Brewery: Brouwerij Bosteels
Style: Belgian Strong Pale
Brewed In: Buggenhout, Belgium
Origin: Belgium
ABV: 8.4%
Serving Glass: Traditional Kwak Glass
OMG Beer Rating: 6.8
From the same brewery as Tripel Karmeliet and Deus, this widely available strong belgian pale ale intrigues me. I see it regularly around Chicagoland, and it's been described to me as a favorite by some. It's served in its own unique glass, which can't even support itself without a wood support structure that makes the glass look like it is part of a hangman game made of wood. The beer looks great in this strange glass though, with a creamy eggshell head which is fluffy and floats cloud-like over a hazy amber-orange body. The smell is enticing: caramel, bubblegum, tropical fruit mix. The taste starts off like sweet fruit juice, candi sugar, rum, and raisins, some spices, and ends with a light breadiness. There are hints of baking spices and maybe vanilla even. Nice body that isn't over-effervescent, coats the tongue, yet tingles slightly. There's a bit of booziness, and as it warms, the warmth of the alcohol grows and the beer gets a little too sweet, and a little too boozy, giving away the 8.4% ABV that it hid upfront. Something to try once, or have with a friend with that loves it, but a bit of a boozy offering I lost interest in as it warmed. The initial flavors seemed to lose to the booze and sweetness after some time in the glass.
