Heaven
Taxman Brewing Co.

 

What a lovely surprise of a Belgian golden ale. Classic Belgian spices and fruit on the nose, with gumdrops, vanilla, bitter citrus pith, clove, and candied ginger. The addition of lacto lends a bit of tartness on the tongue, and props up the mouthfeel. The former is welcomed, but the latter goes a bit too far, thickening the body to the point of a mild chalkiness, reminiscent of most Three Floyds beers of this type.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a true gold standard in Belgian Pale Ales (the actual style - don't know who put it under "American Strong Ale"). Given the impressiveness of this brew, I will, in turn, write an in-depth review in the hopes that I can actually capture the scents, flavors, and feel of this remarkable Belgian beer. Here goes:

A: Starts off alright. A slightly hazy - but see-through - beer with plenty of effervescence. Pours just a moderate head for a Belgian beer, but the lacing is good nonetheless. The color is that of a dark orange-yellow (maybe slightly brown), what you would imagine most Belgian pale ales to appear like.

S: The beer picks up dramatically from the appearance. Lots of succulent light fruit, including lemon, orange peel, and apricots. The beer also has a hefty helping of sweet candied sugar and caramel. In all, the malt and sugars are very well-balanced and interesting. Along with the malt profile, the beer also contains white pepper, clove, and anise. A faint breadiness encapsulates these flavors, indicating a definable helping of bottle-conditioning.

T: Heaven is an appropriate name for this beer. The flavors mimic the nose, with candied sugar being slightly more prominent. The lemon and orange peel linger on the tongue long after consumption, and the overall sweetness if to die for. I also get a lot of bubblegum, which is an excellent addition. The peppers also help balance out any excess sweetness, and there is a fair helping of alcohol to mellow the flavors. Great.

F: Sweet, sticky, and wet. Unlike most Belgian ales, this one is in no way dry.

O: A truly magnificent beer. Ranks up there with Curieux on my list of great Belgian brews. I will remember this one for a long time to come, despite its limited availability.

 

 

I am interested to try this collaboration from two of Indiana's best small breweries, Taxman and Scarlet Lane. She is a beauty with a hazy unfiltered look and a thin white head. The smell has a typical estery Belgian character. The taste is delicious, somewhat reminiscent of Duvel. It is definitely a sipper with an obvious alcohol presence. This one is extremely well done. Now I need to try Hell, the other half of the collaboration.