Boom Island Hoodoo

Caramelized bananas in the aroma along with a faint earthy note, cola and a low level of spiciness with a hint of clove. Toasty malt, with a flavor like singed wood. Good carbonation to help balance. Low residual sugar so that it has a pretty dry finish. Beautiful thing to have a beer be dry without being bitter! Very drinkable and a welcome departure from the bitter bombs of our current beer culture. Tempted to whip up a pork loin rubbed with Asian five spice blend just to try with this. Would probably go well with some desserts too: Bananas Foster, flan.

Ray Daniels is the founder and director of the Cicerone Certification Program and the author, editor or publisher of more than two dozen books on beer and brewing. Follow him on Twitter @Cicerone_org.

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Dubbels get me into the good kind of trouble. This one is sneaky, luring me in with warm rich flavors of raisin, fig and currant. There is a floral honey and toasted biscuit flavor from the yeast and malt, ripe banana sugar and whiffs of spicy sandalwood, too. And by the time I’m on my second 8% beer in less than an hour, my happily swimming brain isn’t thinking about its pain tomorrow. Midwest-made, but as good as the genuine right-from-Belgium article.

John Holl is the editor of All About Beer Magazine. 

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