“Sweet Bippy is a quadruple Belgian-style ale, dark, strong, and not hoppy. It’s sweet and malty with a strong Belgian candi sugar taste reminiscent of spiced fruity Christmas cake. Makes a great dessert beer.”
Glassware: Trappist tulip.
Appearance: Deep chestnut colour with a finger of well retained head perched on top. Fine lace work as we go.
Aroma: We really get those sweet candi sugars coming through – butterscotch, toffee apple, caramelised sugars, gingerbread, taffy and maple syrup. As she warms we begin to pick up the spicy notes, the slightly funky sourdough and creamy vanilla accents. Just a touch of Sherry in there too.
Flavour: Holy moly, absolutely packed with Belgian fruity esters and accentuated with a toasty and almost burnt sweetness – treacle and molasses come to mind. Raisin, dates and Christmas cake along with burnt chocolate and hints of orange rind finish it all off.
Mouthfeel: Rich, silky and dense in texture. The 9.3% ABV does slightly overplay its hand. Full bodied, low co2.
Overall: After reviewing a few of their beers we’d formed this belief that Kereru were a bit inconsistent. Little did we know that they actually possess a freakish talent of brewing top notch Belgian-style ales. This one doesn’t offer as much class as the Velvet Boot but it comes pretty close.