Heylissem Triple Brune
Brasserie Val De Sambre

i have no idea what this tasted like fresh, but i scored a really dusty old bottle with a rotting cork, im guessing somewhere around 2010, and its drinking exquisitely. i love this kind of thing, belgian beer archeology of sorts, i know these are only around still because they didnt sell great, but the beer is just incredible! its got a lot of sediment now, chunky and coagulated in the bottom third of the bottle root beer colored and not super thick liquid pops and fizzes under an inch of tan head. it smells and tastes past oxidation into that preserved sort of archaic state, not quite a fossil yet but on its way. amazingly well mellowed chocolate malt, some abbey malt richness too, copper and minerals, dark chocolate and caramel and toffee, licorice and dried apple, so unified now. the yeast is killer here too, obviously belgian, not overly estery but with cool spice and earthy nuance, and somehow still a brightness for being so mature. its great with the bready cocoa aspects, and it makes this feel fancy to me. not sure why this kind of thing didnt work in the states, its sad to not see it around anymore, but its an outstanding bottle of beer still very much a pleasure to drink after all these years if you see one around. i love beer like this!

 

 

750ml corked and caged bottle with a best by date of may 25, 2009.

A- it starts out kind of a gusher, but it was the quickest ending gusher ive ever had. very dark ruby red colored body with tightly knit khaki colored head. the head lasts forever, and leaves a wall of lacing behind. what more could you ask for?

S- theres alot going on here. lots of sweet caramel malt and fruits in here. apples, pears, cherries, and raisins/tobacco. lots of belgian yeast as well.

T- you can taste the candi sugar they brewed with, thats for sure. very sweet. very fruity and yeasty as well. belgian yeast, apples, pears, and cherries mostly.

M- a high level of carbonation, but thats expected for the style. creamy and light-medium bodied.

D- easy to finish the bottle. probably wouldnt want to attempt another one tonight, but ill check this one out again. i really liked this beer.

Pours rich deep mahogany like Ron Burgundy's house smells. High fluffy foam. Settles quickly. Taste is mildly chocolate raisin. Dark plums and a little spice finish.

The mouth feel is a bit foamy for me but typical of Belgian beers. The finish is nice and subtle though like a deeper triple taste. More complexity as the beer warms.

Cheers

Appearance: Pours a hazy, mahogany-hued body with a thin, fine, off-white head.

Smell: Caramel and candi sugar layered over peeled plums with light notes of peppery alcohol and spice.

Taste: Tart, juicy plums swimming in simple syrup with lighter tastes of treacle and caramel. Dash of spice. Warming alcohol presence. Light bitterness. Drying finish with a lingering earthy tastes of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: It's good; neither too heavy or overly boozy. A tasty Belgian brew.

Some of the best atributes of this beer are it's head (a full five fingers of fine foam) and it's alcohol content (9%). Other than that, this brown ale is thin in flavor, and what flavor there is, is reminiscent of root beer (barrel aged.) Taste is sweet and seems to lack the tart/bitter notes present it most Belgium beers.

Found at the Asian Farmers Market - Pours very brown slightly cloudy with not much of a head. Smells of Belgium yeast, sweet fruits, plums, and a lot of caramel malts. First sip both bitter and sweet without much hop presence. Lightly carbonated, this beer has a decent mouthfeel.

The aroma is good. It's got caramel, toasted malt, spice, fruit, and yeast. The appearance is deep amber - brown with a decent head. The flavor is like the aroma with a toffee like element. The palate is OK. Overall this is a very good beer. I want another one.

Very smooth and strong brown. Full mouthfeel,serious off-white head on dark brown. Good malt flavour, strong like brandy, with lower ABV of course. Not complex, there is dark fruit and mollasses, roasted malt and smooth and very drinkable.Good for style.

A: poured into a snifter. pours a rich mahogany that has a light brown head. great carbonation with this one.

S: reminds me of a Unibroue. A lot of apple and spices in the nose.

T: I love Belgium. tastes of fall....spices, apples and pears.

M: clean and crisp. leaves the mouth moist and warm.

D: very good, both smooth and crisp. Definitely worth a try if you can find it.

BBD 03/15/08

Pours chestnut/mahogany with 2 fingers of frothy tan head. Above average head retention & lacing

S: Caramel with a hint of cocoa, with some booze at the finish

T: Caramel with bakers chocolate up front. Cakeyness, dates & a little nuttyness follows this as this warms. Oaky dryness, vanilla, brown sugar & a little more chocolate (milk), caramel along with some pecan show up in the finish

MF: Chewy, medium-bodied with great balance & low carbonation

Drinks very easy for the abv, a very good take on the style

Pretty sure this is different from the ADA Trip. Brune: different label and different importer.

Presentation: 750ml bottle with label displaying large building but no description of the image. Rear label reads "A highly traditional fermented ale brewed with malt and top quality hops without any chemical additive. Slowly matured in warm chambers, this brown ale is noted for its variety of delicious flavors and powerful aroma. This before provides both warmth and pleasure. To be served slowly at 52-54`F." Imported by Doyna. Bottle is corked with single metal strap holding it in, not the typical cage. Best by date clearly marked: 30/05/08.

Pour: Gallugs into the tulip glass, allowing a three finger tan head over a ruby hued body. The head seems to shrink from underneath, as the surface of the head hasn't left the top of the glass but the size seems to be reducing. Pock marks appear, and lots of bubbles streaming throughout. Head clings to the glass during slow descent. Thick cap remains over surface throughout the entire 750.

Nose: Wonderful rich and slightly sour aroma. Caramel, dry and chalky. Green grape skins, sour cherries, unsweetened cocoa powder. A vanilla cue... whipped cream like. Cough syrup. A little farminess. I'm intrigued.

Mouth: Woah! Way more bitter than I was expecting. Lots of unsweetened chocolate, cherry cough syrup, and wet hops. Lingering warmth and cough syrup bitterness. Tons of licorice comes up through the nose. Maybe some maple syrup.. A dry finish. Notes of wet cardboard. Mouthfeel is okay, a bit creamy but quite well carbonated. Slightly bloating effect makes it difficult to get through the whole bottle.