Legal Beer

When I saw this little bottle on the shelves of The Four Firkins a few months ago I couldn’t help but pick it up. One look at the picture of Satan smirking back at you holding a cup of this brew was more than enough to justify the few dollars spent. Knowing nothing about this beer or its brewery De Block other than the fact that they operate out of Merchtem-Peizegem, Belgium I decided to look them up. Apparently this family run breweries history dates back to the 14th century and they produce a number of interesting looking beers including a Satan Red Ale. But you can read all that on their website, onto the beer. Poured straight into a tulip at just under room temperature this beer produced about three fingers of loose highly carbonated white head that faded very quickly leaving little lacing around the glass though more carbonation easily builds up when swirled. Color is an attractive hazy golden hue that is moderately translucent when brought to light. Aroma is quite alcoholic and reminds me a bit of a white wine in some ways and is accompanied by light fruit notes. Flavor is remarkably less alcoholic than the aroma but still present up front but is nicely contrasted by fruity flavors such as apricot and a gentle flavor that reminds me of caramel and even more so toffee as well as some light bready yeast notes. From the aroma of this brew I really didn’t expect a particularly pleasant experience but after taking a number of sips this really is one interesting and nicely flavorful Belgian Strong Pale Ale. The body of this brew is medium and the mouthfeel is very clean, provided the 8% ABV doesn’t get to you first this should be an easy beer to consume. I had no idea what to expect when I opened this bottle but I am pleased to say I have really enjoyed it and would definitely purchase it again. Alcohol is a bit more noticeable than in some beers of the style such as Duvel [review] but I didn’t find it overly offensive, just a bit startling in the aroma. If you enjoy Golden Belgian Ales and are not opposed to alcohol I think you too will enjoy this brew. Give it a shot and ride your bike.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 6th, 2009 at 5:08 pm and is filed under Beer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.