Flat Earth Belgian-Style Pale Ale - Flat Earth Brewing Company

lightindarkness

Indiana

3.6/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle with a picture of a dog holding a waffle on the label.

A hard pour reveals a smooth full body with swirling carbonation slowly rising to the surface. Not highly carbonated by any stretch, with only a briefly appearing elusive head that leaves traces of bubbles on the surface. The beer itself is nicely colored, with a deep caramel somewhere between amber and copper.

Smell has hints of belgian yeast, a little light fruit estery sweetness and very faint background funk, with lots of grainy bready notes in the middle. I was not at first overly impressed with the nose on this, but as it sits it seems to become a little more complex.

Taste has a lot of dry grainy notes, with an overtone of bitterness throughout. A little biscuity, with some dry spicy toast toward the finish. Bitterness swells at the end and has a lightly burnt flavor to it.

Feel is of a fuller medium consistency, with some carbonation notable on the tongue, but not too much to speak of overall. A bit of a mouthcoating film hangs around for a while after the swallow, but doesn't do much to enhance this one.

An overall decent beer. It's easy to drink, but lacks a lot of appeal to drink more. Could be an okay session beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2008 20:50:20 | More by lightindarkness

warnerry

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours clear orange/brown with almost two fingers of tan head. Head has nice retention and leaves some lacing, but not much.

S - Nice Belgian yeast aroma, a bit earthy and some bubblegum and faint banana. Also some biscuit malt.

T - A nice yeast spiciness up front, along with some noble hops that I didn't notice in the aroma. Biscuit aroma, a bit of banana. Pretty easy drinking.

M - Mouthfeel is on the lighter end of medium. Finishes semi-dry.

O - Pretty enjoyable, but not a standout. Just a nice easy drinking beer with enough Belgian influence to make it interesting.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 03:44:32 | More by warnerry

ballenc

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber into an Imperial pint glass.

Pours a nice, clear orange/amber color - nice 1/2 inch tight, off-white head that retreats too quickly (within a minute or so) and leaves no lacing at all.

I had to keep swirling this beer in order to pick up any aroma - what I did pick up was much lighter than I expected from a Belgian-style beer. Mostly a faint whiff of Belgian yeast mixed with a bit of spice. Overall the least impressive characteristic of this beer.

While this beer seemed lacking in aroma, it did provide a decent flavor - more indicative of a Belgian pale ale. Definite Belgian yeast at the front end that moves quickly to a modest toasted malt and a bit a biting spice (pepper and cloves) at the back end. Overall a pretty balanced ale.

Not bad in terms of mouthfeel - I'd consider it a medium bodied, well-rounded all that does include a fair amount of carbonation but not fizzy in the mouth. Dry finish.

Definitely a drinkable Belgian pale ale - I've had it a couple of times on tap and at that time, I wasn't overly impressed mainly because I prefer Belgian style beers that are stronger on Belgian yeast and malt characteristics. However, this bottled version was much better than I recalled having on tap several months ago and I think it would appeal to drinkers who are either new to the Belgian beer styles or who prefer a more modest take on the Belgian pale ale style.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2007 20:41:43 | More by ballenc

Monkeyknife

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Wow, this beer was a gusher. The bottle foamed at the top even with half of it's contents poured into a glass.

Anyway...poured into a glass a slightly hazy tea color with a frothy beige head.

Aroma of sweet malts, Belgian yeast, flowers, spices, and something slightly medicinal.

The taste has a bitter hoppiness upfront followed by dark ripe fruit, caramel, toasted malts and yeast. Finish lingers with a cocoa tinge.

Medium bodied, dry and chewy, and considerably carbonated.

A pretty good Belgian Pale from Flat Earth. Not one of my favorites but enjoyed and worthy of the experience.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2008 23:08:55 | More by Monkeyknife

tpd975

Florida

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Cigar City Brew for this one.

A: Pours a murky golden hue with a huge thunderous bubbling head. The retention is almost too much as it takes forever for the head to die down enough to drink it.

S: Light malt aromas with some sweet fruit and a hint of spice.

T: Same as aroma with hints of orange hops in the finish.

M: Nice bold carbonation.

D: Not bad much better than the other Flat Earth beer I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2008 12:08:49 | More by tpd975

plfahey

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Golden orange hue with good clarity and a moderate, off-white head with fair retention and some decent lacing.

Aroma-The first aromas that hit are intense clove, banana, and bubblegum aromatics. Underneath the clove/ester profile, there's a bit of caramel/toffee malt character, along with some light vanilla. There's also a hint of spicy hops to be had. Pleasant, though a bit bubblegummy for my taste.

Flavor-Light caramel and rich toffee malt along with bananas and a faint clove flavor slowly dry towards bubblegum and a low green hop flavor with moderately low hop bitterness. Fairly dry in the finish with brisk carbonation wiping the palate clean and a lingering hop bitterness/bubblegum flavor remaining.

Mouthfeel-Medium body with moderately high, brisk carbonation.

An easy drinking, belgian style pale ale. I was kinda so-so on this one when I started, but it definitely grew on me as I went-I could drink a bomber or two of this, no problem. Certainly not my favorite BPA, but a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 05:28:59 | More by plfahey

Chaz

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served cold, in a shaker. Brilliant pale copper in color, with an off-white head and moderate lacing. Nose is yeasty and spicy, with a touch of light mild cloves and white pepper. Pale malt in the nose exhibits soft, subtle notes of orange and peach, but no hops to speak of. Fruity, yeasty and tangy on the first sip. Lightly sweet, with vegetal notes (lemon grass) and biscuity malt character holding this together through the middle of the palate. Smooth interplay between the subtle malt qualities and spicier yeast characteristic. Finish is light and dry-ish. Mouthfeel is medium-full, and there's an excellent sense of drinkability to this one. It was on a two-for-one and they went down smoothly and easily. At the very least this makes for an excellent introduction (for us lucky locals) to the Belgian Pale ale style, but in fact I can see this brew as being the basis for many excellent Belgian style ales to come. It also reminded me of how well-executed some of the Town Hall Belgian-style ales turned out - the appledon't fall far from the tree, eh? I look forward to seeing more from Flat Earth!
[Stub and Herbs/ Minneapolis]

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2007 01:56:17 | More by Chaz

birchstick

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a light caramel brown with a white rim.

S - smells of toasted caramel malt with a lot of fruitiness with some banana and bubblegum

T - starts with bready, toasty, caramel malts. These fade to a subtle bit of dark fruits (some grapes and raisins) Finishes with a sweet banana flavor.

M - full and creamy mouthfeel, goes down smoothly

D - pretty solid BPA from Flat Earth. Has a lot of really solid Pale ale characteristics with a nice twist of Belgian flavors. This was a well integrate beer with a nice flavorful profile. Recommended!

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2011 01:59:13 | More by birchstick

maximum12

Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Great name for a brewery & since it's in my hometown, one I want to support!

Opened this Pale Ale since it's been sitting, unexploded, in my fridge for a couple of months, & figured I could release some tension amongst the beers by removing it. Sure enough I heard a sigh of relief (I swear!) as the fridge door swung closed.

Pretty clear yellow for a Belgian with almost no evident carbonation. Smell is flowery & light & makes me think this'll be a good sipper when the roses start to bloom in the back yard. Yes, I have roses. And yes, they've gone back into their wild state.

Tasty beer. Not oh-my-god tasty, but it has that candied Belgian sweetness to it, along with a surprising stroke of malt on the back of the tongue.

As visually noted, there's almost no carbonation. How could something that flat go C4 on you? A smooth & easy drinker, with no discerbable alcohol kick. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2008 03:00:19 | More by maximum12

Florida9

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap @ The Bulldog

A: Very clear dark gold. Served in a pint glass with about 1/4 inch of thick foamy white head. Good lacing.

S: Biscuit. Toasty malts. Some light citrus notes.

T: Toast. Bread. Light malt flavor with a crisp bitterness on the finish. Dry. Some light, non-aggressive spicy hop flavor.

M: On the lighter side of medium with appropriate carbonation. Dry.

D: Good. A rather typical American version of a Belgian Pale Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2010 21:21:24 | More by Florida9

Tolann

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Very copper/orange in color. White head. Clear, not hazy

S- Floral scent that is there, but doesn't smack you in the face. Some sweet, not too sweet.

T- Malty with bitterness. Sweet too and not piney hops.

M- Medium-light mouth feel. Smooth and not too carbonated. Taste doesn't stick to you with an after taste. No boozy taste.

D- Very drinkable, but not my first choice. This style is not my normal type to drink, but it's still a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 00:38:41 | More by Tolann

shadow1961

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Flat Earth Brewing's Belgian-Style Pale Ale pours a finger of
foam over a slightly cloudy copper colored brew. The nose is
slightly fruity with crisp herbal Noble hops. The flavor is delicate-
barley malt, grain, with mild fruity notes and those herbal hops for
balance. Actually, that flavor reminds me a lot of Saison Dupont-
drinking this puts me in mind of summer and meadows. A very
nice take on a Belgian style, and at a modest 5.2% alcohol by
volume, sessionable as well. Luckily, I picked this one up just
before Flat Earth had their bottle recall- hopefully this doesn't
spook my local liquor store and it'll be back in stock...

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2008 06:12:16 | More by shadow1961

nrbw23

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a copper color with a ton of bubbles streaming up to the top. A huge white colored head that had good retention and left spotty lacing. Looks pretty good.

S- Yeasty, spicey and fruity.

T- Bready, with a nice fruity taste (maybe like cherries) and then finishes off with a nice spice note at the end.

M- A little dry. Overall light to medium in body.

D- Not bad at all. Pretty easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2008 16:48:41 | More by nrbw23

HomebrewPgh

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A nice Belgian pale. Aroma was so so. Pale malt with a little staleness to it. Pour was a beautiful burnt gold with a nice pillowy near tan head with tons of little bubbles rising and sticking to the bottom of the glass. Taste was a little one dimensional and weak. Pale malt with just a hint of light fruits. The big thing here is the carbonation. This carbonation bites the top of the mouth like a tiger biting into it's prey. That great mouthfeel makes this average beer slightly above average.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 03:09:40 | More by HomebrewPgh

cadenwhitaker

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I pulled this out of my cellar, after having it in there for about four months. Popping the top resulted in a quick, but not explosive, gusher, only a little run over the side.

Poured a deep, clear amber with a bubbily fizzy head that quickly dissipated down to almost soda-pop like effect.

Taste is muted, tastes like a belgian, nothing spectacular there. Though it was terribly fizzy... and that's not something I really go for in belgians.

Overall impression. I wish the head retention was better, this beer would be better served with a sticky-fluffy-white-head instead of a soda-pop fizzbomb. Aside from that, the taste was there. I will get this again, but I think it needs a bit of work.

--- older review

It took a few drinks, then I realized I must have been drinking this beer way to cold because I wasn't getting any of the flavors.

The pour is a clear golden amber, and the taste is very muted at first but the flavor comes out in the end. Very sessionble.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2009 20:44:45 | More by cadenwhitaker

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Barley Johns Brewpub.

Dark gold, clear ale. Small, off-white head. Creamy consistency. Very lively, bubbles keep rolling up from the bottom. No legs, but very nice lacing.

Very mild aroma. Got some of the typical Belgian yeast scent. Citrus and clove. Touch of sweet.

Taste was very nicely balanced. Slightly tilted towards the sweet side of the scale -- carmel & burnt sugar. Herbal bitterness at finish.

Medium in body. Light carbonation. Very refreshing.

Would love to drink this again, but might not want more than a couple in any given session. Spices & herbs taste good, but might get to you after a few. I enjoyed this with the habanero hummus, although the food overpowered the beer a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2007 16:59:51 | More by

dfried

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Slightly hazy, brownish toffee in color, thin head dropped quickly to a ring and film. The aroma is of lightly toasted grains, yeast with spicy notes, and some caramel and brown sugar. The taste is of sweet grainy/biscuity malt, some bread and toast flavors. More brown sugar and molasses show up. A fair amount of yeast in the flavor too, which led to some light spicy notes of cloves and pepper. Not unnecessarily light, but lighter carbonation than the average brew, about what you would expect for the style. Light to medium bodied, thin grainy aftertaste.

Overall: a solid brew. I don't think it's going to shock and awe anyone, but its a pretty good session beer. I would have liked to see some of the spicy notes amped up a bit to linger in the aftertaste more.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2007 15:55:33 | More by dfried

kenito799

New York

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber poured into a pint glass.

Hazy yellow-amber, nice large rocky head,recedes slowly, looks nice.

The aroma has a nice apple-lemon sharpness that gives a definite Belgian twist to this brew. Malty. Nice fruitiness up front, while cold the midpalate had a sour graininess that is not so great; warming, this effect mellows but the lemony tangy grain flavor really contributes to the Belgian feel of this well-made ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2008 02:27:10 | More by kenito799

tavernjef

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bright coppery orange. Slim, unlasting cap of off-white foam reveals the look of more like a cola drink then a beer. Some thin strings and a few specks of lace cling to the glass.

Aroma is mostly of Belgian yeast which is kinda musty and dullishly doughy with a slight sweet nudge of malt and some metallic hints.

Taste is crisp and yeasty with the flavors of crunchy doughyness, biscuity, a bit of musty stuff, pale malts, and some sweetness coming into the finishing areas. The finish itself is quite interesting and quick to enter, however, it drys out fairly well with yeasty fluffy leftovers and spicy, peppery, dry breadyness with a bit of tannins coming in.

The body is about medium with a thin front and middle, which is quick. Its quite crisp and snappy though. That yeast kicks right in and grabs ya. The finish does help carry some weight with it but seems quite one dimensional in character with the yeast being the main factor in its overall ability to ensue a proper well-to-do impression.

Drinks well enough but lacks some depth and complexity beyond the yeastyness that is truly the one thing about the beer that really does anything for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2007 18:50:04 | More by tavernjef

shroompod

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy orange, small head , no lacing.

Aroma is almost absent, maybe some slight caramel sweetness.

I pretty good balance of fruitiness with a small amount of bittering hops.

Mouthfeel is thin , a little under-carbonated.

Overall a pretty easy drinking brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2008 00:50:24 | More by shroompod

djeucalyptus

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours a beautiful golden apricot hue, crystal clear, with a vigorous three-finger head fueled by never ending carbonation. The head, however, fades fairly quickly, and lacing is only a wish. A thin collar of fizz follows down the glass.

aroma of wet straw, apricot, seville oranges, almonds, champagne grapes, biscuits, clover honey, a bit more belgian mustiness. Aroma is beautiful and earthy in a unique yet undeniably belgian way.

taste echoes the belgian qualities in the aroma fairly nicely. a bit grassy, a bit barnyardy, a little musty, and a healthy bit of fruit. apricots, white grapes, bosc pears and a hint of lemon. A fair bit of spice comes through, almost saison-esque, with some white pepper, cloves and cardamom, and a bit of bitter hopping. complex and well rounded, although a bit muddled at times. a doughy malt backbone holds everything together well.

mouthfeel is a bit of a letdown... the carbonation is just a touch rough and the body thin yet still a touch slick and sticky. Not bad by any means, but a bit more vibrant and smooth carbonation and this would be beautiful.

Enjoyable and fairly drinkable. the harshness amplifies the spiciness, which is delicious yet almost overwhelmingly harsh at times. Just a touch of reworking of the carbonation would improve everything. Still really enjoyable and definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2009 02:32:14 | More by djeucalyptus

bsp77

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Serving glass: Poured from growler into new Summit Pint.

Appearance: Bright orange-amber with moderate head at first but dies down quickly with very little lacing.

Smell: Mainly fruit and toasted malts. Some slight Belgian funk.

Taste: Very malty backbone of biscuit, toast and fruit. Slight banana and clove undertones, but not too much. Fairly light on the Belgian spectrum, but quite delicious nonetheless.

Feel: Lower carbonation than expected for a Belgian beer, medium body, slightly dry finish.

Drinkability: Great everyday beer. Nice to have a Belgian flagship for once.

Serving type: growler

07-28-2009 02:51:21 | More by bsp77

oakbluff

Manitoba (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a lovley amber peach with great clarity and good head. Nose- definitely pick up pale malt and biscuit breadiness. Taste- strong belgian yeast flavour imparts lots of fruity esters. Biscuit and munich malts are strong in the profile of this beer. Beer finishes quickly in the mouth leaving a dry spicy finish from the hallertau hops. Very flavouful brew and reminds me of a slightly less biscuity version of my local micro's (half pints) version of the style (the Son). First brew from this Twin City brewery and I am impressed. Nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2008 02:47:00 | More by oakbluff

Deuane

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Light copper with a medium white head with good retention and decent lacing.

S-Light teases of apricot and citrusy hops. Nothing stands out but melds nicely.

T-Good Belgian yeast zing of sweet fruit giving in the a pleasant bitter hop bite in the finish.

M-Medium-light body with good zip from the carbonation.

D-Easy to drink, period. A nice twist to the "typical" pale ale...props to Flat Earth for establishing something a bit different as their flagship. A solid brew I wouldnt mind having as my fall back beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2008 08:15:19 | More by Deuane

jjanega08

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A= copper color with a huge head that lasts for an eternity leaving great lacing along the glass
S= yeasty and some toasted malt. Very very small hop notes
T= carmel maltyness but mostly a doughy yeast. I don't usually like belgians much because of the yeast but this is well balanced with the malt
M= high carbonation with a crisp finish
D= decent. Like I said I don't care for the belgians much but this one was pretty nice for the style

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2008 18:28:16 | More by jjanega08