do worse, but then you could do much better - especially in Belgium, where the pricing is much better still. I won't recommend it to anybody, and I have no desire for a second glass, but I'll finish it with relative ease and I've definitely had worse. Slightly above average for the style.
Low C+
Jun 16, 2014Served cold. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.
Yields a LOUD pop and ensuing spray upon opening. Not a gusher, just a bit of spray is all. Overcarbonation is anticipated.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: Pours a four finger wide head of pale khaki colour. It's thin for the style, and lacks much creaminess or frothiness. Leaves no lacing as it recedes. Retention is above average - about 3 minutes.
BODY: Murky as hell. Best described as a dark brown with some weird orange and copper hues. Hm. Doesn't look clean. No yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible.
Appears overcarbonated. This is not in line with the appearances of the best beers in the style that I've had. I'm suspicious, but optimistic. There are no obvious egregious flaws...
AROMA: It's a surprisingly dry aroma of raisin, dark malts, brown bread, dark bread, dates, vinous character, and dark almost seemingly unrefined sugars. I don't pick up on much yeast character, and aptly there is no hop character or alcohol presence. I expect far more than this in a good beer in the style. Overall, it's an inoffensive aroma of mild strength.
TASTE: Raisin, dark bread, brown bread, dark malts, a hint of some kind of herb (the closest thing I can think of is anise or maybe fennel, but it's not quite that), and some yeasty notes including nicely subtle banana. Dates, a hint of plum, dark sugars/candi sugar. No, it's not the most complex or intricate Belgian (strong) dark ale, and it isn't all that subtle or well-balanced, but it's cohesive and has good amplitude. Average depth, duration, and intensity of flavour. I do like it, but it's largely unremarkable and feels rather generic for the style. I like that they took a stab at a Belgian style, and it does fall short, but it's enjoyable enough even with its flaws.
TEXTURE: A bit too coarse and dry - particularly towards the late second act. Surprisingly, it's not too overcarbonated. Full-bodied. It's a meal in a glass, sure. It's not real creamy or soft. Overall presence on the palate is decent. This texture suits the taste well in a general sense.
Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, or harsh. Perhaps it's a biteen too rough and even scratchy on the palate, but that's nitpicky.
OVERALL: Not a great beer in the style, but I applaud experimentation with foreign styles and I'm glad this exists in Vienna. If I lived here, I'd probably buy it again even at its high price point. You could do worse, but then you could do much better - especially in Belgium, where the pricing is much better still. I won't recommend it to anybody, and I have no desire for a second glass, but I'll finish it with relative ease and I've definitely had worse. Slightly above average for the style.
Low C+
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