Beer Review: Eerwaarde Pater

This beer was an impulse buy, I didn’t go out in search of it.  Seeing this tiny pudgy bottle of Eerwaarde Pater mixed in with corked 750 ml big boys made it standout.  After reading the label I was intrigued and wanted to try this brew.  This is a 9% abv Belgian Dark ale matured in oak, has potential?

Appearance:

Deep dark brown color with a fairly dense thin amber head.   While a thin head, it had some good staying power.  Tons of carbonation, it was creeping out of the bottle after opening.  There was also lots of sediment; it was literally bouncing around the inside of the glass as the carbonation bubbles kept most of the sediment suspended.

Aroma:

Strong medicinal, herbal, spicy, alcohol aroma which was surrounded oak.  There underlying notes of dark fruit, raisins and figs.  It is a fairly unique aroma as a whole, but not far off from other strong Belgian Dark ales.

Taste:

Wooh! Intense beer!  There is a strong sourness associated with this beer.  For me this is reminiscent of a very young unblended Flanders Red ale.  Malty back bone with lots of fruit on top, cherries and a bit of sour apple.  The oak in this beer is very mutted.

Overall Impression:

Was not expecting this beer to be a sour beer, but it really did have the characteristics of a Flanders red.  I like sour beers, so I enjoyed this beer.  The  9% abv is completely hidden by the sour and fruit.  But you do get a bit of warmth in your face after a glass of this.

Glassware: Goblet or Tulip

Calories: 9%abv, would estimate 275-300 calories (Calorie Chart)

Simply Beer Rating: 83

Have you had this beer, were you surprised by it too?