They’re both devilishly strong and seductively presented – but which one has the edge?
Browsing the impressive selection of exotic beers at Karstadt’s Münchner-Freiheit store, I came across two beers named after everyone’s favourite fallen angel: Satan Gold, a fruity bottle-conditioned Belgian ale, and Belzebuth Extra-Forte, a hard-hitting French creation from the city of Lille.
Since they’re brewed about 60 miles from one another, it’s no surprise that the beers have a few things in common. But there are some important differences. For a start, Satan Gold weighs in at “only” 8% alcohol by volume, compared to Belzebuth Extra-Forte’s whopping 13% (Extra-Forte translates as “extra strong”).
Satan smells like an ale, with strong orange notes. In fact it’s even a bit like someone’s taken, say, a Leffe Blond and thrown in a dash of cheap orange juice. I don’t normally like sweet beers, and this one isn’t bucking that trend. Belzebuth, on the other hand, has almost no smell. Good, I thought initially – it might be more to my liking. Wrong – despite lacking any real smell or taste (usually good things in a beer), Belzebuth takes the drinker by surprise with a face-crunching sensation conjured up by a potent combination of acidity and hops.
Both beers are outside of my usual territory, so maybe I’m not being fair, but I really hated them both. In terms of which one wins, they’re about as good, or as bad, as each other.
Verdict: Satan is far more drinkable, but my honest opinion goes something like “equally awful”.
Availability: Satan Gold and Belzebuth Extra-Forte both sell at Karstadt for €2.29 for a 330ml bottle.
July 12th, 2010 → 7:49 pm
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