Brewed By:
BFM
Self-Defined Style:
Hot Winter Specialty Designed to be served hot as a true "winter warmer." Very dark in color with no head or carbonation. Spicy with cinnamon, cloves and notes of gingerbread. Warming with a slight vinous note and a lasting flavor of cinnamon and cloves.
Serving Instructions:
1. Open the bottle of La Dragonne
2. Heat a bain-marie (Water bath) up to 140 degrees F
3. Place the open La Dragonne in the water bath
4. Carefully pour the hot La Dragonne.
5. Caution: Make sure that the beer has slightly cooled before consuming.
Best With:
This beer is outstanding served hot as a digestif.
Special Attributes:
Digestif 
Comments
Hot Beer? Amazing!
Aroma: Sweet, bready character on the nose with subtle hints of spice and dark fruit.
Appearance: Deep coffee/licorice in color with no head. Some viscosity is apparent on the glass.
Flavor: Once I got past the warmth, I immediately sensed the spice - notes of cinnamon and ginger interspersed with mild chocolate and overripe orange character. The lingering finish offers traces of raisin and ginger.
Mouthfeel: Temperature may play a role here, but this feels like a much more robust beer on the palate than its alcohol content (4.0% ABV) suggests - viscous and medium to full bodied. A minuscule trace of carbonation is apparent.
Overall Impression: This is my first time sampling a beer that is intentionally served hot, and it will most definitely not be my last. I do not know of another beer with the recommendation "best served hot" on the bottle, but it would not surprise me to see an interpretation of this style from an American craft brewer at some point down the road. On paper, a 4.0 % ABV dark ale might not appear to be an "extreme beer," but this is definitely a very unique and noteworthy approach to zymurgy.
Comments: Sampled from a 25.5 ounce bottle heated in a saucepan to about 150 F and poured into a chalice. The bottle calls this a "Swiss After Ski Beer." When visiting the Austrian Alps in 2007, I had the opportunity to experience true European Apres Ski. The bar at the base of Zillertal specialized in Schneider Weisse and a German pilsner, but a hot glass of BFM La Dragonne would have been the perfect conclusion to a day of skiing in the chilly Alps.