Hi guys. I hope everyone is doing well. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Hof Ten Dormaal Amber produced by Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal located in Tildonk, Belgium.
I wasn’t able to translate the description from the breweries website, hoftendormaal.com, to English, so I checked on ratebeer.com and found this bit of information.
Amber coloured, top fermenting beer. Brewed on the farm with respect for the old farm traditions and from a careful selection of our best barley and hops.
Let’s drink.
This beer has an ABV of 7.5% and it comes in a 12.7 oz. bottle.
It poured a cloudy, amber color with an off white head. A medium aggressive pour produced a cap of great size with a soapy, fizzy and rocky texture. The retention time was not as long as I thought it was going to be, but it still hung around for a few moments. The lacing was surprisingly thin and insignificant. It fell back into the liquid relatively quick.
The bouquet was not extremely robust. I did find a little bit of yeast and a little bit of clove spice though. I also discovered a pretty decent tone of red apple and a solid dose of sweet caramel malt. Those two aspects seemed to come through as it warmed to room temperature. I thought it may have a big nose of funk and/or sourness, however it didn’t provide a great deal. Overall, not a bad fragrance though.
The flavor released a bit of alcohol at first, yet after a few moments it was masked by ripe fruits of apple and grapes as well as some bready undertones. Hints of caramel sugar with some spicy clove. It was also a touch “earthy” too. The taste wasn’t overly loud or robust either. Again, not bad, but not nearly as pronounced as I thought it was going to be.
The mouthfeel was medium bodied. Mostly dry, prickly, lively and crisp. Medium to high carbonation also. A nice bit of warmth was felt at the back end and a decent bit of flavor was left behind on the palate between sips.
Essentially, I thought this was a respectable beer. It got a lot better as it warmed and began to open up. It kind of tasted a bit like a young, delicate Belgian Quad. The drinkability was good and I had no problem getting through this bottle. I’d happily drink it again if it were offered. Easily worth a try if you happen to see it. So, with that being said, give the Hof Ten Dormaal Amber a try if you have yet to do so. It may be the beer you’ve been looking for. Be sure to let me know your opinion of it as well.
Thanks for reading everyone. I’m greatly appreciative.
Until next time. Cheers.
Score: 3.5 out of 5
Grade: B-
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