Stratofortress
Wingman Brewers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This bottle didn't work out for me. Maybe I aged it too long (about 10 months after buying), but it seemed like the style and ABV could support it. And it was already an aged brew. And it was wax-sealed. And other reviews said theirs tasted young.

The trouble: It came out very much a sour rather than a Belgian strong ale. Infected somehow? Almost no detectable sweetness for me, which seems different from some other reviews. I didn't pick out cedar. I don't know that mine was as intended. Did have nice deep mahogany color and off-white head. It was vaguely drinkable as a sour, but assessing for its target style, it seems like a miss. I wanted to like this and couldn't. Strange experience that I'll chalk up to a bad bottle but still have to review as such.

 

 

Poured into Spiegelau tulip glass. Dark brown, almost black in color. Head is beige/tan color and starts thick and creamy; eventually thins out but has good retention. Lacing crawls down the glass. Very sweet aroma. Cherries. Obvious belgian characteristics. A tad spicy. Taste is very similar. More cherries, sweet malts, rounded off with the cedar flavor and a little more spiciness. Medium dry, but still relatively creamy finish. Medium to medium-full body. Seems like there is a lot of blending of trappist and abbey styles going on here. Overall very good. Certainly a "treat yo self" kind of beer.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, opaque in the glass with a thin tan head with good retention and good lacing. Aroma is similar to an American strong ale; dark, almost toasty malt, dark dried fruit, chocolate, raisin bread, rum, sweet. Flavor is spicey dark fresh and dried fruit, Belgian yeast, caramel malt; develops stronger Belgian spice and yeast character with cherry chocolate notes, finishing with cedar, rum and an odd burst of clove. Medium bodied, not quite as heavy as the color might indicate. An offbeat take on a Belgian dark, with some very American strong characteristics in the malt and fruit. The clove at the end was cool at first, but became a bit intrusive after a few drinks. The ABV is covered by the flavors, but this is still quite warming. Interesting and flavorful, but seems to be all over the place in flavors, which could be a bit more integrated. Spices made it appropriate for drinking right now as a winter warmer. Glad I tried it, but may be too much for the high ABV as a regular drinking ale. The stratofortress design on the label was dramatic and appropriate for a big, aggressive ale, but odd for a Belgian inspired beer.