This Belgian Strong Ale had been sitting in my basement for weeks now waiting for the right moment. Well, this Saturday afternoon happened to be just the perfect moment. I refrigerated it for a few hours and let it sit in the room to warm up just a bit.
The beer has a dark straw, light golden color and the pour starts off perfectly clear until some of the agitated yeast starts to come out of the bottle. The pour ends with a thick and very creamy head which recedes sloooowly leaving a ton of lacing behind. I recommend a larger glass for one, smooth pour rather than 2 or 3 since there will be some yeast at the bottom.
The aroma is somewhat very typical for this style of beer - wheat, spices and herbs, some citrus, a bit of a banana peel, light bubble gum, alcoholic and slightly floral. The taste is where this beer shines. It starts off with a sweet, slightly fruity flavour carrying banana peel, citrus and bubblegum notes, but quickly transitions into a bittersweet, hoppy flavour.
The finish is dry and spicy with hop bitterness and Simcoe notes combined with traces of banana peel and citrus.
The 10% ABV is very well hidden in the flavour, but it can be noticed through the aroma. I enjoyed this more than I expected to since I was prepared for a sweet, headache inducing Belgian ale, but I got a very well balanced hoppy ale that can kick your ass.
Scores:
Cost - $11.65
Taste - 9/10
ABV - 10%
Overall - 9/10...excellent Belgian Strong Ale without the headache
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