The Beer of the Week is an unfiltered Belgian-style ale that was brewed for the first time last year right here in Iowa.

Produced by Peace Tree Brewing Co. in Knoxville, Blonde Fatale was the brewery’s first shot at increasing the alcohol percentage in an original brew. It was created after a bill, passed in March 2010, allowed the sale of beers containing between 6.5 percent and 15 percent alcohol by volume in Iowa.

Peace Tree brew master Joe Kesteloot said the beer began as a seasonal brew, but its popularity made it hard to keep on shelves.

“We sold out of the first batch in a week,” he said. “I thought it was just people wanting to try something new. But then our second batch flew off the shelves in just a week and a half.”

The “blonde” part of the name is derived from the light coloration produced by the authentic Belgian barley used in the brewing process. And ranking in with 8.5 percent alcohol by volume, this beer has been appropriately deemed “fatale.”

By using Belgian yeast and Belgian candi sugar during the fermentation process, Kesteloot said, he creates a traditional with flavors keen to the Belgian tradition.

“I think it’s a style that no one in Iowa is doing besides us,” Kesteloot said. “People aren’t accustomed to it. It’s a unique brew.”

— by Jonathon Bendickson