Name: Baptista
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Brewery: Pisgah Brewing Co. website
Country: USA
Region: Black Mountain, North Carolina
ABV: 11.5% Abv
How served: 750 ml caged & corked bottle poured into a vintage Westmalle Trappistebier chalice.
My Overall Opinion: Very Good. 
I paired this beer with: Grilled salmon filets served with grilled asparagus drizzled with lemon olive oil and black pepper, and a side of couscous. Nice pairing, but a Saison would have been better
Tasted on: Wednesday March 30th, 2011
Note: This bottle is dated Dec 2009.
As the cork was pulled out of the bottle a load “pop” was heard. The beer poured a hazy golden color with a one finger head which dissipated very quickly leaving a very minimal lacing on the glass. The nose was sweet, with hints of bubble gum and cloves as well as orange peel. The taste starts off sweet with bubble gum and candi sugar, and then I got some spices and pepper along with dried dark fruits and it finished more on the dry side. This had a medium to thick mouthfeel with a pleasant carbonation level and a very enjoyable warmth from the alcohol. This beer was definitely a sipper. As it warmed up, the alcohol become more apparent in a very good way, which made me slow down to enjoy this beauty. I only hope they make this one again.
On the Label: 12/09
Made with Organic Malts, Hops, Yeast, Homemade Organic Dark Candi Sugar, Organic Spices, and Water. Voted Best Brewery in WNC. Serve at 48-55°F
From their Website: Beers of the past…. for now!
This Belgian Noël takes it’s name from Jan Baptista van Helmont (1579-1644), the Flemish chemist and physician who first discovered CO2 and coined the word “gas” by recognizing the existence of gases distinct from air. This energy luminary was the founder of pneumatic chemistry and also the first to bridge alchemy and early chemistry. Hats off to the man behind the bubble. Proost and Happy Holidays!
