La Petite Mort
Black Raven Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've only drunk a few dark Belgians. This is one of my favorite American Belgian beers outside of Russian River and Great Divide. Just enough raisin.

I had this on-tap in a snifter at Special Brews in Lynnwood, WA.

Appearance: rich dark amber with minimal haze and a thin layer of creamy ivory foam. Very attractive indeed.

Smell: lightly toasty, spicy aroma. Quite subtle.

Taste: very toasty and biscuity malt with a lightly fruity, yeasty character; there's also just a touch of chocolate here. It reminds me very much of a dubbel. Not bad for the style, but in general it's a bit biscuity for my taste.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and creaminess. Not as largely creamy as a nice bottle-conditioned Belgian, but nice enough.

Overall: it is the rare Belgian dark ale/dubbel/amber that grabs me, and alas this beer is not among them. Not a bad beer at all for the style, but not really to my taste.

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at Hopvine in Seattle. In a snifter.

It appears a deep, dark, brackish ruby with a solid finger of off-white froth as a head.

Smells like bourbon, raisins, cherries, maple, and molasses. A tempting aroma.

It tastes pretty much exactly like it smells, but with the addition of a classically Belgian, bready finish. The flavor also has more vanilla, I think.

The feel isn't overly spritzy for a Belgian ale, which I like. Sweet and syrupy.

Really a lovely dark Belgian ale.