DeSantis Strong Ale
Naked City Taphouse

This strong red ale is brewed with Belgian character but is not a sour beer of Flemish design. It shows a stunning polished cherry color with minimal lather or carbonation. The best word to describe it is "sharp" in the sense of intrusive alcoholic heat and the warm fermented phenolics I usually associate with candi sugar. (I'm assured that no candi sugar is used here.)

Brewed as an avant-niche beer, DeSantis grows harsh as it warms and unfolds.

Appearance: Very nice dark crimson color, very little head, doesn't look properly carbonated.

Smell: Uh, Oh...very sweet smell. Seems unbalanced. Picking up a little yeast...not particularly inviting.

Taste: Very disappointing. Not near enough carbonation for a supposed Belgian style. Way too sweet with no balance.

Mouthfeel : Kind of a watery syrupy mouthfeel .
Drinkability: Forget about it...this is just punishment. Do I have to drink it because I paid $4.50 for a 10 oz.? Naked City, why you do me like this?

Not impressed by this beer. Honestly if I picked this up at the grocery store for $6 a six pack I would drain pour it. What is it with some American brewers that think a Belgian style is supposed to be a sugar malt bomb with no carbonation and an off putting yeast flavor. Not how they do it in the old country.