Duvel Tripel Hop 2012 (Citra Hops)

ABV 9,5%

A bottle of 330 ml, similar to the classic Duvel, with Tripel Hop written under the name and the clarification, "Dry Hopped With Citra Hops" in a circle, on the lower right side of the label.
Since this is made only for this year and they're planning to make it with a different hops variety every year, I thought that it deserved a different entry.
Poured into a tulip glass, very similar to the Duvel one, after letting the beer warm up a bit. Colour is pale golden yellow, with some bubbles rising to the top and a whooping head of four fingers. Great retention and light lacing around the glass as it goes down. The head never disappears completely, even now, I have a thick part of it into my glass.
Aroma is.. fantastic! I haven't met another beer with this kind of fruity aroma. Mostly I get a fruity aroma of dark fruits, but never before something like this. The citra hops are really making a difference. I smell some guava and a bunch of other tropical fruits.
Taste is also great, much more bitter than I expected from the smell and much more bitter than the original Duvel too. Some citrus and tropical fruits on the taste again, result of the citra hops I suppose. The alcohol is there, but very masterfully concealed. I get the warming feeling but I can't feel it that much on the taste. Aftertaste is also quite bitter.
Full on the body and quite a bit of carbonation, maybe a little too much.

I am not a huge fun of Duvel, and don't get me wrong, I like it and I would gladly drink it on every given occasion, I just don't get all the hype around it. But this one, not only I liked it, I loved it, mostly for the superb aroma and then for the great, bitter taste. I had got myself three bottles already, before I even try it, but this one will probably be the first beer that will send me back to the store, in order to get some more and store in my cellar.

4.53/5
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sloeber

ABV 7,5%

The label is one of the weirdest I've come across. A beer bottle named Sloeber showing me the name on my beer bottle which is also Sloeber. Maybe it was a good concept but the final result looks quite amateur-ish if you ask me. So what do we have here? A belgian strong pale ale, that pours a white thin head of one finger, in my Chimay chalice. Colour is, well, pale golden or better, copper-like. I can witness a thin fountain of bubbles rising from the center of my glass to the top.
Aroma is light and pleasant, fruity, sure, but I can't put my nose into it exactly. One time I think I smell bananas, the next I smell plums. Whatever it is, is very faint though.
Taste is fruity, with some plums and other dark fruits, but there is unfortunately a slight metallic aftertaste. The high ABV very well conceiled.
Full and thick body, with just the right amount of carbonation.
Overall, a very good sample of the kind.


3.55/5 
ook: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Maredsous 6 Blond

ABV 6%

Bottle of 330 ml.

Poured into a tulip type of glass. One finger of head, white in colour and thick, that didn't stay for long. Colour is pale golden,slighty haze in my second pour after I shook the bottle a bit. with average activity in the glass.
Sweet aroma. A smell of old bread that thankfully is quite faint and it's cobered by aromas of dark fruits.
Dark fruits like plums and dates also traceable on the taste. You could say it has a sweet taste.
Medium thickness on the body and average carbonation.
Overall, hmm. There are better samples of the type out there, and I know because I have tried some.


3.05/5
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3