Petrus Aged Pale

Now if there is one style of beer that doesn't feature regularly in my reviews then it is the sours - this should come as no surprise because as you can see the vast majority of my entries are the darker, sweeter varieties such as Quads and Tripels.
This isn't due to the fact that I dislike sours (the Lambic styles) it's just that my taste buds lie elsewhere, with this style one or two are enough for me.

So what we have here is in fact an Oud Bruin, a beer from Bavikhore brewery Bavik (hence the name) a brewery famous for that traditional Flemish Brown style and one that has been around since 1894, a brewery that is still family owned.
The beer in question is Petrus Aged Pale and as its name suggests it's a paler version of another of Baviks beers their Oud Bruin - the aged, well it spends over 20 months maturing in oak barrels.

Now just uncapping the beer and amazing tart, crisp, sour notes escape from the neck...my we're in for something a bit different.

This Aged Pale pours a lovely bright copper with the slightest haze and is topped with a fluffy white head that all too quickly settles down to a thin lasting ring, thin streams of bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass giving the beer a well carbonated appearance.

Aroma is instantly tart and incredibly fruity with lemon zest and crisp green apples, then you get a dry, acidic sourness that reminds me of cider vinegar.
There's a biscuit matiness coming through along with hints of caramel sweetness and touches of oak on the finish - a nod towards the barrel ageing.

Taste - well what do you expect, sour tart grapes, lemons, grassy hops, white wine, crab apple and a dry, bitter, woody finish.

A sour beer no doubt and whilst not my chosen style it's still an intriguing, well made Oud Bruin and one I look forward to sampling again.

       

De Graal Gember

So here we are at the start of my next century of beer reviews, so lets kick things off with an absolute cracker and a beer from a brewery I've rated before.

De Graal Tripel

The clue for this particular beers flavour lies in its name "Gember" (Dutch for ginger) and it's the dried root that is used to infuse this particular ginger bomb.

A hazy deep amber beer that is topped with a foamy white head that all to quickly collapses leaving behind large craggy mounds.

A most wonderful aroma fills the glass that is crammed full of those spicy / prickly ginger qualities but also coupled with lemon and orange citrus notes (it's almost as aromatic as a herbal tea)
Then you get a deep honey sweetness before a rich malty backbone comes through, finished off with a subtle touch of hops.

The flavour comes as no surprise as once again ginger features heavily on the taste, this time in the form of the sweet preserved variety, again the citrus notes of lemon come through along with a caramel sweetness before finishing with a malty / bitter hop bite.

Without doubt another great beer from brewmaster Wim Saeyens and without doubt a beer I'll be sampling again.