Stewarts Decathlon (10th Anniversary)

Formerly brewed at Stewarts Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Bear, Delaware USA

On tap at the Kennett Square Brew Fest (connoisseur session). Poured a medium and cloudy golden color with a smaller sized white head. Aromas of light spices, fruits, and citrus. Tastes of spices, citrus, bananas, and fruity. Some alcohol in the finish. This one was very sweet. One of the best Stewars beers I’ve had.

Poured a hazy golden color with a small, white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of spices, citrus, was very fruity, some caramel malt, yeast and light alcohol as well. Taste of candy sugar, citrus fruits, bubblegum, light pepper, and an alcoholic backbone. Decent, but nothing mind-blowing.

Wow, this is my surprise of the year for 2005, and one of the reasons I drink beer and frequent brewpubs to begin with. What a beer. It pours dark straw in the 5 ounce snifter it is served in, with 2-finger white head. The aroma is huge, with pears, grapes, berries, perfumy florals and spices, hopcit, and alcohol. I smelled this for 5 minutes, and at times it smelled like a fine Niagara white wine, and then the Belgian strong ale aromas would seep in. In that regard, the aroma reminded me of Weyerbacher Propecy on steroids. The flavor was fruity and Belgian triply, with tons of fruit at front and mid-palates, and floral spices and hopcit emerging at mid-palate. The beer was on the sweet side, but never cloying. The flavor was as complex as the aroma. It gets a bit drier as it warms, but never loses the huge fruit and spicy floral elements. If a genie granted me 3 wishes, one of them would be for a year’s supply of this beer. If you live anywhere close to Delaware, do yourself a favor and go get some of this. It’s that damned good.