Brouwerij Van Steenberge - Gulden Draak Ale

Tonight I'll be crossing the ocean and heading to Belgium for a glass of Gulden Draak.  According to BJCP, this brew falls under the Belgian Dark Strong Ale category, although I've also seen references of it being considered a Tripel.  The Gulden Draak is named after a golden statue that was originally donated to the city of Constantinople by the Norse king Sigrid Magnusson in 1111 during one of the first crusades.  It's been fought over since then, but ultimately it ended up on top of the Belfry in Ghent.

The bottle is unique - painted white with a golden drake emblem on the front.   It notes a reminder that this is a 'Product of Belgium", and also reminds of the potent 10.5% ABV.  After a soft pour, the head is furious and frothing, massive.  As it recedes, it leaves a web of lace like I haven't seen before... I took a picture of it below.

The beer is a dark blood-red color with a light tan head.  The aroma is full of sweet caramel malts, fruity esters, and plenty of alcohol.  There's also a slight yeasty belgian funk that swirls around in there.  The taste starts off with a blast of sweet malts - sweet caramel malt, then a wave of cherry and other fruits that I can't quite discern...apples?  Definitely apples.  Alcohol then heats things up, potent when blended with the fruits and the high carbonation.  The finish is spicy and sticky.

Overall Rating:  This was a big hot mess of Belgian goodness.  Lots of flavor, big chewy malt body, tart fruits, and a prominent alcohol note that wraps the flavors up in a basket and delivers them with a buzz.  Delicious.

Trappistes Rochefort 8

Tonights review is courtesy of my parents.  They went out and found a new beer shop a while ago and bought me a few beers that they thought looked interesting.  Lucky for them they were not only interesting but delicious! They were all European based brews.  Two were Belgian golden strongs that I drank immediately, thus, no reviews.  They were so good!  The third I had forgotten about until I was at their house for Easter.  It was like a hidden gem in the back of their fridge!  So I wrote down some tasting notes and am just now getting around to writing the full review.

This brew is one of three in a line up from Brasserie de Rochefort.  Dunz reviewed the Trappistes Rochefort 10, the strongest in their line up, and he loved it.  I have high hopes for this one too.

Rich, creamy brown color. Little bits of yeast sediment gather at the bottom of my sniffer glass. Thin, light tan layer of foam lingers on top. Alcohol and toasted bread are the first two aromas I can find. Hints of fruit, bananas notably, come into play as it warms. Very smooth mouthfeel and surprisingly light body. Rum alcohol and sweet malt are at the forefront of this Belgian strong. Brown sugar and yeast phenols of banana and tropical fruit come into play as it warms. The warmer this becomes the better and more complex it is. Alcohol warmth is present throughout.

Overall - you can't go wrong with Rochefort brewery. Both Duns and I enjoyed two out of three of the beers available to us here in the states.  Look for our review of the 6 in the near future!