Don't worry, he won't bite! Photo by Marika Josephson

'Tis the season for dark heavy beers like Belgians, old ales, stouts and porters, brewed to keep you warm through the winter, and some of whose spices--coriander, cloves, nutmeg--may even go into your desserts and pies.

Here is one beer that might even pair with the fruitcake Auntie Ginger dropped off during Thanksgiving. Founders Old Curmudgeon Ale is a malty, 9.8% ABV whopper that will kick that fruitcake right into shape. Brewed with molasses and aged in oak barrels, the Old Curmudgeon is a smooth but complicated beer that has a finicky mind of its own.

The beer pours a lovely copper with almost no head. Tiny bubbles ripple to the top, and the sip is smooth, giving way, as the beer settles in your mouth, to hundreds of prickles of CO2. On the nose are raisins and sour cherries; on the tongue, a strong taste of prunes and dried apricot. It might not be for everyone, but that's precisely why it's a bit of an old curmudgeon.

Like a few curmudgeons, however, you may find yourself coming around to it after awhile. Although it's a tad bitter (50 IBU), those prunes, apricots and sour cherries are reminiscent of fruitcake, biscotti, and other desserts--holiday or otherwise--that make use of dried or candied fruits. Having tasted the Old Curmudgeon with one or two sweets, however, I don't recommend it with anything too sugary. Even though it's a strong beer, the sugar in the desserts tend to overpower the beer and dull its subtle fruit flavors. Bleu cheese is a borderline cheese for the same reason. Some milder cheeses pair better because they don't compete and allow the beer to show off its range of flavors.

If anyone tries this as a simple accompaniment to vanilla ice cream, I'd like to hear the result. The ice cream might be too sugary, but on the other hand, it could really allow the beer's flavors to pop.

This is a beer, like many in this style, good for nights by a warm fire. It can also make a nice accompaniment to entrees, however, and tomorrow I'll make a Mexican Chile Cream Soup that serves as a great dinner pair with the Old Curmudgeon.