Also referred to as Corsendonk Pater, this pours a rich, dark red brown with substantial foamy head. Fairly thick without being heavy, lots of complex flavor, extremely smooth with a long, pleasant, non-bitter finish, it sooths as it goes down. This has been one of my favorites since I first had it over a decade ago, fondly remembered as my first Belgian beer. Rating: 98

Before opening the bottle, this already has characteristics that befit its name, including the price (nearly $9 for a 12 oz. bottle) and the alcohol content (a staggering 16.31% ABV). It pours a red brown color, slightly darker than most amber ales. The foam is surprisingly sparse, and soon there is little sign there ever was foam, including a complete lack of lacing on the glass. My theory is that the beer is so heavy, it can't stick to the sides of the glass. It's a thick, rich, body that reminiscent of port wine, that's also quite foamy in taste if not appearance. Unfortunately, the alcohol taste is also reminiscent of port wine, and not the good ones. The taste & texture, while plentiful, cannot overcome the massive amount of alcohol. There are hints of a complex, flavorful beer amidst the alcohol but, like classic Listerine, its difficult to keep in the mouth long enough to enjoy. In the brewer's favor, it does state on their website that this beer is cellarable for 10+ years, and I would let this age at least a few years before thinking about opening a bottle. I'll refrain from rating this now, as it seems almost certainly a beer before it's time, so check back for a follow up review in about a decade.

Lots of good IPA bitterness, more acute that average; a good, golden, refreshing beer. Score: 84

Thick, rich yet uncomplex carmelized taste & texture, reflected in the aroma; slightly heavy sweetness; a solid all-around dubbel. Rating: 88

Eulogy Belgian Tavern, in the historic Old City of Philadelphia, serves an amazing 300+ Belgian beers, with over a dozen on tap - what's not to love?  The only problem - narrowing down the choices.  I immediately ruled out any I'd had before, which eliminated a surprising amount, but still left over 200 beers. I finally decided to start with one I'd seen & heard of quite often but never had, Tripel Karmeliet (8% ABV, , ) from Brouwerij Bosteels.  I was treated to a rich, robust tripel, with a sweetness and slightly syrupy texture that, perhaps with a little help from the name, reminded me of caramel.  Absolutely delicious & definitely one to enjoy slowly to appreciate the complexity.

Most beers would taste simple & limp after that, so I looked for something that stood a good chance of matching or exceeding the Tripel Karmeliet's robustness & complexity.  Working the numbers, I surmised the most likely to out do a tripel is a quadrupel, and decided on the Abt 12 (12% ABV, , ) from St. Bernardus.  Thick, rich & malty, with a pleasant sweetness & slight bitterness on the finish, I immediately recognized this as one of the best beer I'd ever had.  As ther was little chance of choosing another beer that would not be overshadowed by the Abt 12, and in no small part influenced by the high alcohol content, I decided to call it a night.

I returned the next day before my flight for one more try, this time taking the recommendation of the bartender and trying Kasteel Bruin (11% ABV, , ) from Brouwerij van Honsebrouck.  A quadrupel, it displayed the taste, body and complexity typical of this style.  It was quite an excellent beer but did not establish itself noteably among quads which, in my experience, are typically quite excellent.  I would gladly enjoy this again, but unlike the St. Bernardus Abt 12, would not actively seek it out.

Due to a sale at Whole Foods on the entire line, I've been enjoying several brews from Unibroue.  My favorite of the group so far is Le Fin Du Monde (9% ABV, , ), an excellent example of a Belgian Tripel pale ale.  I could drink a lot of this, especially given that it is typically available for much less than comparable Belgian beers, probably due to being brewed just north of the border in Chambly, Quebec, Canada.

Next up was Éphémère Apple (5.5% ABV, , ), highly carbonated, light, golden and lots of fruit flavor.  It reminded me a bit of champagne & lambics, with not nearly the sweetness of either but probably beating both by a wide margin on the carbonation.  The carbonation here is very soft & silky though, making champagne's bubbly seem relatively harsh.  A pleasant but not distinguished beer, this would probably be best with dessert on a warm summer. 

Taking a break from Unibroue, I tried Brugse Zot (6% ABV, , ), a Belgian pale ale brewed by Brouwerij De Halve Maan in Brugge, Belgium.  This had a cloudy, golden appearance, similar to many wheat beers, and a foamy head with noticable signs of yeast, both of which seem typical for this type of beer.  It also had generous, fluffy carbonation & fresh, crisp fruit flavors.  This is a good summer ale, refreshing & simple.