So there are a few things in the better beer world that we just accept as fact. Things like Germans being the masters of the doppelbock, Belgians making some of the most delicious creations known to man, and mega breweries completely screwing up every style of beer they ''try'' to produce are some of the first examples that come to mind. Now while it is pointless to try to find an exception to the rule about the mega breweries, I highly encourage the hunt for anomalies pertaining to the other two. Granted, the chances of finding one are slim, but you still might come across a tasty beer in the process. One such example is the Hell's Belle from Big Boss Brewing Company.

In the glass it takes on a slightly dark, but golden brown coloration. Think of high quality honey if it helps. A fingers worth of bright white head forms on a hard pour, but recedes down to a thin, bubbly film that still manages to leave some nice lacing throughout the session. When getting your nose in the glass, the first thing you notice is that everything seems very delicate. I mean that in the sense that if you aren't careful with it, you could really lose a lot of what's going on in it. Sweetness from fruits such as apricots, white grapes, and over ripe bananas greet you first, with those wonderful little Belgian yeasts following very close behind. Some light malts come through in the middle, and the most closely resemble fresh biscuits with just a touch of butter on them. Occasionally highlights of clove, coriander, and white pepper come through, but never establish themselves as a constant presence.

When you go in for the first taste, there is no mistaking that you have a tasty brew in your hands from a general standpoint. It has some nice flavors in it, but none of them are going to blow you off of your bar stool. The sweetness from the yeast is what you notice right off, and it has a bit of a blend from the malts, but no distinctive flavor is established at that moment. Now I'm not saying that's a bad thing, just that it takes a moment for a real flavor to come through. When it does, it comes in the form of a citrusy clove flavor with a slight peppery sting. Hey, I'm trying here. Work with me. The fruit flavors all seem to blend together, and there is a bit of an estery flavor that seems to run from your mouth and out your nose after every sip. Again, not bad really. Just different. The mouthfeel is a bit thin, and the carbonation level lands in the range of below average, both of which had moments of distraction but still came across as tolerable.

So while my final thoughts of Hell's Belle reassure me that no one can make a Belgian like the Belgians, they also lead me to the conclusion that Big Boss Brewing has still made a tasty beer by attempting to do so. I can easily recommend it to all levels of drinkers as long as they all go into it with the thought process of ''It probably won't rewrite the books on how all Belgians should be made, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it as a good beer with some good flavors in it''.

And finally, seriously, how could I not? It's Friday. Crank it!