Belgica - Great Divide Brewing Company

boudreaux

Alabama

4.43/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Already reviewed this one once, but I figured I'd start round 2 of beer reviews and see if my palate has changed over the past few years. I'll just note what's the same and different, and you can use my previous review from 2/4/11 if you wish.

A: the head is much thicker and solid, pouring 3-fingers thick this time; otherwise, the same

S: much heavier and thicker than I remember; I detect sweet wild honey and fruity esters this time; no sweet citrus aromas this time; otherwise, the same

T: The "nectar" description fits just as it did last time; some characteristics of an IPA are detected this time (lemon zest and grapefruit citrus, crisp "fresh-cut grass"); no alcohol flavors here

M: the creamy smoothness of last time is here, but I am aware of the bitter hops cutting through, balancing the beer very well and counteracting the sticky sweetness; a touch of alcohol warmth (no spicy burning though); extremely drinkable, refreshing, and satisfying

O: A really, really good interpretation of an IPA done Belgian-style; characteristics true to both traditions are represented well, and their union results in a unique but familiar result; Great Divide still gets my vote of approval on the Belgica

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2011 23:05:49 | More by boudreaux

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Totowa because I hadn't tried it before. I didn't think that a domestic brewery based in the Rockies could take on a Belgian style and pull it off but this was one of the more pleasant surprises that I've had lately, without a doubt!

Great pour to this with a golden hue, good head, and lacing that wasn't too thick or thin. This shone nicely when held up to the light and the aroma was present, but not strong. At first, I could smell faint hops and then the spice and light citrus notes kicked in. The pepper grew in stature as I went through the glass and this was as light as soap suds in terms of mouthfeel. The aftertaste was just like a Belgian beer in terms of the sourness but never did I feel that anything was out of place. Everything meshed well together, including the carbonation, which kept this from feeling too heavy like so many other beers of this style tend to lean towards.

There was a slight warming effect from the alcohol but I couldn't taste it at all. If there was a session beer for Belgian IPA's, this could be it and it's a good, easily enjoyable interpretation of the style. I only bought this as a single but I may go back and get a six-pack of this since the body and mouthfeel to this were appealing and easily enjoyable for someone like me who doesn't have this type of beer too much. This would be a great choice for this time of the year, as the days warm up!

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 20:47:12 | More by JerzDevl2000

SkeeterHawk

Texas

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

Appearance: Pours a mostly clear yellow golden color with a small 1/4" head of creamy white foam that was there for quite some time maintained by numerous bubbles rising. There is already some lacing left on the glass after swirling and the head fading a bit.

Aroma: Belgian yeast giving the doughy un-cooked bread aromatics along with defined Citrusy hops. Some lemon coming out as the beer sits a bit, but the doughy yeast is a very big player in the aroma.

Taste: The flavor is more balanced than the aroma suggested it would be. There is yeast and hops in the flavor too, but there are some malty notes in here too like some toasty bread crusts and a little bit of what I guess is wheat. The bready component is also in the flavor, but it isn't nearly as strong as it is in the aroma. The finish is well balanced with hops very slightly nudging out the malt for control. The carbonation is adequate to slightly high as you would expect for a Belgian style beer.

Opinion: This is pretty decent. The bready notes are a bit much for my taste. Maybe it would mellow if it was aged for a little bit or something, and I am pretty sure that it would. I wouldn't think that you would have to lay down a 7.2% ABV beer, but I think that is the case here. At least 6 months would probably help. That said, the overall blend of hops and malt and other flavors is well done. This is a pretty good beer, I just think that it is a bit green right now.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 05:52:47 | More by SkeeterHawk

Beer4Baltimore

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Being a Great Divide Brewing Co fan I was more than happy to try a new one.
Unfortunately Belgica turned out to not meet my expectations, but I have found this an issue with the Belgian IPA style in general.

look - off yellow tower of foam
smell - old citrus and old grass
feel - a little thin
taste - dirty lemons well past their prime
...not the lemon taste of a Belgian but the taste of rotten lemons

Starts slightly tart and ends a little bitter but with only a very slight hoppy taste. A little funk present.
I would prefer more of a hoppy bite to round out a Belgian IPA.

drinkability - not a hot summer slammer.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 00:18:23 | More by Beer4Baltimore

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a clean deep yellow color with a white head. In the aroma, sweet candy sugar and hints of fruit. In the taste, fruity, sweet apricot, candy sugar, and a bit watery. A smooth and watery thin bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry hint of fruit in the aftertaste. Quite thin and watery. Not too big in hops and a bit sweet, expecting better.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2011 16:31:09 | More by OWSLEY069

plfahey

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Pale golden yellow in color with decent clarity. Moderate white head has a fine bead and moderate retention, with minor lacing.

Aroma-Decent aroma of biscuit and grainy malts, lemon/orange citric tartness, and fair amounts of phenolic spice character, especially white pepper, with lighter notes of clove and coriander. Light spicy hops, and faint funk notes-yogurty lactic acid aroma along with a slightly leathery scent.

Flavor-Some grain, some bread, lemon and orange, lots of phenolics, with white pepper in the forefront (but slight plastic on the back end), and spicy, herbal green hop flavor shows up in the finish as well. The finish has medium hop bitterness, spicy white pepper, and zesty lemon notes. Finishes rather dry.

Mouthfeel-Medium body, moderately carbonated. Relatively smooth. A slight sharpness/astringency from the phenolics. Very low alcohol warmth.

Decent, but not fantastic. I warmed up to the flavor after a bit, but the phenolics were a little bit harsh for me, especially in the finish (a bit plastic-y). Nonetheless, a solid,decent drinking BPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 05:16:11 | More by plfahey

brentk56

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a rocky meringue head that leaves a few shards of lace

Smell: Bready malt, with a yeasty phenols adding a peppery, herbal character; a rather grassy aspect as well

Taste: Opens with the bready character of a pilsner, but the spicy Belgian yeast quickly takes center stage, adding white pepper, jasmine and stone fruit to the mix; by mid-palate, the hops add an earthy bitterness; the aftertaste is herbacious and grassy, with undertones of sweet Belgian malts

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate, but prickly, carbonation

Drinkability: I kept going back and forth on this beer, disliking it at first, then warming to it but finally winding up somewhere in the middle - I think it is the Germanic elements of bread and grass that keep throwing me off

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 23:38:38 | More by brentk56

katan

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint

A - Pours a somewhat dark golden color. Bright white head formation, moderate carbonation appearance. Very clear.

S - Spicy white pepper nose, but not overbearing. A bit of malts in the background with a grainy pilsner being the most obvious.

T - Starts off with a light pilsner malt note, but is immediately overcome with white pepper and a few esters. Lightly malty overall, but the yeast stars. Finishes with a clean, lightly bitter, very pepery note.

M - Moderate body, strong carbonation. Finishes clean with the aforementioned bitter cling.

O/D - Easy drinking - lightly filling from the carbonation. ABV is up there, but well hidden.

I'm a fan of this one - a great introduction to the style as it doesn't overemphasize any particular attribute.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 21:44:58 | More by katan

colforbin73

California

3.65/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

this beer seemed to hardly have any carbonation. it poured with essentially no head, but small bubbles did form on the surface. there was no hop aroma, i had a hard time getting much in the nose at first, but i began to pickup on the belgian pilsner malt and yeast that is used as it warmed up a little. there are a lot of peppery overtones....

this beer needs a little time, it should not be too cold... give it a few minutes to warm up and you can appreciate it more.

as far as it being a Belgian IPA, i would go for a GF Le Freak or others before this. they used all belgian pilsner malt, and got the bitterness up there, but the body and hop aroma of american ipa is missing.... it is more like a bitter pils.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 02:55:19 | More by colforbin73

rtepiak

Poland

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a solid form with a particularly brisk nature and a not honey pollen sweet blonde nature but a munich malt dry with a belgian citrus candy note. Golden with a nice lacy white head. Nose of lilly pollen and belgian sugar cane effectively blended. Palate is a tad lacking in latitude... Polar... Sweet floral with a bitter zest and pine earthy twig.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2011 02:03:55 | More by rtepiak

Pullen

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to drumrboy22 for this extra.

The beer is straw in color with the light ester. Taste isn't that bad.. I was expecting "sweet and hoppy", but that isn't the case. The flavor is that of a belgian strong with a hint of honey with hops that are apparent, but don't overpower. Not bad.

For something different, I'd purchase this beer. Although not great,it doesn't disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 00:43:56 | More by Pullen

specksnreds

Texas

2.73/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Disappointing. Looks beautiful in its golden splendor, smells too estery and one dimensional, metallic finish, nice mouthfeel and I may or may not finish it. Where's the IPA portion of this beer? Skip it and move on at this price (I expected A LOT more). Glad it was only a single.

Did not finish it. It now sleeps with the fishes.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 22:50:22 | More by specksnreds

ktrillionaire

Florida

1.95/5  rDev -46.9%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Bottled February 03, 2011

A - Pale brassy gold with a thin soapy head.

S - Catty, sweaty and uric. Also candi sugar. And vegetal. Boiled corn-on-the-cob?

T - This is a bad beer. A sweat sock for malt, a litter box for the hop, uggghhh.

M - It's not the feel's fault.

D - This is pretty terrible, I tried to give it a chance, but mehhh I must dump it.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2011 04:04:13 | More by ktrillionaire

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.7/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A -Pours a clear golden body with a generous 2 finger white head that retains well. Nice sticky lacing patterns.

S - Grassy earthy grain, musty clove, lemon, sweet floral.

T - Candy sweet malt with a good amount of clove and pepper. Grassy, lemon citrus, honey, with floral hops adding earthy bitterness. The yeast provides a subtle funk. Finishes with a peppery bite.

M - Medium bodied, moderate carbonation.

A good American version. Would have liked more character from the yeast. Good spice and hop profile.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 18:07:33 | More by StaveHooks

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On-tap this afternoon at mad mex in Robinson.

A-Body is a nearly transparent golden yellow hue with some bubbles steadily rising to the top. Served with a big foamy 2-3 finger white head-this eventually fades to 1 finger and lacing sticks all the way down the glass. This is really a beautiful brew.

S- Not too much to the nose. The overall impression is American Wheat beer with a kick of floral hop. The wheat nose is prominent and is much more grainy than smooth. There is a well done accent of floral hops around the nose but the highlight is the graininess.

T- The flavor is much like the nose. The grainy wheat character is the highlight of this brew-and is moderate in strength at the beginning and strong at the end. There is a hint of alcohol astringency present for the finish-but nothing major, and an accent of floral hops. A moderate strength floral hop bitterness and grainy resin linger for quite awhile.

M- Medium to high carbonation and light to medium weight body.

D- I was able to finish this brew-but I didn't really enjoy it. The grain flavors get cloying and subtract from the Belgian IPA character that this beer should have-it tastes like an Imperial, boring American Wheat that lacks character.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2011 00:28:17 | More by PittBeerGirl

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a golden color with a small head. Smell is mild, some hops present. Taste is dominated by hops, maybe a touch of lemon, considerably bitter. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and has average drinkability. Overall this came off to me as a mediocre beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 16:34:28 | More by tone77

StoneBrewFanatic

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours light gold in color into my snifter with about one finger of white head, minimal retention, but nice sticky lacing.

S - Very malty, lemon, biscuit, hops, honey, clove and spice.

T - Malty, hop taste is more present than in the aroma, nice bitterness, honey and clove are present, biscuit, and a bit of a peppery finish.

M - A little thin in body, and very carbonated makes it feel a little too light and dry.

D - This is totally drinkable, and I enjoy it, just didn't wow me or anything.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 04:37:40 | More by StoneBrewFanatic

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy straw color with a tight, white head that leaves little bits of lacing.

Smells of spicy and grassy hops.

Tastes of a good hop profile with some solid malts. Hops have a lemony, grassy character, with a little bitterness. Malt adds a bit of fruit and a light sweetness. Yeast adds some spice notes as well with clove and some pepper.

Mouthfeel is medium with a slightly crisp amount of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 03:14:37 | More by ocelot2500

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz Bottle

Appearance - The beer pours a slightly hazy gold colour with a large size frothy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there some good lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes before it was gone entirely.

Smell - breads/grains, hops, lemon juice and zest, cloves

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and the beer has a lot of pungent flavours going on. There is a lot of lemon juice and zest flavour mixed with cloves. There is also a lot of bread/grain taste mixed with some faint banana, hops, and pine. It finishes with a bitter lemon zest and hop aftertaste.

Drink - Something about the beer just didn't seem quite right.. it was missing a little bit of balance. I'm happy I gave it a shot but I wouldn't seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 19:18:07 | More by spinrsx

FosterJM

California

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

290th review on BA
bottle to NB globe
12oz bottle, bottled 12/21/10

App- Very dark yellow with a nice funnel of bubbles up the middle, A decent one finger head on top.

Smell- Very soft smells, yeasty, bubbly, biscuity.

Taste- Seems a bit muddled to me. Tried to go for a yeasty Belgian flavor but it fell a bit flat. A little too malty, biscuity and flat but did taste good, but could have been better.

Mouth- Thin bodied with a high carbonation level. A nice malt after taste.

Drink- A bit confusing in the glass but was pretty tasty. Dont think Ill grab another.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 17:03:41 | More by FosterJM

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a goblet glass.

Look - golden colored, a bit murky, with about a finger's worth of off-white colored foam that dissipates somewhat quickly.

Smell - hoppy and fruity-smelling. The combination of the hops is evident, but which one or ones is most prominent is hard to tell, perhaps the European malts.

Taste and Mouthfeel - definitely hoppy in the taste too, but the bitterness doesn't kick in until the finish. The taste of the hops is strongest in the middle. Texture is well-balanced.

Drinkability - very nice brew. Complicated and interesting enough, and not at all bad tasting.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 03:39:43 | More by Nerudamann

KomodoDragon

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Even the most careful of pours produced a voluminous white head which stayed a while and generated impeccable lacing.

S - Biscuity, lemony , and hoppy.

T - Buscuity, lemony, and finished with a hop finish. Much in the flavors of GD Titan IPA, GD most have access to some wonderful hops or they are experts in knowing what to do with them. Or both.

M - High carbonation, and a crispness

D - Well balanced. I enjoyed this as a change of pace to a standard IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 03:31:25 | More by KomodoDragon

ElijahCSkuggs

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Silky smooth pour that bubbles up into a dense and thick head. Rather clear, with okay lacing.

Yo, where's the smell at yo? Surprisingly hidden. The most evident smell, for me, is the sweetness factor; be it candy, or something with a strong pinch of fruit. Totally disappointed here.

Hoppy, with a bitter twang. Aftertaste of candy that's very pleasing.

Pretty smooth and creamy feel, that has a dry finish. Tiny lasting bite.

I'm disappointed here. I suppose I was expecting something a bit more Belgian, but it's much more American. A decent brew, but there's no way I'll be buying this over Piraat.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 22:41:16 | More by ElijahCSkuggs

rrski198

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Very hazy straw yellow color. Looks very simiar to a hef. Average white head and little lacing.

S: Belgian yeast dominates. Good smell but I was thinking there would be some more hop presence. Not anything out of the ordinary here, jsut that great funky yeast smell.

T: I'm getting two main characteristics here. Belgian yeast again at the fore front and then a strong bitter back bone. Outside of the bitterness, I am not getting anything else from the hops. I am left desireing a little more sweet to balance that walop of hop bitterness at the end. Not bad at all, just being picky.

M: Average carbonation and a strong bite on the sides of my tongue (that lingers) from the hops. I again can say that it feels a little thin without some form of sweetness.

D: Drinkability is good. On a hot summer day, these would go down like water. Nice offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 22:28:37 | More by rrski198

morimech

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled on Jan 07, 2011. So this must be a year round beer and not a seasonal.

Just slightly hazy golden with one finger of head that held on for a short time. Nice amount of lacing is left on the glass.

Aroma of pale malt, lemon peel, grassy hops, and a whole lot of phenolic yeast spiciness.

This is one dry beer. A little zesty lemon and peppery hops, but the rest of the flavor is dominated by the spicey yeast. Dry and slightly bitter finish.

Good body and carbonation. Not too light and not overly carbonated. Very good for a hoppy, dry beer.

Easy to drink thanks to its dryness. Maybe not a beer I would return to frequently, but I would have no problem by a sixer.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 18:25:33 | More by morimech