Belgian Christmas Ale
Three Needs Brewery & Taproom

The beer is a dark, unfiltered, earthy brown, crowned with a thick, bubbly froth of off-white head. The head dies to a thick mist upon sitting, leaving blobs of uneven lace clinging to the glass. Good retention, keeping at least a fat collar throughout.
The aroma is extremely strong, cutting through the smoky pub air with no problem. Big and fruity, with loads of toasty caramel malt and candi sugar sweetness. Slight fusel alcohol blends with the esters to create a mild burn in the sinuses, slightly paint-thinner like with hints of fig, prune, apricot, green raisin and dates. A bit of sour tartness, coupled with a touch of spice and light citric hopping, does a fine job evening out the sweetness.
The flavor starts with an immediate rush of fruity esters and big-ass malt. Smooth caramel malt is readily apparent, gushing with juicy dark fruit. Candi sugar lends extra sweetness, almost to the point of getting cloying. A bit of chocolate malt seeps through, with some green raisin and date into the middle. Slight sourness comes through in the finish, mingling with mild citric hopping and some spicy belgian yeast. A bit acidic in the end, with a light alcohol burn, balancing out the malty, sugary sweetness admirably. Just a hint of plastic-like phenols. Full bodied, with sweet dextrin smoothness supported by fluffy cabonation.
A very commendable belgian beer, with a great sweet and sour balance. The huge body and sweetness gets a bit much after a while, and one is definitely enough. A very good beer, certainly a winter warmer, even for Vermont weather.