Alto
Decibel Brewing Co.

Poured from growler into a tulip. The version I got is 6.7% and it's oak-fermented with ginger, peppercorns, and lemongrass.

Appearance: light golden-yellow hue with just a touch of shimmery haze. Head is a thin layer of ivory foam; it's nice.

Smell: lightly sweet with a malty aroma and an orchardy fruitiness. It's like a light tripel, almost; I really like it.

Taste: the spicing comes through a lot more in the flavor than in the aroma, but that said, it's not too overdone. The peppercorns are may a little bit prominent, but the mild sweetness of the underlying beer plays a mellowing role here. I don't taste a lot of oak, but this is an interesting and enjoyable beer nonetheless.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and creaminess.

Overall: this is nice; it's a spiced beer without going overboard. I especially like the mild pear & apple character -- it's my jam.

From the 32 oz growler filled at the brewpub in Bothell. Pours a clear amber with plenty of foam in the Kasteel chalice. This is described as brewed with Pale, Vienna, and Wheat malts plus fresh ginger and pink peppercorns, than aged in local rum barrels.

Flavor is quite tangy and even a little hot with the pepper and ginger. It's quite rich and malty, fruity and aromatic like crazy. Starts out sweet and dries quite severely with the yeast and then finishes with that Belgian bitterness. This is quite a mouthful of flavors but it's actually quite drinkable. Crisp and sudsy on the tongue.