Can you taste/smell the belgian flavor/aroma right away?

[rockdemon]

After fermentation is complete and youre on your way to bottle/keg a beer with belgian yeast. Does it allready have belgian characteristics to it or does this only come with aging?

 

[ImNoExpert]

It depends on what you mean by "Belgian characteristics", but if you mean a spicy or phenol-y aroma/flavor, then I'd say, yes, assuming you used a yeast that will give you those characteristics.

If you mean a highly effervescent beer like some Belgians can be, then no, it has to bottle condition/carb up first.

 

[beergolf]

Yes you can taste the Belgian characteristics after fermentation is done. However, aging will improve the flavors and make them much more complex. I find the darker styles take much longer to reach their full potential than something lighter. For a BDSA I figure on opening the first bottle at 4 months and know that they will continue to age. A tripel I may take the first taste at 2-3 months.

Back when I first started brewing I drank up a few of the Belgians I brewed pretty young. They were good, but I soon figured out that with several months of age on them they were much better. I was pissed that I drank several of them up before they reached their full potential. I recently had a bottle of one of the first Belgian I ever brewed that was over 5 years old. I handed my wife the glass for a taste and nearly did not get the glass back.

I had a tripel that I brewed and has been in the bottles for 2 months last night. It was very good but I felt that it is still improving. Next taste in a month.

So, yes they will have that Belgian flavor, but they definitely will improve with some age.