Bonjour Mademoiselle Aria
E9 Brewing Co.

this was the last thing in the world i needed last night when i opened it, but i was on a roll with their beers so it happened. unfortunately, this is not one of their best beers, they usually do great with the belgian styles, but this one was a little less than amazing, which is their usual high standard. its orange in color, a tad hazy, maybe a little deeper looking than other examples of the style, and while the head rises nice and high, it does not sustain, and looks less lively than i generally prefer in a belgian. the aroma is sweet and yeast forward, ripe and green bananas both, pear, melon, and orange candy, its sugary to me but not malty, must have some dextrose or something added to the grain, light white pepper and clove spiciness as well, appealing but not all that interesting. the flavor is about the same, maybe a little overdeveloped on the yeast esters, just a touch tart in the center of it too which seems out of place. the alcohol is only there at the end when it warms, its dangerous in that way, but the flavor seems to primarily come from the yeast, not a whole lot happening on the grain side despite the strength, and this is a little out of balance if i am being critical. perhaps fermented a little warmer than it needed to be. fizzy on the feel, fuller bodied too, a lingering citrus and banana finish, a little hot breath from the booze late. overall this one is just decent to me, not as complex and refined as the best belgian examples of the style, but a cool addition to their lineup. i am just happy to have access to so many of these!