bottle - Pours deep amber with a light tan, two finger head. The aroma is of dark fruit, Belgian yeast, and alcohol. The flavor features the distinctive, spicy Ommegang yeast strain along with rye, hops, and dark fruit. It’s dry with a character that’s big on the specialty grains. Good beer.

A reddish amber ale with a thick frothy mocha head. In aroma, fragrant caramel malt with orange peel, coriander, light licorice, herbaceous hops, very nice. In mouth, a sweet fruity caramel malt with dark fruits, curacao, coriander, herbaceous and resinous hops, alcohol warmth, very nice. Bottle from Bassett in Canton NY.

Bottle from the LCBO. Pours a hazy brown with a slight red tinge under a huge frothy off white head that sticks around for a while and leaves lots of lace. Nose is earthy yeast with pepper and mild cloves as well as a hint of dried fruit. Sweet malt start with caramel and plum and enough bitterness and spice to dry it out at the end with the chilis hanging around for a while. This is quite Belgian Ale in character. Medium creamy mouth with average carbonation. Interesting as a one-off.

Man you can just imaging what a train wreck a beer could be if it being brewed with Ancho chilies. But I had faith in Ommegang, which is an exceptional brewery. And my faith was rewarded, or at least this beer didn’t crash and burn. Pours a red brown, with a wicked amount of head (2-3 inches on a careful pour.) Smells of those Belgian yeasts that seems to be O’s bread a butter, some sweetness, fruits and a little toast. The beer nice mix a malts with a little sweetness. The chilies only show up with a little bite in the aftertaste, which is a lovely subtlety.

Bottle sample at a tasting at Dancing Camel. Thanks kerenmk. Hazy dark amber with an off-white head. Aroma of yeast, fruity esters, caramel and spiciness. Sweetish flavor with malt, caramel, yeasty spiciness, fruitiness and a spicy finish, slightly alcoholic. Medium-bodied.

750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled on 12/19/2013. Pours slightly cloudy reddish copper color with a 3 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of pear, apple, toast, brown bread, rye, light caramel, herbal, pepper, light clove, light chile, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of bready malt, yeast ester, and light chile notes; with solid strength. Taste of pear, toast, brown bread, rye, light caramel, pepper, herbal, light clove, light chile, and yeast earthiness. Moderate peppery yeast spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of pear, apple, toast, brown bread, rye, light caramel, pepper, light clove, herbal, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity and robustness of bready malt and fruity/spicy yeast ester flavors; with a great malt/yeast balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a smooth, crisp, and lightly bready mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice Belgian amber ale. All around good balance, complexity, and robustness of bready malt and fruity/spicy yeast flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. I would have liked much more presence from the ancho chiles that were advertised, but otherwise this was a very enjoyable offering.

Bottle. Lactic caramel, rye malt, raisin, yeast aroma. Dark amber with moderate head. Sweet orange/raisin, rye/wheat malt and moderately bitter herbal lemon peel flavor. Nice.