Piraat Ale

I’ll be honest, the name of this one influenced my choice to order it. It also helps that I love Belgian IPAs, and this one lived up to its homeland’s reputation for beer. Piraat is brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V., located in a village in Belgium’s northeast.

It pours a wonderful golden-amber color, and looks fantastic in a classic goblet. It has the signature Belgian head; big and sticky that will stick around for quite a while. The aroma is strong and sweet. There are fruits such as banana, slight apple smells, and also some sweet honey. The ABV becomes apparent in the aroma as well, and at 10.5% it’s not surprising. There is very little, if any at all, hop aroma.

It is very well-balanced, keeping the carbonation from being too much and creating a nice, silky mouth-feel. It coats the inside of your mouth and leaves the flavor all around. The taste isn’t hoppy either, despite the IPA style. It’s a medium-bodied, sweet ale that doesn’t let its high ABV get in the way of amazing flavor. Flavors of apple, banana, honey, and sugar all are strong in its profile but they blend well with the malts so it doesn’t taste like a fruit beer in any way.

This beer has all the aromas and flavors that would be around on the islands pirates would use for their fortresses; exactly what it should be given the name and label. It’s really a great experience.

 

Style: Belgian IPA

Rating: 90/100