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Van Honsebrouck
 scrapes in
 decent
 good
 excellent
 sublime
Van Honsebrouck, Bacchus (Belgium) 
This Flemish brown ale pours a nice mahoganny brown with a thin, fawn-coloured head. It has an attractive honey, spice and sour cherry nose, that is quite mead-like and vinous. On the palate it is quite smooth and there is an initial hint of sweetness that is soon overtaken by a raft of sour, lemon and cherry in a sweet 'n sour combination that is very enjoyable. It doesn't have huge length, nor huge complexity, but is delicious. 4.5% ABV, 25cl, �0.99, Beersofeurope.  |  |
Van Honsebrouck, Brigand (Belgium)
This top fermented strong ale from Van Honsebrouck pours a medium yellow/gold, with a puffy off-white head that disippates quite quickly. There's a big hit of clove and estery, floral and confectionery notes that is very wheat beer-like, as well as plenty of malty sweetness. On the palate there's a thwack of alcohol that is immediately hot and powerful, with a thick, almost oily texture and a burgeoning sweetness. The intense sweetness builds, with honey and biscuit, and a background of orangy fruit. There is a high level of carbonation that is rather fizzy and numbs the tip of the tongue, then spices, especially clove and cinammon, build again into the finish again. An arresting and powerful beer, and would have scored more highly but for that tongue-numbing carbonation. 9.0% ABV, 33cl, �1.35, Belgianbeerclub, Onlyfinebeer. |  |
Van Honsebrouck, Gueuze Fond Tradition (Belgium)
A blend of old and young lambic beers with secondary fermentation in the Champagne-corked bottle, this pours a lightly hazy pale gold with a thin white head. The nose is high and estery, with floral and herbal, even slightly medicinal notes as well as plenty of citrus and a hint of overrripe, rotting oranges. On the palate there is a pure, glacial blast of lemony sharp, very sour and acidic fruit. It is lean and linear, racy across the the tongue with decisive pith and punch into a long finish. There are hints of oatmeally, grain and rice notes, but nothing stops the vivid thrust of lemony sourness. 5.0% ABV, 37.5cl, �2.49, Onlyfinebeer. |  |
Van Honsebrouck, Kasteel Blonde 2004 (Belgium)
This twice-fermented beer weighs in with a punishing 11% ABV, and bears the inscription "Brewed anno 2004". It pours a light barley-sugar colour with a creamy, thick head. The nose is sweet and immediately powerful, with an intensity that is bright and fruity but very alcoholic. On the palate it is thick-textured and very concentrated, with the sweetness adding a creamy, palate-coating texture, but reserves of citrus acidity and sweet, raw malt - not toasty, but thick and rich with some oatmeally notes and great thrust of clove, ginger and spices into the finish. 11.0% ABV, 33cl, �1.99, Cave Direct, Beersofeurope, Beerritz. |  |
Van Honsebrouck, Kasteel Brune 2004 (Belgium)
Brewed in 2004, this very strong, brown, top-fermented beer pours a rich, deep, treacle brown with a thick tan head. On the nose there is a carpet of dark, mollases and rum-soaked raisin fruit aromas, that are dense and suggest great depth. On the palate a luscious, mouthfilling sweetness floods over the tongue, with flavours of sugary black Cuban coffee, roasted black fruits and a suggestion of chocolate. There is plenty of spice, with a pepper and ginger quality, and just enough refreshing acidity right in the finish to stop this being cloying, and make it dangerously drinkable. 11.0% ABV, 33cl, �1.95, Beersofeurope, The Offie, Onlyfinebeer, Beerritz. |  |
Van Honsebrouck, St Louis Cassis (Belgium)
Ribena is the unmistakable first impression on the nose of this deep, deep crimson-coloured fruit beer, which has a moderate magenta head. It is hard to get past that essence of blackcurrant (25% fruit used in the brewing process), but there is a touch of sour lemon and of hops. On the palate this is quite nicely judged, with a balance between tart blackcurrant skins and lemon and a fruity sweetness. There's not much in the way of bite, but it is not cloying either. A successful and enjoyable fruit beer. 3.6% ABV, 25cl, �1.25, 1516 Beer Co, Beersofeurope, Onlyfinebeer, Beerritz. |  |
Van Honsebrouck, St Louis Faro (Belgium)
Faro is a sweet version of a Lambic beer, brewed with sugar candy in this case. It pours a coppery colour with a ruby core, and has a fluffy off-white head. On the nose it has very bright, fruity, cherry cola aromas, with red liquorice and a hint of sour lemony character beneath. On the palate it is quite full and sumptuous, flooding across the tongue with intense sweetness, like very ripe berry fruits with a dollop of sugar, before a nice sour, citrus flavour starts to cut in, and gives the beer balance. It is still a sweet finishing beer that some will find cloying, but in fact it does seem balanced and well made to me. 3.2% ABV, 25cl, brewery website. |  |
Van Honsebrouck, St Louis Gueuze Lambic (Belgium)
Pouring a darkish golden brown with a fairly thin off-white head, St Louis Gueuze has a nose of sour green apples that is quite typical, but also a certain sense of toffeed sweetness, and a slightly sulphury, mineral note. On the palate it is quite an intensely-flavoured beer, that seems a little fizzy and frisky, and is soon overtaken by a sweetness that overpowers the apple and straw-like fruit flavours. In truth it is a touch saccharin, and though pleasant enough, not a patch on the best gueuze examples. 4.5% ABV, 25cl, �0.99, Beersofeurope. |  |
Van Honsebrouck, St Louis Premium Framboise (Belgium)
This beer pours a very deep, cherry red colour that is slightly cloudy. The off white head fades very quickly. The nose has a intense aromas of slightly artificial raspberry and bright, jammy fruit, with a nice sour, lemon and yeast background note. It is very powerful aromatically. On the palate there is a huge sweetness that immediately coats the mouth with syrupy, red liquorice, cherry and raspberry fruit. This states "raspberries 25%" on the label, though the sweetness seems too much to be entirely natural. There is a nice backstop of sour, actually quite nicely weighted lambic flavour, and though that sweetness persists, this concentrated, intense fruit beer has plenty of personality. 2.8% ABV, 25cl. |  |
Van Honsebrouck, St Louis Premium Kriek (Belgium)
Containing 25% fresh cherries in the brew, St Louis Premium Kriek pours a stunning crimson red with a fluffy, bright pink head. There is something very summery about the nose, with some grassy notes beneath the dominant cherry and cherry bubblegum aromas. There is a little hint of creamy malt too. On the palate it is sweet, with a thick, mouth-filling texture and very good fruit. There's masses of flavour here, and a spritely acidity that really sharpens up the finish to leave it delicious and refreshing. 3.2% ABV, 25cl, �1.19, Beersofeurope. |  |
Van Honsebrouck, St Louis Premium Peche (Belgium)
This Lambic beer, made with 30 per cent peach or peach juice, pours a barley-sugar colour with a hint of peachy white in the moderate head. There's a sour lemon and slightly vinegary note on the nose, and just the merest suggestion of fruit. On the palate it is medium-bodied and quite creamy, with an initial sweetness that is fruity, but not specifically peachy, which is odd. It has fairly good acidity and a touch of malty richness that stops it from being too cloying, but the delicacy and vibrant peach juice quality I'd expect are missing. 2.6% ABV, 25cl, �1.40, Cave Direct.  |  |
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