Belgian Pale Ale

This St. Bernardus Extra 4 is a Enkel/Patersbier. This is a single or lightest beer from St. Bernardus. I saw this also to be known as a Belgian Pale Ale. This beer is 4.8% ABV. I bought this in Florida over the weekend as a mixed S. Bernardus six-pack. This package has six different individual beers that the brewery makes. This particular beer pours a yellow color with a one-and-a-half-finger bright white head. The aroma is citrus fruit, with cloves, spices, and light pepper. The flavor is citrus fruits, spices (coriander and pepper), dry, light cloves, and also light on the hops. This one has a medium feel on the mouth. Then this beer finishes with a dry, yeasty fruity, hop flavor that lingers. It lingers more with the dry yeast notes. Then you’ll come to a dry aftertaste with some hop notes. This is an A+ beer from one of the best breweries in the world. I highly recommend Extra 4 from St. Bernardus. This is a beer you don’t want to miss. It is really deliciously refreshing. Please stay safe, be kind to each other, and remember to enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

Originally posted August 29th, 2014

Some beers are harder to find than others and that could be due to where that beer brewery is located or that they just do not distribute beer out of their local area and/or state. That could be cost or other reasons. Some beers might just be a seasonal release and some seasons are shorter than others, like fall. Well, I came across a seasonal brew from The Unibroue brewery in Canada, Raftman, 5.5% ABV, a Belgian Pale ale brewed with Peat smoked Whisky malt and also brewed with spices. Unibroue Raftman is brewed in memory of those bygone masters of the forest who were always amenable to settling their differences over ale and a shot of whiskey. I always enjoy Unibroue’s labels, they are always very interesting and they look like they tell some sort of story. Raftman pours a copper brownish slightly murky color with a big three and a half rocky white head that sticks around for a good while and fades into some nice white lacing. I found minimal light coming through the glass with little carbonation due to the murky like coloring. The aroma has the slightest smoky malt scent with a little yeast. The taste on Raftman is smoky like the aroma but just enough to let you know that there are smoked whiskey malts. I also get a little bit of a pepper spice on the middle of the mouth that really goes well with the smoked whiskey malts, and really lifts it taste up. On the back of the mouth, I get some nice slightly sweet vanilla flavors. The mouthfeel is full bodied with some richness to it, but not a lot. Raftman has a nice smoky finish that lingers into a nice slightly spiced and smoked aftertaste. This is a really an interesting take on a Belgian Pale Ale, I give Unibroue Raftman A+. I really like the smoked whiskey malts on this beer. They really did it well, it isn’t overdone or strong and it’s easy to drink. I highly recommend trying Unibroue Raftman, so go out and get some of it and try it. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!