Rochus (Vlumschen Bruinen)
Brouwerij De Ryck

Bottledate 24 feb 2004. Kept well in my cellar cold and forgot about it. BB 6 months so well overtime. Good and overwelming head and a brown beer that was clear.. Nose had well survived and still gave some fresh flowery nose and good caramellic candy. Full maltyness, litle dry straw but overal fresh and overwelming like early summer. Full lightsweet carramellic taste but litle salty and getting into a moderate bitterness at the end. Overal fresh not giving it 1.5 years. Good balanced taste and good carbonisation give it a fine mouthfeel and make it easy to drink. Enjoyed this brew but had 5.7% ABV listed instead of listed 5.3.

Sampled in the on-site Old Stables Tasting Room after an interesting tour of the De Ryck Brewery on Saturday 26th March, 2005.

Presentation: Rochus Vlumschen Bruinen [Flemish Brown] was first brewed in 1986 to celebrate the Breweries Centenary as an Eeuwfeestbier, but it remained popular and stayed in the De Ryck portfolio. Served in a lovely wide mouthed tulip goblet that had the word ‘Rochus’ in a fine Germanic text, the ‘R’ is red whilst the rest of word is white text.

Appearance: Massive cream colored head fills the tulip just short of the brim. Dark chestnut brown body, which looks almost black but exhibits a very dark drown slightly turbid body when held to the light. The head collapses slowly and leaves attractive lacing throughout.

Nose: Lots of dark malts in the nose, roasted character develops as it warms and there is a hint of dark chocolate, the bitter tasting kind, in there somewhere.

Taste: Not your usual Flemish brown for sure, it mixes sweet malts, roasted grains and finishes with a bitter-sweet dark chocolate finish. Initially served rather cold, it improved immensely as it warmed up and was allowed to reveal all of its character and depth.

Mouthfeel: Weighs in at 5.3% but yet this suffers from a rather thin body I have to say. Thin when cold, but middling at best, even after it warms. The flavors are bigger than the feel, it lacks balls, the nose and tastes make you feel that it should have some seriously sized gonads but they are more like chick-peas.

Drinkability: Easily consumed, the tastes were likeable & inviting but the thin mouthfeel left it wanting at times. Yet despite the thin mouthfeel, it went extremely well with the platter of Pâté (also made by the Brewery) sandwiches that were offered as an accompaniment.

Overall: A lovely bitter-sweet brew with roasted undertones which could be so much better if it had a little more mouthfeel and body. Worth trying – but let it warm up first.