Heretic Torment (Dark Belgian Strong Ale)

This was a surprisingly good Belgian.  Brewed for Heretic Brewing in Pittsburg, California, I’ve seen their brews before, but passed on them for some reason.  This time I picked up a bomber at my local specialty store for about $10, as it was the last one of its kind on the shelf–always a good sign, right?

Right off the opening, this beer has a great aroma.  Malty, hoppy, spicy, this has a full-bodied smell, that’s followed by an equally robust full-bodied taste.  A fair amount of frothy head sits atop the beautiful coppery-brown color of the beer.

The 10% ABV isn’t detectable (taste-wise, at least), but roasty malts, caramel, and big dark fruits certainly stand out.  I shared this bottle with my parents who don’t have a lot of Belgian experience, and they really enjoyed it.  There’s the typical dark spice of a Belgian, but it’s so well balanced with the malts, it puts the taster in strange situation of tasting a ton of flavors and body without identifying any as the predominant flavor.

Since it doesn’t even appear on Beer Advocate, I have a feeling this is an extremely limited release, and one that will now take up a large part of my day trying to search out. This was a really good brew that I’d love to try again.

-eric