Smells spicy and fruity, with faint white peppercorns and dried apricots, fruity esters and a sweet caramel-cake-like maltiness in the back of the nose.

Full-bodied, with a slow creamy smoothness and crispness that rolls over the palate. At first, it seems like a malt bomb with a quick tidal wave of sugary malt flavor, but then a thick hop oil flavor and a gentle bitterness start to break apart the malt. Herbal bite in the middle. Waves of more fruity esters; spicy herbal hop; and an underlying nutty, biscuity malt. Phenols and lingering esters finish this beer out with a semi-sweet end.

The short, stubby, 11.2-ounce Duvel-style bottle releases a dark, leathery-brown brew, with a tan-colored, super-tight, creamy, fluffy lacing. Amazing head retention. Malted milk balls, spicy yeast and a soft herbal Saaz aroma. As soon as the beer hits the palate, it creams up with a light and fluffy feel and lively carbonation. Slight up-front sharpness, a meld of light hop bitterness and slight medicinal phenols, with a warming alcohol bite riding its wake. Notes of pith and leaf. Herbal tea and a tease of pepper tucked beneath a moderate residual sweetness, with flavors of toffee, brown bread, dried fruits and fermented honey. Some spice emerges from the alcohol as it warms. Finish goes dry, with some residual malt sweetness and bready yeast in the back.