Vanilla Ice
Flying Fish Brewing Company

It came to me dusky reddish brown, with minimal head. Curls of lacing slid down the glass.

The aroma wafted a queue of dark fruit, spices, and sure enough, soft vanilla. The alcohol made nothing more than a brief and flashing cameo.

The first sip brought a deep Belgian fruit/malt sweetness interwtined with a creamy river of vanilla. A spicy current of clove and perhaps coriander teamed with all else to capably blunt and even disguise what is actually a stern upbraiding of alcohol. In fact, were it not for the stream of warmth sliding toward the belly, it might not have been noticed until I tried to stand. Very interesting and sly, it's a flavor that induces smiles.

Medium to full bodied, it coats and caresses the palate with a pillowy warmth. The mouth cools as the remnants of alcohol evaporate.

This beer is a fun wolf in tasty sheep's clothing. Think of it as a strong vanilla malt with a mature spicy streak. So sure, it's sneaky, and the warmth is so pleasant you're likely to want more, but consider all you read as fair warning, it will haunt you if you have no respect for its backbone. Not an everyday brew, but it is certainly a sassy diversion. Try it if only to be able to say you did.

What an incredibly interesting beer. An experiment, that Casey the brewer once told me he didn't know was going to turn out. Well, different than anything I've ever tasted.

They took their Grand Cru, which is decent with a good amount of Belgian esters, and iced it, raising it to a 14 percent alcohol percentage. And they also added a bunch of vanilla beans. Interesting to say the least. I hate to say this in a review, but hard to put into words. You can definitely notice the vanilla. Meshes well with the Belgian esters.

Drinkable for 14 percent.

I have no idea where a Belgian/iced/vanilla beer should be category-wise. Herbed/spiced seemed most appropriate of the available options.