Brugse Zot

Brouwerij De Halve Maan, Bruges, Belgium

ABV: 6.0% (Alcohol By Volume)
IBU: N/A (International Bitterness Unit)

I got rogue text from my Dad while he was in Bruges with Mom on a business trip said, "We tried this beer called Zot, even Mom liked it!" This is something to be said since my Mom swore off beer back in college after a run-in with Colt 45. Regardless, I looked for the beer and I couldn't find it. I gave up and thought that maybe it didn't make it to the US on a large enough scale to find it in stores in Dallas. Picking up a bottle of Jameson at Siegles got me browsing their beer selection, BAM - there it was! A nice little four pack plastered with cartoon jesters.

I'll get down to it. Zot is a Belgian Pale Ale. It pours a golden to dark-golden color. It's hue is darker than that of Duvel. *Warning* This beer produces an almost stark white head that is almost uncontrollable. You have to know what's coming before the first drop hits the bottom of the glass. The head is foamy consisting of strangely large bubbles and the retention is surprisingly good. In a few minutes it settles to a thin top layer. As I drink the beer there is very little lacing on the glass. Unibroue 0.3L tulip glass.

The aroma is familiar to the of a lighter Belgian ale. Floral and clove odors erupt from the glass with notes of grainy yeast compliment. It perception is light and cool and I am pretty excited to down this Belgian import. At this point I would equate it to PranQster or Duvel.

The first taste is really nice. I can honestly say that is is smoother and much more manageable than the taste of Duvel. It has a much more easy a homey mouthfeel compared to PranQster. While both PranQster and Duvel are great... I just want to point out that the differences are noticeable. The carbonation is moderate and not overwhelming giving a very nicely balanced and frothy mouthfeel. The initial taste is sweet and mildly fruity with the malty breads coming out on the swallow. The finish is bone dry while a hint of yeast (presumably from the bottle conditioning sediments) remain and the floral aromas remain dancing in your throat.

I would characterize this beer as a nice Belgian Golden/Pale Ale that is comparable to Duvel - minus the Devil qualities. From the art work on the bottle to the malty sweet flavors and the hysterically uncontrollable head it's just a fun beer. It is easy to drink and with a small amount of bittering hops coming out in the end it might be a good starter for someone seriously interested in Belgian beer culture. Enjoy and drink up!

DRU: 92/100 (Dan's Rating Unit)