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Verboden Vrucht / Fruit Defendu (Forbidden Fruit)
Brouwerij van Hoegaarden


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Brouwerij van Hoegaarden
- Belgium
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Ranked #114 - ABV:
- 8.5%
- Score:
- 87
Ranked #18,172 - Avg:
- 3.86 | pDev: 10.36%
- Reviews:
- 158
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 05, 2023
- Added:
- Feb 22, 2002
- Wants:
- 23
- Gots:
- 43
SCORE
87
Very Good
87
Very Good


Notes:
None
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Ubrewty
4/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very dark cloudy amber colour. Dark pale generous head that holds it's volume. Good carbonation. Roasted notes, caramel, fruit malt, spice, sweetness and banana. Crisp clean finish. Refined smooth mouth feel.
Nov 04, 2022Reviewed by misteil from Ireland
4.08/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
this is a very nice bspa i’ve got to say, got some really nice chocolatey flavours, burned toast, oaky, cigar smoke, nutty, black bread, vanilla, liquorice, black pepper, fig, cherry, hint of banana, medium bitterness on the finish, body is medium and carbonation is high, bit of alcohol warming, slight dryness on the finish, i quite enjoy this, this is a fireside beer… shame i don’t have one. it’s cold rainy night gratefully indoors beer, and i sure have that
Apr 05, 2022Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England
4.11/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.11/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
L- It's evening here, and under lamp-light this is a paler shade of chestnut. It has a tiny amount of haze, and it seems there's some sludge left on the bottom of the empty bottle. Poured carefully yields a 1Cm ultra pale tan head.
S- Ok, woah! Quite a lot going on, on the first sniff I get woody, hints of leather, a touch of smoke.
T- Boof, it's pungent! ... ... Man it's making me sneeze too! It has a liquor-ish note that goes well with it's quite deep and pungent flavour.
F- For me it's 'classic winter warmer', one to slow sip, it's too full-on for me to hurry it at all. It's pretty deep, pungent and complex.
O- I like it, there was zero out of place or balance here for me. I'd happily drink +/or buy this fine thing again.
330ml bottle Bought from BeersOfEurope (UK) BB: 07/08/2021
Mar 27, 2020S- Ok, woah! Quite a lot going on, on the first sniff I get woody, hints of leather, a touch of smoke.
T- Boof, it's pungent! ... ... Man it's making me sneeze too! It has a liquor-ish note that goes well with it's quite deep and pungent flavour.
F- For me it's 'classic winter warmer', one to slow sip, it's too full-on for me to hurry it at all. It's pretty deep, pungent and complex.
O- I like it, there was zero out of place or balance here for me. I'd happily drink +/or buy this fine thing again.
330ml bottle Bought from BeersOfEurope (UK) BB: 07/08/2021
Reviewed by elnachooo from Spain
3.88/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
De color ámbar, con una buena cabeza espumosa de buena retención. De cuerpo medio y alta carbonatación. Aroma intensos a plátano, levadura y cilantro. En boca es muy rica, con un excelente equilibrio entre dulzor y amargor.
Jan 25, 2020Reviewed by Martin194 from Iowa
4.3/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.3/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look: Dark, cloudy brown with a white head.
Smell: Sweet dark fruits, brown sugar
Taste: Reminded me of red wine; fruity and sweet with a robust aftertaste that had notes of tobacco.
Feel: Normal carbonation, left a sticky mouthfeel
Overall: Very tasty beer!
Aug 19, 2019Smell: Sweet dark fruits, brown sugar
Taste: Reminded me of red wine; fruity and sweet with a robust aftertaste that had notes of tobacco.
Feel: Normal carbonation, left a sticky mouthfeel
Overall: Very tasty beer!
Reviewed by edhardy22 from England
4.09/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.09/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a creamy head.
Has a very fruity aroma loaded with figs, prunes, raspberries as well as a strong yeast smell.
Taste has raisin and apple notes as well as mild bitterness from the alcohol. The malt also provides lots of sweet caramel undertones.
Lovely mouth fell and carbonation
Very good beer definitely worth a try, has very powerful fruity notes making it unique.
May 11, 2019Has a very fruity aroma loaded with figs, prunes, raspberries as well as a strong yeast smell.
Taste has raisin and apple notes as well as mild bitterness from the alcohol. The malt also provides lots of sweet caramel undertones.
Lovely mouth fell and carbonation
Very good beer definitely worth a try, has very powerful fruity notes making it unique.
Reviewed by FLima from Brazil
3.67/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.67/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Hazy dark copper reddish color with a thick three fingers beige head with descent retention.
Sweet aroma with notes of candi sugar, white bread, cherries, prunes, cloves and apple puree.
Flavor with notes of red fruits, herbal hops, wheat, orange peel, cloves, Belgian yeast, pears, candi sugar, figs, bubblegum and apple puree. Dry aftertaste with a medium bitterness.
Medium deceitfully full body with slightly effervescent carbonation. Alcohol of 8.5% is mildly felt and it is complimentary to its taste.
I was expecting a low complexity Belgian Strong Ale, which is not the case, but at the same time it is not at par with the heavy Belgian top names for the style. I found this a bit too sweet, although it is not unbalanced given hops and high alcohol.
Aug 06, 2017Sweet aroma with notes of candi sugar, white bread, cherries, prunes, cloves and apple puree.
Flavor with notes of red fruits, herbal hops, wheat, orange peel, cloves, Belgian yeast, pears, candi sugar, figs, bubblegum and apple puree. Dry aftertaste with a medium bitterness.
Medium deceitfully full body with slightly effervescent carbonation. Alcohol of 8.5% is mildly felt and it is complimentary to its taste.
I was expecting a low complexity Belgian Strong Ale, which is not the case, but at the same time it is not at par with the heavy Belgian top names for the style. I found this a bit too sweet, although it is not unbalanced given hops and high alcohol.
Reviewed by Dzu from Russian Federation
4.08/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: turbid dark brown with a weak white foam head.
S: Apples, wine.
T: apples, wine notes.
F: medium body and carbonation.
O: after all its very nice beer. Worth a try.
May 19, 2017S: Apples, wine.
T: apples, wine notes.
F: medium body and carbonation.
O: after all its very nice beer. Worth a try.
Reviewed by The_Bujon from Ireland
4.21/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Really finding it difficult to fault this one!
One of the best looking beers I have seen, a real coppery red hazy body, with a superb creamy head, which sticks all the way to the last mouthful.
Forbidden Fruit by name, and the aroma is loaded with figs and raisins, a real joy and one you'll want to quaff.
Taste is pretty good also, nice and malty, and carries those figs through to the end, and hides its healthy 8.5% very well indeed.
If I could have one criticism, it would be the artificial aftertaste, almost like sweeteners which does drop it a point, but still not enough reason to vote this anything other than a superb brew.
Make sure you have this dished up at the right temperature and in a chaliced glass.......and then Boof it all the way to Timbukboof!
Apr 29, 2017One of the best looking beers I have seen, a real coppery red hazy body, with a superb creamy head, which sticks all the way to the last mouthful.
Forbidden Fruit by name, and the aroma is loaded with figs and raisins, a real joy and one you'll want to quaff.
Taste is pretty good also, nice and malty, and carries those figs through to the end, and hides its healthy 8.5% very well indeed.
If I could have one criticism, it would be the artificial aftertaste, almost like sweeteners which does drop it a point, but still not enough reason to vote this anything other than a superb brew.
Make sure you have this dished up at the right temperature and in a chaliced glass.......and then Boof it all the way to Timbukboof!
Rated by yaron73 from Israel
4.47/5 rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.47/5 rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A bottle from a Supermarket in Brussels.
Apr 06, 2017Reviewed by MoohMooh from France
3.23/5 rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.23/5 rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Brown/ruby red, very cloudy, dense one finger head. Quite a looker!
Smells very belgian, with bubblegum yeast and banana. It smells very similar to a wit, actually. Some raisin and caramel as well.
Not only does it smell like a wit, it kinda tastes like one too. Huh. There's raisin, dried plum, banana, bubblegum and not much else except a sweet, syrupy character. Slight alcohol in the aftertaste.
Very smooth, mild carbonation.
Surprising to say the least. I'm getting nothing of what I'd expect from a dark ale, which really throws me off. On top of that, it's really in-your-face, without having anything interesting to offer, which means it just ends up being kinda boring. Hey, at least it's not too sweet, I guess?
Jan 09, 2017Smells very belgian, with bubblegum yeast and banana. It smells very similar to a wit, actually. Some raisin and caramel as well.
Not only does it smell like a wit, it kinda tastes like one too. Huh. There's raisin, dried plum, banana, bubblegum and not much else except a sweet, syrupy character. Slight alcohol in the aftertaste.
Very smooth, mild carbonation.
Surprising to say the least. I'm getting nothing of what I'd expect from a dark ale, which really throws me off. On top of that, it's really in-your-face, without having anything interesting to offer, which means it just ends up being kinda boring. Hey, at least it's not too sweet, I guess?
Reviewed by josanguapo from Spain
4.27/5 rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
From elcervecero. In Teku glass. Playing South Park The Stick of Truth. Paired with Valdevegon Cheese & vread crumbs. Pleasant dark fruits taste. not as much as in the best implementations of the style but more quickly drinkable. Dark fruits less noticeable in aroma
Apr 05, 2016Reviewed by jonmikel from Spain
3.6/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.6/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 33 cl bottle bought at Carrefour in Brussels.
-Very dark color. It's opaque. A nice head of foam.
-The smell is present but it isn't huge.
-The feel is nice but not something extraordinary.
-Strange and interesting feel. At some point you can even taste hints of wood.
There are better beers but I think is worth a try. I liked it.
Jan 09, 2016-Very dark color. It's opaque. A nice head of foam.
-The smell is present but it isn't huge.
-The feel is nice but not something extraordinary.
-Strange and interesting feel. At some point you can even taste hints of wood.
There are better beers but I think is worth a try. I liked it.
Verboden Vrucht / Fruit Defendu (Forbidden Fruit) from Brouwerij van Hoegaarden
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
276 ratings
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