Double Date
High Tanks Brewing Company

my first from this brewery, a very clever beer, done with locally grown dates, which i guess i didnt realize grew down there, but apparently its a thing, always more to learn! the base beer is a malty belgian type, in the sort of dubbel vicinity, and while this might lack truly professional refinement overall, i think its unique enough to be really good, the use of dates is a defining element for sure in the flavor, and ive not really had a beer quite like this before. mid amber color with some body, light cloudiness but not messy, and a shorter head than i generally look for in a belgian style beer, but not really less carbonated than it needs to be. the nose is sweet and interesting, dates appreciable right away with a sort of raisin and tobacco fruitiness as a sort of darker candy sugar stand in for the base beer, cool! love the malt here too, the chateau abbey type adding belgian authenticity, a longer boiled richness about it perhaps, and subtle on the ferment, maybe a touch generic american belgian here, but white pepper and coriander wafts work effectively. the flavor is very sweet, almost a date syrup thing, maple and molasses and toffee decadence to it, but recognizable as date, could maybe be fermented down a bit more, but i like that there is enough of it in tact here to be so obvious, thats the part of this thats so unique and cool. the beer is sugary, but its full of flavor with it, leathery and grounded still, nice spice from the yeast but also well reserved there, and a lighter than it looks body. i think as a belgian dubbel its okay, but as a date beer its very good. somewhat thinner at the end, on the palate a long time though, well hidden alcohol. this is a few tweaks from truly brilliant, but i am thankful to have been able to drink this, its a cool expression of the dates and a neat first impression of this brewery for me. fun stuff through and through!