The Lost Abbey (Port Brewing) 10 Commandments Ale. San Marcos, California. (belgian strong dark ale) cork with wire cage on 750 ml bottle, 9% – appears cloudy dark cola color, smell concentrated dried fruit, especially cranberry, bit of rotting meat, very nice, mouthfeel medium thick, little sticky, taste nice gamey/dried fruit feel, well integrated, strong fig component, tangy and tasty, but not overpowering, kind of a sour-action stout, very very tasty and lovely to the last drop, well worth the $11 for 1 pint, 9.4 oz. This is a beer I'd like to revisit often--great fall feel.
2007 Brasserie Dupont Moinette Brune. Tourpes, Belgium (belgian strong dark ale) sparkling wine type cork closure with wire cage and production year marked on cork, bottle-conditioned, unfiltered, 8.5% – imported to USA by Vanberg & DeWulf, Cooperstown, New York – appears amber reddish brown, huge tan head, smell yeasty sweet, thick and okay, mouthfeel is heavy, thick and slippery, taste drinkable malt candy—literally that chocolate covered malt candy they'd have in the movie theater and came in a milk carton-type box, make that into a beer, and this is what you have, rounded, tasty enough, good match for Spaghetti Nam Phrik Ong (spaghetti with country-style tomato sauce with ground pork and red curry) softening the spice and the beer coming out as a bit more fruity, versatile enough, but not exciting for me, $11 for a 750 ml bottle. Both the Brune and the Blonde of the Moinette felt like near-misses for me--just on the edge of catching my fancy.
2008 The Lost Abbey (Port Brewing) Gift of the Magi Ale. San Marcos, California. (belgian strong pale ale) cork with wire cage on 750 ml bottle, 10% – appears hazy amber, thin tan head, tons of lacing, smell warm pine cones, Christmas—don't think it was the Christmasy label or name which I hadn't yet glanced at, but this smelled like Christmas, light nutmeg, very clean, nice enough nose, mouthfeel is heavy and firmly bound, taste strong cloves upfront, certainly a Christmas-in-the-glass feel about it with tender mulled spice, nothing overpowering or palate-tiring here, but I'm not digging it, tastes like raw ingredients, thought food might help, but even the nonspicy elements of Spaghetti Nam Phrik Ong (spaghetti with country-style tomato sauce with ground pork and red curry) make the beer feel flat and syrupy, if it's food it needs, it is something light and delicate, some cheeses might work, but for over $12 for 1 pint, 9.4 oz, I won't be revisiting this one. From producer: Gold in color and bittered with the bark of Frankincense, we have even used the smallest amount of Myrrh which is an herb that has roots in ancient winemaking as well.