750 mL corked & caged from Jax in Sandy Springs, Atlanta, GA, USA. I think this was $12.99 for the bottle. The January 2008 bottling.
I was a little wary of this, as I am with the majority of Oak-Aged beers. Often I find the oak tastes simply overwhelming. As a result I opened this with a little trepidation.
Poured into the Ommegang chaice this sits nicely in the glass with a creamy, dense head (if somewhat small). Not much lace. Lovely dark brown body, almost black. Nose reveals some sweet alcohol, but the oak is muted.
Velvety smooth in the mouth – really creamy.
Soft, sweet Belgian candy notes with plenty of liquor soaked, dark fruits. Tasty.
A very surprising dry, slightly bitter, alcoholic finish and aftertaste. Very nice, and this is where the hint of oak comes in – to be honest it is (somewhat unusually) very subtle.
As can happen from time to time, I liked this beer more than I thought I would.