Ardennes the Menace
12 String Brewing Company

an incredibly unique beer, they had some really cool barrel aged stuff in here when i was in. this is a belgian dark strong as a base, aged three years in whiskey barrels if i have it right, and its got a little bretty funky thing happening too, but isnt a wild ale in that sense, its belgian yeast in front, and is amazingly complex. super cool this is as low alcohol as it is too, usually these long barrel matured beers get too strong to really drink much of, but this one i could make an evening of! the dark malt is still prominent here and tastes relatively fresh to me, at least to the extent its not oxidized or fading or anything. there are big rich cocoa and chestnut notes in here, along with some molasses and maple sweetness on the side. the oak is as strong as the whiskey, in both aroma and flavor, vanilla and wet wood against some high tone alcohol and belgian esters. pear and prune, raisin and plum, fig and toffee, wet animal and straw, really farmy, really complex. the whiskey makes it wintery and warming, like a big bear hug, and the light funk gives it amazing depth, very complimentary to the belgian strain in front of it. lots of dark fruit, some mellow but dense woody body, and not much carbonation. clever beer, neat recipe and nice execution, i love the complexity and the unique take on the style. a one of a kind beer here that i really enjoyed. i didnt know these guys made beer this ambitious, super impressive!