Tasting Notes: Van De Bossche: Buffalo

Van De Bossche: Buffalo (Belgium: Belgium Ale: 6.5% ABV)

Visual: Dark brown, a bubbly off white head. The head refreshes itself easily on a casual swirl.

Nose: Milk chocolate, yet very fresh. Peanuts, ovaltine. Roasted nuts still over the fire.

Body: Quite bitter, sour gooseberries as well. Somewhat nutty and roasted.  Quite contrasting elements then. Caramelised sugar, cider, milk chocolate, Slightly thin on the texture.

Finish:  Bitter and dusty. Liquorice. Sour lime. Light vinegar.

Conclusion: What a mixed up little beer this is. It looks the standard brown Belgium ale, but it’s in fact hiding quite the tart style behind a roasted stout like nose.

So lots of potential there for a significantly different beer, well it would do if only it brought a bit more to play.  It’s almost as if that slight sourness is washing then beer thin, and taking with it the ability for the flavour to get its grip on you.

This results it in being stylistically very hard to place, in fact at its best moments it passes a distinct nod in the direction of Vichtenaar.

There is an export strength version of this, Buffalo Stout, if it manages to keep the same mixed up stylings but with more weight to it then we may be onto a winner, as it may make true the promise this holds.  As is, a beer of potential but doesn’t quite make it.

Background: picked up in Belgium, this seems to be one of the most differently classified beers I’ve found.  I have seen it listed as a Stout, Oud Bruin and Belgium ale depending on where you look.   There is also an export version at 9% that is listed specifically as a stout.  Also I’m not sure of this is a translation issue, but for something called buffalo that sure looks like a horse on the front.