effervescent refractions

As we walk back from the liquor store, my friend and I often like to read off the label of our latest acquisition as we prepare for a rating session. This time it was long after we had gotten back and established ourselves at the bar of his kitchen, that we were finally ready to actually drink Ommegang. Indeed, the six pack and bottles feature more quotes, facts and stories than the Guinness book itself. I don’t know how they managed to fit it all there, it’s really quite a feat. The pour was nice but nothing terribly exciting: a thick yellowish head towering over the reddish brown liquid. The aroma however was quite pleasant, blending dark fruits and malts. Port wine, plums, figs and licorice held a fine balance with the brown sugar and chocolate base. Some alcohol was noticeable but not overwhelmingly so. As I took my time to analyze the nose, my friend and I would take turns discovering new facts on every part of the packaging. As I finally took a sip, I was greeted with a metallic, salty, bitter flavor that I really was not expecting. I noticed a familiar flavor, reminding of a really bad Rochefort 8 - as if someone took a leak in my beer. I mean Rochefort is pretty amazing to begin with, so that was still quite good. However I resorted to take long sniffs before each tip of the glass as the aroma seems far more pleasurable than the taste. When I finally finished the six-pack I noticed a whole new chapter of text on the underside of the box… It’s just too much.