The fourth review of the Belgian beer I drank recently here in Moscow. My previous three Belgian beer reviews are also available.

This time I was sipping nice amber ale, unusual brown ale and poor blond ale imitation.

Bruegel Amber Ale

0.33L bottle, 5.2% ABV.

Ingredients: water, barley malt, yeast, hops.

Type: amber ale, top-fermented and refermented in a bottle.

Produced by Brouwerij Van Steenberge brewery. This ale is named after well-known Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel The Elder. A part of his «The Peasant Dance» painting was used for Bruegel ale bottle label design.

Served at 8-10°С in trappist glass.

Appearance: light amber, big white foam.

Nose: roasted malt and a little yeast at the background.

Smooth taste with delicate bitterness in the end. Yeasty note and malt on the palate, medium body and nice bread and hop aftertaste.

I think Bruegel amber ale is wonderful. It differs from the bulk of blond ales. It’s lighter, smoother and makes delightful velvet mouthfeel.

Bourgogne des Flandres Biere Brune

0.33L bottle, 5% ABV.

Ingredients: water, barley malt, corn, sugar, wheat, roasted barley, colouring E150, hops, antioxidant E300.

Type: Abbey Dubbel (brown ale, top-fermented).

Bourgogne des Flandres Biere Brune is produced by Timmermans brewery. It’s brewed according to unique techniques. The first, some lambics are added to the beer. The second, the beer is matured for six months in oak barrels before bottling.

Served at 8-10°С in a trappist glass.

Appearance: dark brown, weak creamy foam.

Nose: malty with strong fruit and wine notes.

At the start, the taste brings unusual wine flavour with delicate fruit background, mainly apples. On the swallow hops light bitterness comes ahead as well as roasted malt taste. Fruit notes return in the aftertaste again. Low carbonation makes smooth mouthfeel.

Later bread and caramel flavours start to dominate, and the beer becomes more usual brown ale with sweet and bread aftertaste.

Definitely I like Bourgogne des Flandres Biere Brune. It’s tasty, light and unusual – not for every day but just like holiday entertainment.

Monastère Blond Beer

0.25L bottle, 6.2% ABV.

Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops extract.

Type: blond ale, top-fermented.

Produced by United Dutch Breweries in Holland but as it presented in Belgian beer style, I count it as Belgian blond ale. Monastere brand also includes wheat beer.

Served at 8-10°С in a trappist glass.

Appearance: light amber colour, very weak foam.

Nose: lacking body, yeasty, with malt and synthetic note.

The taste is also lacking body – watery and too light. It looks like German lager beer. Bready sweetness comes in the palate but strange aluminum note ruins it quickly as well as weak malt aftertaste.

This is just a poor beer. No character, no body, no depth. Don’t waste your time and money for it.