Bavik - Petrus

Brouwerij Bavik

Petrus Oud Bruin - Ale aged in oak barrels

This is the last of the 12 beers of Christmas my wife got me.  12 drummers drumming are represented by the oak drums.  Well done my dear.  I am sad the beers of Christmas are over now.

The color of this beer is a nice chestnut color at the core, but fades out to a mahogany as it reaches the edge of the glass.  It is a translucent beer that you can see through, but the color of the beer makes it hard.  

The aroma of this beer gives off hints of candied sugar sweetness.  There is a wine like funk to the smell, probably from the aging process in the oak barrels. You can get a slight sourness and tartness of cherries as well.  It's a very interesting aroma.  There is a lot going on here.  

On the palate there is a mild, prickly carbonation.  This beer has hints of sourness that are reflected in the smell.  The sourness has a hint of cherries that has a little funkiness to it.  There is a slight maltiness that comes through with a very mild roast essence.  This beer is very similar to a sour, but it doesn't go over board with the sour flavor and it nicely balanced between sour, sweet, and the bitterness.  The fruitiness is very nice, and the beer goes down pretty easily.

Overall this is a nice brew.  The sour is a welcomed change of pace and refreshing.  This beer is like a sour mixed with a nice amber ale.  It's a different kind of beer, but very good and worth a try.