Pale Ale Belge Forte, 8.5%
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Strong Belgian Pale Ale, 8.5%: Clear and slightly hazy gold color with storming activity. Thick foamy and slightly frothy white 1-2 finger head in the goblet, lasting around 10 minutes, with moderate legs, strong lacing, and a thick swirl effect. Flavors of caramel, honey, apples, spices, coriander, clove, ginger, sweet grains, wild yeast, banana yeast, and floral hops. Slick and smooth medium body with a moderate crisp. Strong strength finish, slightly vinous and dry, bold spices but proper for the style, soft hay and wild yeast but not like a Saison. Ends slightly leafy and thickly grainy, more sugary and bready. Quite warming and uplifting. Light barrel effect of cheese. Good complexity yet feels a little too boozy; lots of similar brew have this well hidden. Decent freshness but lacks a bit, a sharper body would’ve been nice, like a Chouffe. You can see this is going for a Saison/Tripel kinda way, while still remaining true to the style. Not as accessible as other good examples. Overall excellent quality craft.