I bought this bottle of Petrus Aged Pale by mistake during a recent lunch time beer run to The Foodery. I know what you’re thinking. How does one buy a beer by mistake? Here’s how it happened…

After reading a positively mouth watering review of a Petrus beer on the I Think About Beer blog, I decided that I just had to pick up a bottle ASAP. The problem is, I picked up the wrong Petrus beer (the review was of an Oud Bruin, not a Pale Ale). Of course I didn’t realize this until I got home that night, but since I like Belgian beer immensely, and since I was curious to try any beer made by Petrus, I wasn’t too upset by my mistake.

Before I get to the review, here is what Bavik Brewery, the maker of Petrus Belgian beers, has to say about this beer:

Aged? Many beers have a long maturation, but this one has only 24-36 months in oak barrels. Pale? This beer has an old gold to bronze color, rather than the burgundy more common in the breweries of West Flanders. This is the ‘mother beer,’ used in various quantities to blend with the other Petrus beers, and to give them their unique and very distinctive taste. This mother beer is rather sour with a bite like the best Brut Champagnes. A connoisseur’s delight! The only one of its kind on the U.S. market.

Let’s see if picking up the wrong beer was a complete blunder or just a happy accident…

• Appearance: Moderately cloudy, golden yellow color. Thick white foam that tops out at about 1.25 inches. Eventually settled down to a thin layer of foam that entirely blankets the top of the beer. Moderate lacing.
• Aroma: Strong citrus and dried apricot aroma. Slight sour cherry scent in the background as well as a bit of clove.
• Taste: Very smooth and creamy mouthfeel with lots of tiny, fizzy bubbles that tickle your tongue. Starts off with sweet and sour cherry flavors. Perhaps a bit of Granny Smith Apple tartness as well. Becomes even more tart and acidic at mid-palate. Dry and somewhat mouth puckering finish.
• ABV: 7.3%

Talk about an absolutely delicious beer! I really enjoyed the Petrus Aged Pale and am very happy that I picked it up by mistake. While the label on the back suggests that you serve this beer at a chilly 45 to 50 degrees, I actually enjoyed it more and more as it warmed up to room temperature. This is yet another beer that I would love to try alongside a rich and flavorful meal. The Petrus Aged Pale is a great beer that is well worth seeking out.