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A taste of… Piraat Ale Brouwerij Van Steenberge Global Beer Network Santa Barbara, CA (USA)
Preface: This is the second beer in the selection sent to me by the folks at Global Beer Network. The selection they sent was six Belgian ales all brewed in Flanders, according to the box and the promotional material. As usual, I can only assume they were shipped under the best conditions, and I can assure you they were kept refrigerated until one hour before tasting..
As I did not have the proper glass to pour this in, I opted for a goblet shaped glass from their competition. May the beer gods forgive me!
Appearance: The beer is burnished bronze in color, clear and sparkling. It is a very effervescent beer, the bubbles, enthusiastic and non-diminishing. The frothy white head is the consistency of well-beaten egg whites, the bubbles form a fine mash.
Aroma: The aroma of this beer is at first autumnal in that it is evocative of the aromas in wooded areas. There are also hints of bubblegum and fresh hop flowers.
Mouth feel: The mouth feel starts out very full. With this product, it has the advantage of being very effervescent. However, as you go on to discover the various flavors, the body slims down considerably.
Flavor: The first sensation is of a short, intense contest between tart and sweet, almost immediately joined by a not-quite metallic tang of hop bitterness. The second sip reveals slight traces of bubblegum that also loose out to the particular bitter flavor profile of the hops. At the second sip you should also be able to appreciate the fact that this brews 10.5% alcohol by volume.
Finish: The unique hop flavor profile of this ale continues on quite pleasantly for a good while, resonating in the nasal passages. The sweet slightly bubblegum esters are also not an unpleasant reminiscence of the flavors of this beer.
Comments: To paraphrase a semi-famous line from a semi-famous movie – “You had me at the stubby.” I'm a particular fan of this style of bottle, even though it holds less than half a liter (in fact less than 12 ounces) of beer. I nevertheless find it comfortable to hold in the hand and easy on the eye. Now, to the beer… I am familiar with Piraat Ale, the draft product particularly. The extra effervescence of the bottled product is not an unpleasant surprise. And, I believe it adds quite a bit to the flavor appreciation of this beer.
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