Belzebuth Blonde Ale.

I forget where I saw this, but it's an interesting looking beer so I picked it up. 13%ABV is proudly displayed on the neck label. For a blonde ale, this is pretty potent. Also, interestingly, this is a French product, not Belgian. It is also a slightly smaller format. I had assumed it was an 11.2oz/330ml bottle but it is actually 8.4oz. Two small numbers are also printed: "28.09.12" and "L12.2.08". I suspect the first is a drink-by date. The second could be a bottling date, but the convention isn't consistent with the first, so it may not be a date at all.

As I was passing the glass to my other side, I got a whiff of wine but not much else. Frenchies. I was concerned that the taste may also reflect it's aroma but was pleasantly surprised. It's a creamy, malty base, rather sweet and esther-y with lots of bananas not cut with a lot of spices, hiding its ABV fairly well until the end. I can taste a fair amount of alcohol there, and it lingers somewhat.

I'm not sure what do do with beer, really. At 13%ABV and its level of sweetness, it's not going to go before or during a meal. The only other thing I would think of is as a dessert beer, which might be ok, but I'm not digging the alcohol aftertaste. To me, this is going to be more of a novelty beer. There are other beers and liquors better suited to fill the dessert or dessert accompaniment role. It's not terribly complex either, so I can't imagine myself wanting to sit down with just this. Eh, a bit of a miss for me.

• Appearance: On the darker end for a strong pale. Coppery gold; thin, mossy head, soapy down the sides.
• Smell: Alcohol-y as opposed to boozy. Reminds me of wine
• Taste: Very sweet, bananas, maybe a bit of peach, mostly unspiced. The alcohol is hidden until the end where it is fairly evident.
• Mouthfeel: Creamy and bit low carbed.
• Drinkability and Overall: It's not going to win any awards for being a dangerously drinkable beer. The taste experience is ok but it's fairly clear that this is a pretty alcoholic beer. I can't find a good pairing for it either, food- or occasion-wise. Worth a try but probably not much else. Also, one person on BA managed to track this down in a can, which is kind of cool.

Also, still abusing that abbey tag.