What would happen if you set up two great but quite different beers from a Belgo-Canadian brewery and took aim at a mark halfway between? The intrepid David Kelley, Asst. Manager of NB Milwaukee, set out to do just that. What we are left holding here in this unmarked brown bottle appears to be a singularity on the continuum between a Tripel and a Belgian strong dark: a Belgian strong amber ale.

Fin du Pistoles opens with an extremely complex bouquet of dried fruit (apricot, figs, and dates) overlaid with resin-spice from noble hops and phenols and tropical esters a-plenty from fermentation. The flavor builds on the aroma notes with heavy malt and impressions of Cointreau and Assam tea. Despite a slightly oily mouthfeel and very rich body, the mouth tingles with a dry prickle of spice and CO2 as the beer whooshes to a finish that is far sprightlier than you would ever suspect given the high OG and low bitterness of the recipe. Its very considrable alcohol content remains well-hidden the whole time.

This product group approximates a former limited edition recipe, however it is not a beer kit and does not include instructions. You will have to measure out the exact quantities of each ingredient yourself. See the associated inventory for item quantities and addition times.