
Subtle candi-sugared Belgian strong ale nears creamy hefeweizen styling with its mild banana-clove theme, fuzzy butterscotch nicety, and honeyed wheat spine. Peppery hop bite ignites terse orange and lemon peel bittering as well as floral nuance. Tart green apple and white peach illusions emerge above white wine reminder.
Deeply penetrating prune theme (flavor-hue-aroma) gains congruent fig-raisin insistence to celebrate island-bound brewers’ ten-year anniversary (blending Baggywringle Barleywine with Whale’s Tale Pale Ale inside strawberry-strewn bourbon barrel). Vinous strawberry tartness lingers through oaken cherry pucker and mild bourbon warmth. Tertiary grape esters and bruised orange souring add further complexity, though mossy earthiness and dank basement finish seem peculiar.
Well-rounded strong ale in stumpy brown bottle retains thick tan head, ruddily murky body, stewed prune waft, and raw honeyed dried fruiting. Initial mouth-puckering tannic grape tartness recedes as pronounced sour raisin theme flourishes above dehydrated fig, hard cider, and bruised cherry nuances. Candi-sugared yeast develops mildewed basement funk as floral-spiced herbs neutralize any backend acidity. At finish, port and bourbon illusions appear alongside unripe green raisin motif, adding to its great profile depth.
Quite possibly Canada’s greatest, most distinguished brewer, Unibroue’s complex bottle fermented ales showcase high alcohol content and lusty malt presence. For foremost Don De Dieu, well-balanced adjuncts create buttery burgundy tone, soft fruity current, and floral-spiced white ale souring. Veteran drinkers could be fooled into believing this was an adventurous Belgian ale. That’s how great it is.
Despite soft yellow body, delicate silken flow, and ransacked 11% alcohol deluge, lusty orange-bruised cherry-pineapple-peach tang and hop-fueled black-peppered basil-thyme sharpness juxtapose prim clove-coriander spicing. Minor acidity dispels candied malt sweetness, dry quince stint, and white rum hint.
High-octane 8.2% alcohol volume hidden in muddled barleywine-influenced malt sinew. Mild creamy prune frontage and brown-sugared cocoa powdering lean towards brown ale category ’til banana sweetness adds slender backdrop to orange-soured raisin-fig undertones. Less aggressive than stronger Euro-styled ales.