For a brewery who is known for producing many high strength beers, you’d be forgiven for being confused as to which beer wore the crown. But Kasteel have taken the confusion away by naming this beer their ‘cuvee’.
Apparently this beer was dreamed up after Brewmaster Hans was in the cellar of the Kasteel brewery, tasting some 10 year old bottles of the Kasteel Donker. He loved the aged characteristics of these cellared bottles, and wanted to create a beer with similar attributes without the need for such patience. And in 2010 Cuvee du Chateau was born.
It is a dark amber quadrupel with a sweet aroma of caramel, brown sugar and dark fruits. In the taste there is the sweetness of caramel malt, chocolate and brown sugar again, raisins and plums, but also some hop bitterness and a touch of spice which creates a pleasant sweet vs spice paradox on the tastebuds.
As the beer sits on the tongue the sherry or madeira wine character comes through, and the finish is long, pleasant and very Belgian.