Beer # 100 Piraat (Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day)

Piraat (Pirate)

Brouwerij Van Steenberge

Ertvelde, Evergem, Belguim
Independant
Srong Belgium Blonde 10.5 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 330 ml.
$3.33 (Canadian) At LCBO ($19.95 for the 6 bottle Belgian Gift Pack)
Twitter: Not Found

Ok I know... Talk Like a Pirate Day was last week. And yes, I meant to do this beer on that day... And Yes I was busy again... But we can pretend it still is? Sure we can... We are all friends here. Yarrr... On be wid der tastin'.

Brewery Van Steenberge has it's origins in 1784 as the Brewery Peer. Passed down through several Generations The current owner, Jeff Versele, is the 4x Great Grand Nephew of founder Jean Baptise De Bruin (Yes that translates to "John Baptist the Bear" Talk about an awesome wrestling name.) The brewery is the last operational one in the "Meetjesland" which is the coastal area of East Flanders in Belguim. The name literally translates to "Land of old Ladies. I could tell you why, but i can't do any better than Wikipedia:

There are many legends surrounding the origin of the name. The most known is the one of Emperor Charles V (Charles V) who was known for his sexual appetite. The story goes that when he traveled through the region people hid their daughters and their attractive young women, making emperor Charles think this region was full of old women (meetjes). Source.

'nuff said. Onto the booty...


Golden in colour with just a hint of cloudiness. Large fluffy white head made up of medium sized bubbles. Nose is sweet grainy, fruity, some banana and citrus. First sip is deep, rich, and rum-like. Quite malty and sweet... slightly sticky on the lips. However, very light tasting and effervescent, due to a small secondary fermentation in the bottle. Aeration brings out warm spicy notes and a huge shot of alcohol. Finish is mildly bitter, but refreshing.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience:  6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

A delightful beer. the only sticking point is the high alcohol... It actually makes one drowsy drinking it. So try this one with food. It is a well rounded and excellently balanced beer.


Cheers

CJT


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