Cipher - Half Acre Beer Company

mcallister

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light straw colored with a medium bodied white head. Good retention with spotty lacing.

Aromas of chalk, rock candy, belgian yeast, black pepper, some clove and bubblegum phenols as well. An almost barnyard character as well like it's a bit "shitty".

Phenolics come through nicely, some toasty malts, light noble hops on the finish, a bit grassy with rounded belgian yeast ester and belgian spices. An odd off flavor on the finish and long after that really messes things up. Otherwise a nice beer. More like a triple or blonde than a BSPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 21:10:29 | More by mcallister

thewimperoo

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%

05-21-2013 03:17:47 | More by thewimperoo

vasinger

Illinois

4/5  rDev +8.1%

05-03-2013 21:36:19 | More by vasinger

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a teku)
A- This beer pours a crystal clear clover honey golden body with a slow motion carbonation that supports an off-white head of thick cream that sticks to the glass with each sip leaving register marks.

S- Even during the pour, the aroma of candied fruit esters and flowers followed by green candied hops come through. Nice full pineapple weed hops finish the aroma.

T- The softer dry yeasty esters have some green herbal hops that take on more of a pungent role in the finish. There the hops linger just a bit after each sip.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has a gentle fizz prick in the finish that complements the hops flavor and no alcohol heat noticed.

O- The crisp light beer has a great aroma with lots of yeasty ester depth and strong hop support. It doesn’t come through as much in the flavor but it still is very tasty. The beer really dries out as the beer opens up.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 21:00:01 | More by rhoadsrage

Sparky44

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

03-24-2013 18:34:42 | More by Sparky44

jegross2

Illinois

3/5  rDev -18.9%

02-06-2013 21:42:24 | More by jegross2

brandoman63

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

01-16-2013 23:01:26 | More by brandoman63

CanisMajor

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

01-14-2013 00:47:06 | More by CanisMajor

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%

01-11-2013 21:16:09 | More by spycow

slemkuil

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -12.2%

12-21-2012 20:42:14 | More by slemkuil

PopnLoads

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

09-22-2012 21:53:22 | More by PopnLoads

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a yellow color with a white head. The aroma has a lot of Belgian yeast as well as some biscuit malt. The flavor is more complex. I get some nice yeast and orange citrus notes, as well as some coriander. There is also some sweetness from the biscuit malt. The alcohol is also noticeable. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 22:17:41 | More by Mora2000

Thompson

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

07-16-2012 21:44:55 | More by Thompson

BeerOps

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

07-07-2012 22:15:24 | More by BeerOps

Sean9689

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at Fountainhead for the Half Acre/Perennial Event.

A - Pours a clear golden yellow color, fluffy off-white head, wisps.

S - Belgian yeast notes, spices, light hops, grass. Very clean and straight forward to the style.

T - Light hops, yeast character, grass, light sugary sweetness.

M - Light body, good carbonation, clean finish.

O - Not the best Belgian Pale I've had, but not terrible. Pretty forgetful and not something I'd purchase nor try again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2012 14:23:03 | More by Sean9689

nathanjohnson

Vermont

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

06-19-2012 22:04:27 | More by nathanjohnson

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.45/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A peruse of the beer aisle starts to look like a fourth grade techno-junkie's weekend project with a quilt work pattern of grid, angular, and neon catches my eye. I guess I'm a sucker for obnoxious beer labels.

As most American brewed, Belgian-style blonde ales do, Half Acres' pours with a tarnish straw color and the expected yeasty haze. A creamy head forms a semi-dense head of absolute white foam that retains well with adequate lace, but shyly demonstrates the authentic rocky structure and withstanding of traditional Belgian versions.

Distinctly Belgian, wheaty, and yeasty as the aromatic profile plays out with estery fruits that seem almost banana with papaya, plantain, and southern pawpaws. Balancing scent of spicy clove and coriander seep into the bready notes of light light baking bread, candied grain, honey suckle and overall floral character. An almost-brine scent rises and reminds me of latex and copper and offers an unsettled intrigue.

All those supple and whimsical notes return in flavor for a sweetish tone of honey, biscuit, restrained caramel, and saccharine then followed closely by the spices of white pepper, clove, celery seed, straw, mulled grass, salt and soap. Met with an odd peppery and meaty character that oddly reminds me of electrical tape and ham causes me to take pause but doesn't deter me from returning to the next sip.

Creamy and medium textured (perhaps robust for the style), the beer's timid fullness endures through mid palate and into an extended finish of tardy semi-dryness and peppery bite to finish. The aftertaste of fruit and spice seems more of an evaporated aroma than a taste.

Rustic yet characterful, this verbose Belgian blonde ale gathers a range of taste that's normally avoided in the style but are somehow delivered in fairly pleasant light in this quirky rendition. Good job Half Acre!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 05:00:50 | More by BEERchitect

quirkzoo

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to rmalinowski for this extra.

Golden yellow with 1 finger of soda like head that recedes quickly.

Holy Belgian Yeast Batman. Tons of cloves and spices, bright citrus fruits, not much else discernible. Pleasant but a bit one note.

Again pretty one note with lots of Belgian yeast and a dry minerality.

Light mouthfeel, very drinkable.

Nice light Belgian but after you scratch the surface there isn't too much complexity.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 17:01:49 | More by quirkzoo

wfcubsfan

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -12.2%

06-10-2012 23:25:40 | More by wfcubsfan

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +14.9%

06-09-2012 23:08:30 | More by CliffBrake

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My wife grabbed this for me in Chicago. Enjoyed on 5.20.12

A - Pours a hazy, light honey-orange with a one inch near-white head. Solid retention.

S - Light Belgian yeast comes through and some subtle lemony citrus.

T - Lemons and Belgian spices, just as it should be.

D - Good carbonation and a light body.

O - Good Belgian-style without being overly spicy.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 22:09:27 | More by HuskyinPDX

AaronBurr

Illinois

4/5  rDev +8.1%

05-20-2012 03:45:03 | More by AaronBurr

JVan

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%

05-14-2012 13:39:23 | More by JVan

imperialking

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

05-11-2012 03:41:24 | More by imperialking

Beezee

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%

05-11-2012 01:25:37 | More by Beezee