Belgian Strong Ale w/ Mustard Seed
11%ABV | 60IBU

I’m always on the lookout for boundary pushing beers, so when I noticed a single bottle of Melchior on a shelf up in Boston a few months ago - “A belgian ale made with Mustard?!” - I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I didn’t buy it.

Upon opening, the bottle bubbled over slightly - conditioning for 6 months can do that. Decanted into a snifter, Melchior comes out a hazy burnt orange, with an enormous head that fills over half my glass in spite of my slow pour. Big soapy bubbles retreat to a healthy inch or so.
Aroma is faint. Maybe the brew needs a little time to warm (& I need a better temperature control for my fridge). Sweet malt, pepper, and what I assume to be mustard (power of suggestion?)
Yeast and spice flavor up front. Almost a wheat-like character, very bready with some bright fruit - melon, perhaps? Candi sugar is up next, which blends nicely with a very uncharacteristically big American hop taste. Bright citrus and sugar make an interesting finish. The mustard seed is sadly absent until long into the aftertaste, where a slight savory spice lingers on the back of the tongue.

Fantastic melting pot of styles - Somewhere between a Belgian strong, an English barleywine and a dry-hopped American ale. Oh, and mustard. The experiment paid off.

8.5/10