Sugar Plum Fairies
Hopworks Brewery

*archived review*

22oz bottle poured into a La FIn du Monde tulip; 'imperial dessert beer' per label

p- deep chestnut/mahogany with red hues; just over 1f of foamy, light khaki head; looks nice
n- med aroma dark fruit sweetness meets spice; pretty straight-forward
t- smooth and sweet (but not overly), with lots of plum; neutral bready malt carries; a touch of acidity underneath; spices compliment the profile nicely; mildly warming finish; simple, but very good
mf- med-full bodied w/ soft-med carb
o- quite tasty and extremely drinkable; really happy I grabbed this!

Review date: 02.24.18
Bottle date: not captured

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark orange brown with a fine, one finger light khaki head with great retention and thick lacing. Aroma of candi malt, plums, raisins and cardamom. Flavor is Belgian style malt and yeast, plums, raisins, fennel, cardamom and earthy spicing. Finishes with dark fruit and moderate bitterness from the spices. Medium bodied with light creaminess and sharp carbonation. I opened this with a little trepidation; the name sounds like instant diabetes, but although a bit on the sweet side, it is not cloyingly sweet and the finish is an odd mixture of dry and mildly sweet. The overall impression was quite Belgian to me, with a Belgian dark strong ale profile, but spicier and with more earthy spices than expected from a traditional Belgian. Nice dark and light fruit flavors and overall a well made seasonal dessert beer. I liked this quite a bit, reminding me that HUB has been off my radar for a while.