Bruegel Amber Ale
A taste of... Bruegel Amber Ale
Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Global Beer Network
Santa Barbara, CA (USA)
Preface: This is the third beer in the selection sent to me by the folks at Global Beer Network. The selection they sent was six Belgian ales all brewed in Flanders, according to the box and the promotional material.
This is an excitable little fellow. I opened it up it did lose approximately a half ounce of beer, frothing over the top of the bottle.
Appearance: The beer is the color of burnished copper, and is a very effervescent beer topped with a very loosely knit, thin light brown tan colored head.
Aroma: The aroma of this beer is very floral, citric with an almost grapefruit essence, that continues on into a bright grassy-floral aroma.
Mouth feel: The mouth feel is of the medium body, with the effervescence adding more to the body than could be expected. The mouth feel and the body are consistent throughout.
Flavor: The initial sensations are of citric, with a slight cereal malt flavor. As the flavors develop they take on a slightly astringent character that is balanced by an undercurrent of sweet malt. There are slight whispers of sour cherry as well that carry through to the finish, which leans more towards the slightly bitter hops and less than enthusiastic malt. This is not too "warm" a beer, as it is only 5.2% alcohol by volume.
Finish: The finish is neither inspirational nor forgettable. After only a few moments, there is just a slight remembrance of the various flavors of this particular beer.
Comments: My overall impression of this particular ale is that it is the type of medium strength light amber ale that I would choose for summer time quaffing. It is not an overpowering beer, but it could certainly stand up to a grilled bluefish.
