Scratch Beer 24 - 2009 (a.k.a. Van De Hoorn)
Tröegs Brewing Company

Scratch Beer 24 - 2009 (a.k.a. Van De Hoorn)Scratch Beer 24 - 2009 (a.k.a. Van De Hoorn)
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Tröegs Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Ale
ABV:
7.8%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.82 | pDev: 8.64%
Reviews:
30
Ratings:
33
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 04, 2013
Added:
Oct 26, 2009
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  1
They took a batch of Troegenator wort and fermented it with a peppery yeast (one of the two yeast strains in Mad Elf) to create a more complex, spicier Troegenator. At a bold 9% abv, this beer is "liquid bread" for sure, and maybe a Christmas cookie as well.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by stakem:
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.67/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured into a pint glass, this brew appears a hazed color caught between amber and brown. A finger of yellowish tan head forms across the top supported by rising bubbles of carbonation. As the cap slowly fades patches of lace maintain across the top and stick with spots along the wall of the glass. A light swirl hardly brings a few extra bubbles back to the surface.

The smell of this brew is sweet with a mixture of caramel malt, toffee, vanilla and a vinous quality. There is a little bit of an herbal hop element present throughout. A light spiced yeast aspect runs across the back almost like cinnamon. There is hardly an indication of alcohol present in this brew's aroma.

The taste hits with a strong vinous quality much more bold than the aroma led on. Seemingly all of the sweet malty character that was present in the aroma has vanished from the taste of the brew and transformed into more of a tangy alcohol character. There is a minor herbal hop element present that is fairly enjoyable mixed with the vinous touch. As the brew comes up to temperature, it gets increasingly more vinous and flavorful with grape notes. The alcohol is fairly evident for 7.8% with a solid warmth down the back of the throat. Once warm, the brew lingers inside the mouth with faint notes of toffee, raisins and bready grain character that I was anticipating more of this brew's main profile to contain.

This is a medium bodied brew with a moderate level of carbonation. Quite an interesting experience across the board. It is an interesting take on Troegenator. I remember having this when it was released on draft and this has transformed into an interesting creation throughout the 2 years it has been resting in the bottle. Not bad by any means but I think I enjoyed it more when it was fresh. Still worth a try if you get the chance.
Aug 30, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.25 by t0rin0 from California

Mar 04, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by mmcnaughton from Michigan

Nov 21, 2011
 
Rated: 4.5 by brandoman63 from Illinois

Nov 18, 2011
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

2.96/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Thanks for this one, Mike.

A: The beer pours amber in color with a small off-white head.

S: A very fruity aroma to this. A bit of grape and cherry, perhaps some plums. Maybe a little bit of metal and lemon. Bready malt and a bit of caramel sweetness.

T: Sweet caramel malts with a definite tart fruit character. Some peaches, plums, grapes, and cherries with a bit of a lemon character. A bit too much of a fruit juice thing going on.

M: Light bodied with low to medium carbonation.

O: This is another one that is beyond its prime, probably not surprisingly.
Sep 14, 2011
Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

3.52/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Another Scratch beer that I received from a BIF but do not remember the name or when I got it. Thank You for the beer. Poured into my Delirium Tremes snifter at 48 degrees.

Appearance: A puny off white head that has poor retention. The color of the beer is dark coppery brown color with dark hues. The clarity of the beer is opaque and there is no lacing on the glass.

Nose: A very rich malty sweetness with a spiciness complexity to the aroma. There is banana, cloves, white pepper, fruity esters, and floral bouquets. The malt is toasted and other aromas are phenols and solvents.

Taste: The malt is nicely toasted with a complex maze of flavor follow. The flavors that I detected is cloves, pepper, banana, fruity esters, phenols, floral esters, and solvents.

The mouth feel of the beer is carbonated, warming, and coating.

The body of the beer is medium and a medium full finish. This is a descent dark Belgium ale that has potential. The flavors in the beer are very distinct, however the balance is off. I a very glad to try this beer now I need to finish the rest of scratch collection in my cellar.
Apr 21, 2011
Photo of Onenote81
Reviewed by Onenote81 from North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to bjspicer for this beer!

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a thick, cloudy dark mahogany/amber. The thinnest of heads appears and disappears within seconds. No lace. The nose carries in it notes of alcohol, pale fruits, and molasses. Pretty tamed down though. I imagine this popped more in scent when fresh.

Great full-body full of warmth and depth. Carbonation level has stayed fairly consistent over time. Flavors of sweet apples, pear, syrupy pancakes, and a twinge of warming alcohol on the back end. This is quite an easy sipper on this cold drizzly afternoon. Thanks, Brian.
Nov 16, 2010
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

4.02/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Reviewed from notes.

Pours a nice dark amber color with a white head and a bit of lacing as it goes down my glass. The nose brings caramel, dark fruits, cherries, and a bit of Belgian spice. Nice intricate nose, and definitely an improvement on the regular Troegenator. The taste focuses on some sweet malt and the Belgian yeast, bringing some really nice flavor combinations forward. Good body with nice spice. A good and interesting brew, but a bit much in the end.
Oct 24, 2010
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

4.12/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
another new one for me tonight from troegs. jumping back into the series again we take a hit on the belgian side of things, served into a goblet and consumed on 10/22/2010.

really a nice pour but for a belgian dark it was by far too light. nearly amber in color with a light head that reached up to an inch at its zenith.

as it warms nice notes of dark fruit, hints of light grain and a touch of some light notes of raisins and touches of complex yeast dot the profile. again it was really nicely done. some ligh spice, plum notes and light herbals coming through now along with a touch of pears. raisins and a touch of bittering hops are in the profile giving it a touch of a dry effect.

overall not at all what i was expecting but it turned out really, really well. i would have no issue in doing this one again.
Oct 23, 2010
Photo of nickd717
Reviewed by nickd717 from California

3.97/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle via trade thanks to dashirey, labeled as Scratch 24.

Pours a medium reddish-amber color with a small off-white head.

Aroma is fruity with apple and cherry as well as caramel and Belgian yeast.

Flavor is slightly Belgian and only a little sweet with caramel, candy apple, and cherry notes.

Good palate, medium-bodied with average-plus carbonation.

A well-done American Belgian dubbel. Enjoyed this one.
Jul 20, 2010
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.94/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a clear garnet color with a very modest head that disappears in less than a minute; if the color weren't so pretty the score would be lower

Smell: Caramel, figs, sweet cherries, clove and overripe bananas; lots of interesting esters from the Mad Elf yeast strain

Taste: Complex blend of the caramel and fruits from the aroma, with the caramel, figs and bananas promininent up front, followed by the sweet cherry and clove flavors; after the swallow, there is a nice rustic depth of flavor, though the finish is rather sweet

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with very low carbonation

Drinkability: The low carbonation is a bit of a problem here but the flavor profile is rather enjoyable

Thanks, bjspicer, for the opportunity
May 15, 2010
Photo of jjayjaye
Reviewed by jjayjaye from New York

4.09/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Wow, I really don't understand where the low scores are coming from on this one. At first it reminded me of Mad Elf because a got that cherry scent along with the Belgian yeast and dark fruit. It's moving away from that as it warms up. The other difference was that this one is much more effervescent. It poured a similar hazy maple tea color with a shallow fizzy tan head that had little hang time and negligible lacing. I really enjoyed the smell and think that it's true to style...if that can be said about a Belgian Dark Ale. The carbonation settles out and the mouth feel is medium bodied, but the Belgian fig fruitiness lingers nicely. The mouth adds a lot to the overall drinkability. Full flavored, the yeasty dark fruit, molassas and cherry flavors are quite nice. The 7.8% ABV is well integrated...where the h&* did this one go?? Hey, I guess it must have been VERY drinkable. This one should take some folks back to school. Many thanks to ShadesOfGray for the opportunity to consider this one!!!
Apr 24, 2010
Photo of tpd975
Reviewed by tpd975 from Florida

3.03/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
bottle from jcwattsrugger.

A: Pours an deep amber with a nice tall tan colored head. Real nice retention with some nice sheets of lace.

S: Aromas of Belgian yeast, (bubblegum and bananas) and light sweet fruit.

T: Very Belgian, lots of yeast with hints of bread. There is a strange off flavor going on here. Not sure if it has started to turn, but it is a bit off in flavor. Very tinny, metallic with mineral notes.

M: Medium in body, smooth, lingering badness.

D: Not really.
Mar 09, 2010
Photo of BeerTruth
Reviewed by BeerTruth from Connecticut

3.47/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
number1bum supplied this one for me, thanks skank!

Well I had a full review for this, but low and behold the BA servers decided to blow ass again while posting so I lost the whole thing. Here's my short and sweet rating...

Looks flat, no head, no lacing...teh suck.
Smells like yeast, honey, and caramel.
Tastes like molasses, dates, and more yeast.
Mouthfeel is medium, smooth, and low carbonation.
Drinkability, average...

Scratch 24 complexity and hopefully Tröegs forgets about this one...but that's what the Scratch series is for. Let's get back on track fellas.
Mar 09, 2010
Photo of BigPapiBrewingCo
Reviewed by BigPapiBrewingCo from Pennsylvania

3.92/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
poured from 12 oz bottle in duvel goblet. my understanding is this in troegnator with mad elf yeast.
Pours amber red clear with very little carbonation but not flat.
Nose of sweet maltdark fruits
Taste sweet caramel malt, dark candi sugar, cherry mildly spicy, with peppery yeast.
this went down pretty smooth reminds me troegnator more the mad elf. would have rated it higher if had more carbonation.
Feb 18, 2010
Photo of RedBrewer83
Reviewed by RedBrewer83 from Oregon

3.79/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Aggressive pour into tulip...

A: Pours a dark murky brown with hints of ruby and a one finger head that fades very quickly to a thin ring around the edge of the glass. Decent lacing, but nothing standout.

S: Candied malt, brown sugar, sour cherry, bready malt, slightly floral.

T: Sour cherry comes right out front to lead the profile followed by the candied malt mixed with hints of brown sugar and clove. Faint banana in there as well along with the bready malt make up the mid-palate and the floral hops finish things up. Pretty well balanced.

M: Light medium body with smooth carbonation and a fairly dry finish for the style and abv.

D: Very drinkable for the style and abv. Overall a nice beer, but nothing great or standout about it.
Feb 17, 2010
Photo of ClockworkOrange
Reviewed by ClockworkOrange from Pennsylvania

3.92/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A 12 ounce bottle thanks to Deuane. Uncapped and poured into my Blue Point shaker glass. 24 appears a clear crimson brown color with barely a finger of quickly fading, light tan foam. Nose and flavors consist of dark fruits, mainly cherries, caramel malt, candi sugar, cherry Luden's drops, mildly spicy, peppery yeast, quite fruity and a bit sweet. Just about medium bodied and slightly lacking in carbonation. A decent and warming ale overall. Thanks again for this one D!
Feb 06, 2010
Photo of krisandajt
Reviewed by krisandajt from Pennsylvania

3.42/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Courtesy of gamanley who hooked me up with a Scratch brew I missed. Thanks Greg!

Appearance: A gentle pour into my Mad Elf chalice yields what appears to be an almost lifeless brew. There is no head and only a few sparse bubbles that rise slowly to the top. The color is a reddish amber, and actually reminds me of a toned down version of the beer from which the glass is dedicated.

Smell: Smell is sweet and fruity, with a bit of yeast mixed in. Absolutely no trace of the 7.8% ABV. Very inviting.

Taste: Definitely on the sweeter side. Taste is light and fruity, with an almost floral quality to it. No real trace of the yeast that I picked up in the nose, but there is a bit of booziness to it that I didn't pick up from the nose.

Mouthfeel: Very undercarbonated IMO. There is no real crispness to the beer and it feels somewhat lifeless on the palate. Body is decent, but without the carbonation to back it up it seems incomplete.

Drinkability: Not a bad beer, but definitely not one of my favorite Scratch's from Troegs. It has potential, maybe with a bit of tweaking it could really turn into something outstanding. It's relatively easy drinking and some good flavor to it. My only real gripe would be the carbonation. If you have the opportunity to try it, I would say it's worth it...but don't go bending over backwards for it.
Jan 24, 2010
Photo of garbercury
Reviewed by garbercury from Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to boralyl for the generous extra!!!

Excited to try this one and have to admit it came out flat, in more way than one...

A--Zilch on the carbonation and therefore, lacing.

S--very limited, faint smell of cherry/figs

M--flat.

D--gotta admit this one came up very short. Not sure if it was a bad bottle but in general, would not recommend this beer.
Jan 24, 2010
Photo of koopa
Reviewed by koopa from New Jersey

3.87/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
12oz bottle purchased at Capone's in Norristown PA.

Appearance: Pours an attractive garnet brown with no head or lace.

Smell: Nice flavors going on here...Kandi-sugar, banana, fig, and sweet malt.

Taste: Sweet malt, kandi-sugar, and cherries up front with a pretty boring belgian yeast strain.

Mouthfeel: Undercarbonated.

Drinkability: Goes down easy and no hint of the 7.8% abv.
Jan 14, 2010
Scratch Beer 24 - 2009 (a.k.a. Van De Hoorn) from Tröegs Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 33 ratings