Here’s a new beer from De La Senne, and I was excited to try this beer when I saw it was available at the start of this year.
As we’ve said before, De La Senne are really known for their lower ABV (at least for Belgium) beers that are really sessionable, together with their generous use of hops. This beer kind of breaks that trend, I think it is the highest ABV beer I’ve ever had from these guys, but the hopping regime still remains, including dry hopping with German hops.
It pours a dark orange colour with the slightest haze to the body. Aroma is of fruit and some spice. There is an early sweetness from the malt, and the fruit notes of banana, peach and a good dose of citrus. There is also a spiciness from the Belgian yeast, with hints of black pepper and a grassy, floral note. It finishes reasonably dry, with a building level of hop bitterness.
Drinking it you forget that it is a big beer, as there really isn’t much hint of that ABV. The name of this beer translates as ‘Mighty Cuckoo’, which maybe an inference that you’ll go a bit this way if you have too many!