And then there were five...

9% abv. Batch 363 10/19/10. Cellared for over a year. This one exploded out of the bottle. I lost half of it on the countertop...and that is so disappointing. Pours dark brown with a white head. Cherry, clove, citrus and oak on the nose. First sip tells me Flemish sour ale meets Belgian dubbel on oak. Very interesting flavors. Medium bodied mouthfeel. Excessive carbonation but great drinkability. Dry at finish. Mild spicing quite noticeable at first but it gets stronger and stronger with each sip. Perhaps nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom. This would pair exceptional well with a Christmas or Thanksgiving holiday dinner. Rich malt bill hides beneath the spicing and funky Brettanomyces yeast. Apple and berry fruit flavors get stronger with each sip as well as a touch of citrusy hops. Sneaky alcohol content. Oak is not as pronounced as expected, but the sour cherry flavors combine with the oak to give it a good complexity. Not the best beer I have tried from this exceptional brewery, but it is a solid effort.