Friday, November 29, 2013

Belgian Pale Ale Project – Brouwerij De Ryck’s Special De Ryck Ale (#20)

11.16 ounce bottle decanted into a tulip.  5.5% ABV.  Best before May of 2014.

Appearance:  Murky, light cinnamon color with a thin, but persistent, white head.  Nice lacing.  A few small chunks of stuff eventually drifted to the bottom of my glass (3.25/5).

Aroma:  Oranges, but not like American hops.  More like the pulp.  Also easy to pick up spicy Saaz and a little apple.  I also detect a touch of tobacco smoke (4/5).

Taste:  Baked apples with burnt edges.  Orange pulp and a thin layer of marmalade.  Not overly complicated (3.5/5).

Mouthfeel:  Medium body, medium carbonation (3.5/5).

Overall:  Nice example of a traditional Belgian Pale Ale, but with an interesting burnt quality to it.  Many other traditional examples I’ve had have a “fresh” quality to them, but this one almost tastes cooked.  This bottle is slightly oxidized, but I don’t think that’s what I taste.  Overall it’s a nice beer, but I probably wouldn’t pick up a second bottle any time soon (3.5/5).

-Matt

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