Running on fumes

A random pick from the back of the beer fridge: La Fumette by Belgian brewery MilleVertus. It's an ambrée, which is a style that I don't recall ever liking an example of, but the bonus is it's fumée as well. Plus it's 6.5% ABV, which is higher than usual, I think. That's got to be good.

Though bottle conditioned the sediment stayed stuck to the bottom and I got a clear glassful of something definitely amber. The head didn't hang around very long, however. It smells sweet and very boozy: I get ripe figs and plums, almost like a dubbel, plus a phenolic edge which I'm guessing is the smoke but could easily be just a result of warm fermentation.

For all the big booze it's surprisingly highly attenuated, the texture thin and, as I feared, not lifted by any proper carbonation. There's an unpleasant sour tang while, the smoke just makes it taste oxidised. A very Belgian sugary candy note finishes it off.

This is an absolutely terrible beer but at least the thin texture and low carbonation makes it easy to drink, as long as you don't mind the disgusting taste.

Turns out the only way you can go from normal ambrée is down. Give me a boring one over this any day.