Here I sit on a cold, dreary, January day in Brussels, the forecasts predicting extreme snow on little more than blind faith, the last of the brown fall leaves clinging to the trees in the park, the last of the autumn cheer clinging to the faces of the people on the street, and all this dreariness being washed away with a charming bottle of Mc Chouffe, the Brune d'Ardenne. Not just any old bottle mind you, but one large enough even to cheer up an Islamic inmate at Guantanamo Bay. I found a stash of these 750ml babies waiting for me at my neighborhood grocer like a ray of sunlight on a typical Belgian Winter's day, and for only 2.39 a pop. This one has a perfumy, almost meaty aroma and an estery, alcoholic palatte with plenty of chocolaty, raisiny flavors to have you putting away the bottle faster than you should. At 8.5% alcohol, that's not always a good thing. Angelia will be home soon though, so I know I've got someone to help me finish it.

A big surprise from last weekend was a bottle of Rochefortoise, not to be confused with the Trappiste Rochefort label that is fast becoming all too famous for its own good. This one was the brune, a Winter favorite, and a stout one at 10% ABV. I couldn't get over the intense toffee aroma and insanely malty palatte of this beer. A fine Wallonian beer that will have me trying its Triple and Amber come Spring.

Along with this beer also enjoyed the La Divine immensely. I had never seen this beer before, but is also a big burley beer from Wallonia. It was more of a Barleywine style, but at "only" 9.5% ABV. I nursed this one and found it to be a refreshing change from the all the browns I have been trying.

This weekend will bring a trip to the Payottenland, a beer drinkers paradise in the most unlikely of places. A full report to be included after I recover.