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De Proefbrouwerij Saison Imperiale (Belgian Farmhouse Ale)
This is an effervescent little devil. Poured at room temperature it threw (developed) quite a head. I had to wait a good few minutes for to settle down. This extra time allowed me to enjoy a wonderful aroma that came from this beer; a lime-citric and herbal scents that challenged the olfactory senses but in certainly less than offending way. Appearance: This is a beautiful light red copper colored, very effervescent brew topped by a lacy frothy, almost linen white colored head that could never be described as dense, and yet it certainly is appropriate. (I alcohol beers have a tendency to lose their head very quickly. And this one is marked at 8.5% alcohol by volume.) Aroma: As noted earlier, this has a very friendly aroma. In that it is not off-putting and yet it has a complexity of different aromas that remain interesting. Mouth feel: This beer has a very full effervescent creamy tingling mouth feel. The first sip reveals its relatively high alcohol content. However, this is not unpleasant. Flavor: Throughout the flavor profile of this product, there is a distinctive Belgian yeast fermentation/ester and flavor profile that is, in this case, a most pleasant thing. Again, the high alcohol content of this beer calls for a little bit of skill with the brewmaster. In no way could this brew be called thick or viscous though the malts levels are very high. The same sense of balance can be said of the hops. This brew has a distinctive bitter, sour flavor, but again, when it is taken in context with the alcohol content and the malt content is less than offensive and certainly enjoyable. Finish: This brew has a remarkably light finish to it. Again, I believe it is because of the excellent balance between the sour, the sweet and the bitter that makes this the beer that it is. Comments: As noted earlier, this beer was served at what could be called cellar temperature that is 50°F. At this temperature the flavors and aromas in this beer were able to show themselves to their best advantage. This beer is labeled as a Saison Imperial Belgian farmhouse ale. If this was a beer that was drunk in the farmhouse I wonder what was drunk in the main hall. What it lacks is the crude appearance and flavors that make Belgian farmhouse ale, unique, in the classic sense of the word. I will say that this is an excellent beer, and I intend to purchase a few bottles of my own. However, I find that the plastic used to "cork finish" the product a little off-putting. The Brewery site: http://www.proefbrouwerij.com/ What they say: RateBeer http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/saison-imperiale/56300/ Beer Advocate: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3521/30286 102907 |
