Strong spiced Belgian ale, 75 cl bottle from Beergium. Medium thick, creamy, lightly lacing, stable head opening in the middle, over a lightly hazy, warm deep orange-amberish beer, misty with sediment, and in the end a tad darker bronze-ish too. Aroma of marmelade, star aniseed, apple peel, caramel sauce, honey, amaretto, mandarin peel, 'drop', chewing gum, dried apricots, soggy bread, peanuts, cinnamon, brandy, pear syrup, vanilla beans, some wet dog with the yeast 'depot' added. Sweet candied onset, marmelade-like, ripe banana, canned peaches, sharper apple-ish accent, vague sourish touch underneath but the almost syrupy sweetness prevails; softish carbonation, thick and rather viscous, very full mouthfeel, very caramelly malt sweet with unexpectedly metallic edges; lots of honeyish effects, connecting with a very pronounced, ethereal, sweet-perfumey spiciness in the finish, lots of star aniseed, liquorice, coriander soapiness, maybe other spices as well. Peppery hop note and warming brandy-like alcohol in the finish, but the sweet impression of honey (or almost honey liqueur) and the spiciness linger. I can see how opinions are apparently sharply divided here and I do not normally like spiced Belgian ales myself (just had one too many of them I guess), but this is different: very clean, technically of very high level (like most of their other beers, especially the higher ABV ones), rich, classy and generous. Not the slightest flaw here, no overt yeast effects, alcohol pretty well hidden: like this beer or not for its strong spiciness, but there is no denying that this is very well executed, with more body - almost to an English barleywine-like extent - than average for a Belgian of this strength. I'd happily revisit this if given the chance - also because this is not the first time this brewery pleasantly surprises me with their technical skills. Bastogne, traditional as it may be in terms of styles, needs more exposure, this is a very, very good brewery if you ask me.