effervescent refractions

The use of grim and demonic names in Belgian beers seems to be a custom I have not fully untangled. Assuredly malheur or misfortune are not words I would associate with such delicious offerings, but as I come to think of it, religious connotations of gluttony may be the origins of the tradition. One certainty is that this brew is a true bonheur to drink, starting with its beautiful lurid brown silhouette that shines of regal purple hues in the curve of my goblet. A small beige foam sits atop and releases a fragrant blend of somber sugars. The caramel aroma particularly reminds of a childhood candy in France called Carambar and merges with the sweetness of dark chocolate, Maraschino cherries, teriyaki and cookie dough. Some alcohol and grapes are present in the nose, not unlike a light red wine perhaps Beaujolais or even a rosé. Flavors of roasted coffee beans, anise and marzipan adhere to the sweet, sticky, alcoholic, almost cloying palate that seems so appropriate for the style but is almost overdone in this case, to the point of losing the complex tonalities. The pâte d’amande flavor lingers on the tongue long after the swallow, concluding a great beer but one that could easily improve with age.