Ter Dolen Blond
Brouwerij Ter Dolen N.V.

Brouwerij Ter Dolen is Belgian hospitality as I've come to know it. A nice setting to welcome people and offer them your beer and, often, some food. Instead of farmhouse food, Ter Dolen offers Mystery Tours of their castle. But you get the idea: beer draws tourism. And Ter Dolen has a pretty website and an English translation, too. For all that, I give the Brouwerij good Overall Hugs.

As for the Blond, she Looks great; while her large foam settles, there is lots of nice lacing. Smells are yeast turning malt into fruit. Tastes are almost balanced, but the hops finally linger in the finish just enough to make this a good table ale. I had pasta and a simple, herby red sauce and this Blond made mediocre better. Soft, but slightly less than medium-mouthed. I'd have Blond again after I've tried Ter Dolen's other offerings.

 

Copenhagen 31/1 2021. 33 cl bottle from Belgisk Bryg, Emdrup Mosevej, Kbh. NV. Black label with with the brewery in red and the name in light brown with some information about the beer and that Ter Dolen is a Belgian Abbey brewery.

Pours unclear golden orange with a mid-sized white head. Settles as 0,5 cm thick layer of foam just covering the surface of the beer. Substantial lacing.

Aroma is medium intense with a fruity and yeasty odor. Sweet orange mingling with a bit of caramel. Humid, abandoned cellar. A bit of metal.

Light carbonation. Medium thick, soft, smooth, lightly tingling texture.

Flavor is medium intense with a rather strong sweetness followed by a light bitterness. Aftertaste is sweet and lingers for a while. Finish is sweet with the alcohol peeking in.

Fruity and quite sweet Blonde.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottle bought in Brussels today with Feb. 2016 best-by. Cloudy copper-gold, visibly effervescent in the liquid to replenish a bond-white head of tightly packed bubbles. Little smell, just a whiff of grass, mint, toast, banana. Bitter attack I didn't expect, more flinty than floral, with a bit of coriander and apricot but not much thereof. Something miss, or off? The mouthfeel is substantial and a bit drying.

 

 

 

 

A dark golden beer with a settling head. Carbonation is medium.

Smell is fruity and has notes of melon, lemon and lychee. This yeast adds a light cork smell and accentuates the maltiness.

Taste is light malty with a light dextrinous taste. The beer has a fruity taste, which reminds of lychee and melon. The bitterness is low, which does the drinkability good. Mouthfeel is a little sticky.

I bought this beer a week ago at Dranken Geers nearby Gent in Belgium. Best before december 2012.

This is one good blond beer. Very tasty and very drinkable. Poured in my Struise glass this beer looks good with it's three finger broken white head and the yellow fluid with lots of carbonation.

The smell is less, it made me think of new cardboard....strange smell but not unpleasant. The taste however is just good. A bit like some Dutch blond beers.