Somehow I got it into my head that I need to have a Corsendonk Abbey Pale Ale. I haven't had this beer in many years. It is a Belgian tripel, and due to its extremely wide distribution, in my head it is an entry-level beer into the sophisticated world of Belgian ales. But I decided that I'm being unfair, especially seeing as how I barely remember the beer at all given the length of time since I tried it last. So it's about time that I give it another go. I may as well share my thoughts here.
I started with a 750 mL corked and caged bottle. My very first observation is the Champagne-esque pop of the cork when I open it. I generally try not to do this with beer, but I wasn't able to prevent it. It's a well-carbonated brew. Pouring into my glass I'm actually a little surprised that it doesn't foam over, given the pressure that had built up in the bottle. Pretty impressive. There is plenty of effervescence, though. Vigorous bubbles maintain the white head for a very long time. The beer itself is a clear golden yellow. It's an attractive beer, so we're off to a pretty good start. I get my nose to it quickly to get a strong whiff of the aroma. The energetic carbonation helps disperse the aroma nicely. The first scent that registers is a phenolic yeast character common to Belgian ales of this sort. In this case the phenols come across as spicy, reminding me of coriander, fresh peppercorns, and lesser amounts of rose hips and sage. After I take in a few whiffs, the spiciness begins to take a backseat to the obvious Pilsner malts, marked by a subtle doughy malt sweetness. Also mixed in there I detect notes of lemon, subtle light honey, and just a bit of toasted bread.
Enough sniffing, it's time to take a sip. I notice the texture before I'm able to pick out specific flavors. That effervescence makes it seem to foam up in my mouth, giving a beer that may otherwise seem thin (it's fermented down to a fairly dry state) quite a full impression. Much like the aroma, the flavor is dominated by the phenolic notes. However, it tastes somewhat less balanced than it smells. Those phenolic notes outweigh the malt more than I care for. Not to say the malt isn't there; there is a slight honey and toast melange in the background. The beer does have some nice fruity esters. The lemon I noticed in the aroma is joined by some faint pineapple, orange, cantaloupe, and mango. Very faint, but present. It finishes on the dry side, as should be expected for a highly attenuated beer such as this. Dusty yeasty notes, a little bit of a wooden tone, and something like saltine crackers bring the sip to a close. Despite the dry finish, the aftertaste returns to the little bit of maltiness, but the spicy phenols stick around longer.
I decided that this beer needed a cheese pairing. Fortunately I had some Asiago cheese on hand. This turned out to be a very successful pair. Asiago cheese is fairly subtle, so doesn't overpower the beer, which lacks any very strong flavors. The earthy and musty tones of the cheese go well with the spicy phenols of the beer. And Asiago isn't creamy at all and gives an impression of dryness, also in harmony with the beer.
So, all in all, Corsendonk Abbey Pale Ale is a pretty good beer. I'm definitely glad I tried it again. It might even be worth drinking once in a while. It would definitely be a good beer for pairing with food (as in meals, not just cheese); Thai, maybe? I may have to do that one day. For now, though, I'm gonna sit back and enjoy the rest of this bottle.
Cheers,
--joe
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