Bush Prestige (Scaldis Prestige)

Country: Belgium

Brewery: Dubuisson

Style: Belgian Strong Ale

Format: 750ml Bottle

ABV: 13%

The Bush Prestige (Scaldis Prestige) certainly lives up to its name – as it is a rather prestigious brew. Much of that mark of distinction has been acquired from the vessels it matures in. Rather than sitting in stainless steel tanks (as the Bush Ambrée does), it spends six months having its complexity nurtured in oaken barrels. The result has a powerful taste profile, which, combined with its rich aromas, exclusive bottle and limited distribution, mark out the Prestige as something of an exceptional beer.

The underlying liquor of the Prestige is the Dubuisson mainstay, the Bush Ambrée. This very strong amber beer contains only hops, natural sugars, water drawn from the well underneath the brewery, and (of course) the brewery's extraordinary house yeast. This is famed for its ability to remain active even at high volumes of alcohol, helping build the Bush range's double-digit alcohol counts.

But because the active house yeast feeds on a higher density of malt, and also undergoes a warm in-bottle ferment, the Prestige racks up an even higher alcohol by volume (ABV) – 13.0%. That makes the Bush Prestige among the strongest straight-brewed beers in Belgium.

Rated 100 out of 100 on Ratebeer.com