Wostyntje Torhouts Mustard Ale - De Regenboog, Bruges

This certainly isn't a session beer. At 7% and smelling like a jar of deli mustard, the Wostyntje Mustard Ale is... different... The closest comparison to this beer I can make would be with a Bière de Garde. Both are copper colored, a little thick bodied and have a pleasant sour tartiness to their flavor. At first, the Mustard Ale tastes like a Bière de Garde with a few packets of mustard powder stirred in. After a few sips the nuances become more apparent. The beers dominant flavor is, of course, the mustard spice. Behind that is the sour citrus flavor that the Belgians do so well. One might expect the mustard to be overpowering, after all - there is a reason you don't see mustard flavored drinks at every store... but, the sourness of the blonde base really keeps the mustard in check. The combination of these flavors works pretty well.

As you take a drink you notice the spicy mustard up front on your tongue blend into the familiar sour and citrusy dark blonde base. If you're a fan of sour Belgian beers and are looking for something with an added level of flavor and complexity, then this is worth the price of admission. On the other hand, if you're more of a ketchup kind of guy... you can probably skip this beer.