A Table Full of Bottles

Okay, someone just plopped FIVE 750's full of beer on a table behind me, and I got invited to share, so:

De Proef Signature Ale 8.5% joint project with Port Brewing's Tomme Arthur--pretty bright amber, nose of yeast/nut/butter..... Tripel flavor profile, dubbel body/strength...... nice flavors, needs a full serving to do it justice......

de Graal hoppy blonde ale 6.5%--yes, light haze to a blonde, Pils-ish nose..... a nicely subtle excursion from all the heavyweights I've been having of late, think a zesty Pilsener with outrageous Belgian yeast character......... almost a Pils crossed with the Indian food buffet........

de Graal Gember 8.0% with ginger: fuzzy light amber, seemingly Chinese spicy food on nose.... an excellent ginger ale, reminiscent of Hitachino Nest Ginger Ale in spades..... This is what Hitachino meant to be, the complexity of the Belgian yeast balancing the zesty ginger.......

de Graal Dubbel ("hoppy Belgian dubbel"), 6.5%: slight haze to deep amber, nice head..... spicy/winey nose w/ notes of wood & tannin.... nicely rich but subdued, reminiscent of the tannins in cinnamon/nutmeg .... so where are the hops?

de Graal Speciale 8.5% hazy deep mahagony, pine-laced nose...... Is it suggestion, or is this a pine-laden beer? A definitive tartness to nose which balances out the semi-chalky palate, resiny flavors, etc. Think in terms of resiny casks from California......

Our thanks to Jeff of DOPS for sharing the quality-control check...................