Like so many others before me I have fallen completely in love with Belgian beers.
They just have a knack of giving you exactly what you want and more, surprising you with that thing that they do.
Even though you pretty much know the general flavour profiles you are still intoxicated by their sheer brilliance and technique.
This little 330ml bottle with a gnome on the label looks humble and gentle.
It opens with a delicate, near polite hiss, and pours a soft amber.
You take a mouthful and are given light, airy caramels, wonderfully playful yeast tones and a big dry but comforting hop.
But there’s a monster lurking behind all this.
And that’s the alcohol.
It creeps around waiting for a weak moment before it jumps out and shouts BOO!
You sit happily chugging away at this delicate little flower of a Belgian beer, savouring the wispy lightness and the soft, fragile loveliness of the lemon tinged, summer flavours and then all of a sudden you get a bloody hard pummelling.
This is extraordinary brewing – Like the brewer has a switch he can flick that unleashes the alcohol as he sees fit.
You drink and drink and suddenly it’s all a bit much.
No wonder the bottles got gnomes on it.
I’m away with the fairies.