easonal beers are a well-established part of the European beer scene, and it is the winter seasonal beers that are longed for more than any other. The cooler weather (at least in NSW) calls for some dark winter beers, so let’s do just that.
The Troubadour Winter is now part of the Musketieres core seasonal range and is available through the northern hemisphere autumn and winter. Of course, we have the opposite seasons, so we sit on these beers for a while waiting to bring them out.
The beer pours a dark reddish brown colour, slightly hazy with an aroma of dark malt and lots of spices. Those dark specialty malts give the beer a nice caramel malt backbone, with a little dried dark fruit sweetness that is offered early on.
Then the spices kick in, and while there is no mistaking them in this beer, they are by no means overpowering or confronting. They are actually well balanced against the fruit and malt sweetness, with licorice at the forefront, backed up by flavours like clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander and banana. There is a good bitterness to the finish, and just a pleasant warmth from the alcohol, hiding the ABV really well.
Make sure you taste this beer a little warmer than your average beer, pull it out of the fridge at least 10-15 minutes before you want to drink it and give it time to open up to experience the best this Belgian winterbier has to offer.
by Brouwerij Emelisse/Slot-Oostende
A dark, spicy seasonal offering for those cold nights by the fire
A perfect beer for the colder nights, dark roast malts, stone fruit and gentle spicing
A clean, crisp and sessional IPA from the team at Troubadour
Dedicated to the hero of Antwerp, a dry-hopped spicy blond ale
Fruity aroma and hoppy, spicy flavour make this an extremely drinkable beer.
Four malts, roasted barley and two hops create a beautiful Imperial Stout - with a Belgian twist.
The body of a Belgian triple style beer, hopped like an American Imperial IPA - the best of two brewing cultures in one beer.
Another riff of the Troubadour Magma, this one is a more sessionable, last of the summer sun type of beer
The 2015 variant of their flagship Magma, with the addition of Brettanomyces yeast at all three fermentation phases
The 2016 variation of Troubadour's flagship beer Magma features Maris Otter premium malt
The 2017 variant of Magma sees a change in malt and hop quantities, resulting in a fruity, earthy and dry IPA
The 2019 variant of Troubadour's Magma is a beer that has been made more sessional, with the addition of El Dorado and Nelson Sauvin hops
The 2022 Magma variant is finished with a wine yeast
A rich, smooth and complex dark ale - a perfectly balanced mild stout with a Belgian body.
Amber ale with a spicy and malty character, crisp and light with a dry, slightly bitter finish.
A Belgian west coast Imperial Black IPA, made using 100% Belgian hops
A beautiful imperial black IPA that uses all-Belgian west coast hops
