Lozen Boer Abt (Abbey Style Ale)

Brewmasters Collection

De Proefbrouwerij Lochristi, Belgium.

Preface: A week ago I received a shipment of six bottles of beer from SSB-Imports, Seattle, Wa. These good folks sent me six special beers brewed in Belgium in a traditional manner, in very modern facilities. 

The beers seem to have survived the voyage, both to the United States and to my workspace.  Therefore, I can assume this is a well cared for beer from the time it was sent to me until it's time I had a chance to taste it.  This sample was kept refrigerated until a half hour before was opened. The tasting notes are as follows...

Appearance: A deep red garnet colored brew topped with a light frothy light sandy tan brown meringue head. It is a very effervescent beer although it's hard to determine because of the dark color.

Aroma: There is a light brown sugar and roasted caramel malt accents with a touch of treacle and then almost a spectral hint of  apricot.

Mouth feel: this is a very rich creamy brew.  The effervescence lifts, what would be a heavy beer and makes it lighter.

Flavor: There are immense amounts of raisins and caramel with in a bitter peppermint almost metallic flavor.  It's a great deal of sugar rock candy. The finish is a long lasting tussle between caramel and the bitter tang that is slightly metallic and very unfamiliar to me.

Finish: this is a warm alcoholic beer and you feel it in your mouth.  The slight heat of the alcohol softens, what could be a cloying sugar sweetness.  As noted before, the hop flavors and aroma are unfamiliar to me.  And yet they are nicely balanced such that their flavors and aromas are difficult to deconstruct.

Comments: as I tasted this beer for the first time, the second time, and the third time.  I found the flavor memory that centered on a country inn in Vermont.  This beer certainly has a rustic and rural character to it.  Nevertheless, it is smoothly executed, and I have the distinct impression that my taste buds are being played with.  There is a sense humor to this beer.

(After examining the bottle I find that not only is there a sense of humor in the beer, there is a sense of humor in the name of the beer.  Apparently, and you will have to check this out for yourself, it has to do with smuggling cows...)

Brewery Site: http://www.sbs-imports.com/deproef.php .

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