RIèzes

Newport Storm's RIèzes pours a deep amber with orange highlights accompanied by a small, fleeting, ivory head. Almost imperceptible legs hint at the strength that this brew contains. A delightfully complex aroma begins with moderate pink peppercorns and lemongrass before giving way to stronger aromas of caramel, toast, oak, rum, and raisins, which dominate as the beer further warms.

In terms of flavor, a superb marriage of yeast character, malt, and wood awaits your taste buds. No single note dominates and bread, caramel, raisins, oak, rum, grape, and the black pepper flavors are all harmoniously blended. The beer finishes semi-sweet with fruit and caramel lingering on the palate despite the hint of acid that may have come from the barrel.  

This is a moderately-full bodied beer whose lower level of carbonation and smooth alcohol presence detour from typical examples of the style. Nonetheless, RIèzes is a well-made, malt-centric and complex Belgian beer that begs to be drunk in the crisp, cool evenings of the fall.