Rock Bottom Chicago Blitzen Ale

Brewed by Rock Bottom Chicago
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Chicago, Illinois USA

on tap. poured a golden yellow with almost no head. nose wasn’t much but some cloves, mint, tons of belgian candy sugar, and soft hints of caramel. flavor is really sweet but subtle hints of caramel, cloves, and orange and other fruits round it out. still pretty boozy and sticky.

Chicago RB. Aroma was a good combination of cloves, banana, and bubblegum. Pretty good flavor, but maybe the alcohol could have been hidden better.

Draft. The aroma was of alcohol and bananas. Reminded me of the ommegang belgian strong ale. Good flavor, but the alcohol seemed to separate and rest at the bottom of the glass (making that part taste much stronger of alcohol).

Draught at Rock Bottom Chicago. Pours hazy amber with a small frothy white mostly diminishing head, fair lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (straw, cereal), average hops (flowers, grass), average yeast (sweat, earth) with notes of alcohol, banana, butter and coriander. Full bodied, creamy texture, flat carbonation and a chalky finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness, light acidity and bitterness; salty.

(06.08.06) On tap at Rockbottom Chicago, Chicago, IL. Poured hazy golden yellow with small white head. No discernable carbonation. Fruity spicy aroma. Medium-to-full bodied ale that starts with moderate malt sweetness with spicy (clove)/fruity (orange peel). Smooth in the mouth. Rich tasting. Finished with light malt fade. A excellent Belgian style strong ale.

On tap at Rock Bottom Chicago. Caramely colored pour with a thin bubbled wisp of head that clings desperately to the side of my goblet. The aroma is a fantastic wave of freshly baked banana bread, complete with the cinnimon and mild pepper spice. Some booziness shines through in the aroma, bringing to mind thoughts of banana cream liquore. Mouthfeel is creamy and sticky, almost like drinking melted caramels. Quite pleasant, until the heat of the alcohol powers through and destroys my ability to focus on this brews other fine features. Much too hot, otherwise ok. Smack of clover honey and clove.

Draft in a goblet at RB Chicago. Poured a medium dull golden/orange with not much more than a film of beige head. Nose was quite sweet, with bananas, light fruits, and some clove spiciness. Rather seductive flavor profile, just barely keeping the sweetness shy of cloying level... bananas and other light fruits on top, with a little bubblegum and a solid alcohol presence. Medium-bodied, leaving a lot of residual sweetness and cloves at the finish. Very nice brew that really packed a punch.

Usually brew pubs that attempt a BSA or the like it just tastes like rubbing alcohol but not this one. It actually was enjoyable. There was some banana and bubblegum hints like a wit.