I think I've just had the weirdest beer ever, Flemish Primitive Wild Ale from De Proef Brouwerij in Lochristi, Belgium. The label is gorgeous - a detail from some renaissance painting (I'm not sure which). The beer is an appealing (when it's 20 degrees outside) 9% alcohol. It pours nicely too, with a golden straw color, a lacy white head, and continuous tiny bubbles rising from the bottom. You can see the color and head in the brewery profile put together by their importer, Shelton Brothers.
But what's odd about this beer is the range of aromas and flavors. It's got a super-funky, almost medicinal, metallic bite to it mixed in with citrus and banana-like flavors, even a little kiwi. And there is an earthy funkiness to the smell and the flavor. I couldn't pin down the smell/taste, so I went to Beer Advocate and looked up the beer (see the first link in this article for that entry). One of the reviewers (who gave it a positive review) nailed it: BAND-AID!! This beer smells and tastes like a circa 1978 sweaty Band-Aid!!
The worst part is, I LIKE IT!
Posted by jimj at January 27, 2006 09:05 PM | TrackBack