Reserve Signature Ale (w/ Tomme Arthur)
De Proefbrouwerij

De Proefbrouwerij "Brewmaster's Collaboration Signature Ale (w/ Tomme Arthur)"
750 ml brown glass bottle, corked & caged (plastic cork).
$17.49 @ Lower Merion Beverage Co., Ardmore, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: Wow, so how old is this beer? I remember it from years ago. Let's see, it was added to the BA database in 2007, which would make it 19 years old! Amazing. Anyway, it's poured a clear brown body beneath a short head of creamy khaki colored foam. The aroma is malty with dark skinned fruits and a floral note. It's clearly oxidized with some paper and or cardboard-like notes, and the smell reminds me a little bit of one of the grocery aisles in an old Chinese supermarket - thankfully it doesn't smell like the fish department! On to the taste, as I kind of expected, it tastes like it smells. The oxidation isn't bad though. One thing that happens with oxidation is that it makes the malt seem more malty, and that's definitely the case here if I'm remembering it correctly. It initially seemed almost like a barleywine but now that it's warmed a bit it's clearer. I should note, this kind of oxidation only works in bigger beers with some color to them; had this been a Pilsner it would have been a drain pour. There's some alcohol to it but not much. What's the ABV? It's 8.5% which seems about right. Back to the taste, the malt is caramelish and bready, and I'm getting notes of dark raisins, dried fig, sweet apple, a little bit of dried apricot, and some yeasty spiciness and clove. I remember this being a lot livelier in terms of flavor, and this has certainly dulled - just more proof that cellaring beers usually leaves you with something that's not as good as it originally was. Now I have had some beers that did age well, where a year or so smoothed it out a bit, but this one is ridiculous! Surprisingly though, it's still enjoyable, it's just not really like it once was. I'll give it a score based on what I recall because it was a great beer, and I don't want to skew the numbers for the brewer based on tasting a very old bottle. (I thought that I had a review on here anyway, but I guess not - a lot of my old review have disappeared, and to be honest, some of my newer ones have too! Oh well.) They've got a couple more old beers at the shop where I got this and I think I'll swing by and see if there's anything else that catches my eye.
Review #7,277

poured from a 1pt. 9.4 fl. oz. caged and corked brown bottle

De Proef Reserve Signature Ale (w/ Tomme Arthur) poured a light hazy/cloudy golden hue with a rocky 2-finger white head that formed a clingy foamy lacing. The smell is a combination of light fruit [pears, apples] and spicy. The taste follows the smell with malty sweetness of caramel added and a light tartness from the yeast. Mouth feel is medium bodied with a generous amount of carbonation.

Overall, a nice Belgian Strong Pale Ale.

Poured from a caged-and-corked 750mL bottle into my Troubadour tulip. The code on the cork suggests this might be from 2012, but I'm uncertain.

Cloudy gradient - largely mahogany with marigold highlights - supports a half finger of papaya whip foam. Rich sandy lacing; decent retention.

Brett. is evident but not dominant in the nose, the peppery funk accompanied by a sweet almost candy-like note with hints of vanilla, clove-stuffed oranges, and stewed nectarines.

Nice continental malt backbone on the palate with the aromas all still present but richer and more expansive if still somewhat ill-defined. Brett. is nicely integrated, providing some wild character without excessive barnyard or musty notes, and not much in the way of sourness. Finish dries out just barely enough, though on the whole I would prefer the bugs married to either a paler or darker ale - this sort of caramel-touched amber ale might work better with a more characterful strain of yeast to accentuate or off-set the Brett.

Soft, creamy mouth-feel, with sufficient carbonation.

Slightly sweet, and lacking some character, but well crafted. Probably better enjoyed as part of a meal or paired with cheese (maybe something like a Reblochon or an aged Cantal).

 

 

 

 

 

Mango esters, yeasty, biscuity, and bitter grape seeds on the finish.

 

 

 

BOTTLE: Purchased in Austin, TX earlier today. Brown glass. Unbranded hood-and-wire cap over a cork. Standard De Prouf label - simple.

8.5% ABV.

Served cold into an oversized snifter. Expectations are high given Tomme Arthur's involvement. Reviewed live as a brett ale per the label.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: About 2.5cm wide. Off-white colour. Average foaminess/frothiness, thickness, and fullness. Average (2 minute) retention. Leaves sticky coating lacing on the sides of the glass as it recedes.

BODY: Copper of above average vibrance. Clean, without visible yeast particulate or hop sediment.

Appears adequately carbonated. Not a unique or special looking brew. Could appear more lively.

AROMA: Biscuity brettanomyces yeast with mild funkiness. Belgian pale malts. Floral hop character. Grassy hops. A hint of vague citrus - maybe white grapefruit? Bitter fruit rind.

Aromatic intensity is average. Suggests a surprisingly hoppy Belgian beer with a modest brettanomyces presence. I don't find any farmhouse notes like straw, hay, or oak.

TASTE & TEXTURE: Follows the aroma, plus it has a healthy amount of crystal malts. Hop-forward for a Belgian, which dries out the palate unnecessarily alongside the extinguishing brettanomyces funkiness. The coarseness and dryness of this beer lends it a rough, scratchy presence on the palate that makes it drag and fatigue. More of a light, smooth, wet, refreshing mouthfeel would be ideal, and would play off the pleasant floral hop character better.

Sweetness/bitterness balance is decent but isn't quite dialed in. The rindy bitterness is tamed somewhat by the Belgian pale malt/crystal malt sweetness, but this never feels gestalt or cohesive. Build is odd, awkwardly straddling the line between Belgian brettanomyces ale and American pale ale.

Flavour duration is above average since the brettanomyces linger in the aftertaste (due to the dryness). Depth of flavour and flavour intensity are average.

Build is unconventional, but it doesn't pay off.

Overcarbonated, light to medium-bodied, and of average heft and weight on the palate. There's not a harmony of texture and taste here.

OVERALL: Drinkable to an extent, but I'm glad I'm splitting the bottle three ways. I wouldn't want to drink a whole bottle of this. Given Tomme Arthur's involvement, I hoped for far better, but ultimately it's a forgettable experiment that doesn't really shake out. Glad I tried it, but not a winning beer - or one that will impress the discerning drinker. It may have worked better with a more subtle brettanomyces presence, but I think the real problem lies in the premise, not the execution.

C