It will end in tears

The battle between good and evil has been joined.

The propaganda peddled by Stan Hieronymus, Pete Brown, and Michael Jackson (no, not the monkey-loving pop freak but the now dear departed Beer Hunter) has proved too compelling and I found myself today stood at the counter of Beer-Ritz clutching these seven bottles of Blegium's finest and feeling somewhat uncomfortable about what's to come:

• St Bernardus Pater 6
• St Bernardus Prior 8
• St Bernardus Abt 12
• St Bernardus Tripel
• Timmermans Gueuze
• Oud Beersel Gueuze
• Lindemans Faro Lambic

At the present time these esoteric little beers are down in the cellar laughing at the homebrew and intimidating a bottle of Cote du Rhone, whilst I hide at the top of the house trying to pluck up the courage to open them.

And I don't like the way the monk is looking at me.