Imperial French-Style Ale
Lavery Brewing Company

Imperial French-Style AleImperial French-Style Ale
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From:
Lavery Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Belgian IPA
Ranked #56
ABV:
11.5%
Score:
86
Ranked #19,843
Avg:
3.79 | pDev: 12.14%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
57
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 04, 2023
Added:
Sep 03, 2011
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  8
Inpired by Napolean Bonaparte. The Irish and French were Allies during the period when Napolean was in power. French has a small brewing culture but their independence and culture is worthy of great respect. This ale is based around our house French saison blend. It features mostly pale and wheat malts and a hefty dose of sugar to dry this big boy out. Hopped and dry hopped with massive amounts of Cascade, Columbus, Centennial and Chinook hops to double IPA levels. So...is it a Tripel IPA? Hoppy saison, a new style? Who knows and more importantly, who cares. Beers like this don't deserve to be put into tiny boxes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of neenerzig
Reviewed by neenerzig from Ohio

4.14/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Got a 4 pack of this when I was at the brewery last week. Poured out of a 12 oz can into my tulip glass, this beer pours a just slightly cloudy/hazy, mostly clear, light to medium golden color w/ a big, fluffy white head that's well over an inch thick when first poured. Head settles eventually to a thick ring lining the inside of the glass, a nice cluster swirl of film layer surface foam, and pretty nice lacing. Aromas of some zesty, bready malts, spice and herbs, some yeasty esters, a bit of fruit, and a bit of musty funk are all present. The flavor profile is similar, with some zesty, bready malts, some herbal and spice notes, a bit of fruit that I can't quite identify specifically, some yeasty esters w/ a bit of barnyard funk, and herbal, grassy, floral hops that provide a fair amount of bitterness indeed. The hops do tend to dominate the flavor profile a bit more than I would like. The flavor profile is really quite unique. This is like an imperial saison that's heavily hopped. I'll be aging my remaining cans of this for awhile so the hop intensity can die down. I've had some Belgian IPAs before, and this one does not strike me as being a beer of that style. Style wise and characteristics wise, this one stands alone to me. It is certainly one of the most unique beers I've ever had in these regards. Has a fairly crisp, also smooth and frothy, medium bodied mouthfeel w/ moderate carbonation. All of the flavors linger for quite awhile very nicely on my palate in the aftertaste. Worth a try for sure if you get the chance to do so.

Eric
Sep 04, 2023
Photo of Steve_Studnuts
Reviewed by Steve_Studnuts from Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a soft, cloudy orange with a big 'ol head. Bubbles are tight and compact on bottom with big, bursting bulbs up top. Head thins out to a sheen in relatively quick order with very minimal lacing. Smells very yeasty, but it's not of the Belgian variety. Label says saison yeast with a touch of cane sugar. Well all right then. Lots of hoppy goodness on the nose as well. This would be a good beer to give someone in a blind tasting. The nose would certainly throw most for a loop. Anyway, taste doesn't quite live up, but it's not a total letdown either. I can't find a date on the bottle, so perhaps the hops have faded a bit. They're there, but this is just an odd flavor profile. Maybe unique is a better word. It's got a vino-esque grape vibe that throws me. Something in there is giving me heartburn from the start as well. Gah, I'm going to need an antacid STAT. Mad burps too. Man, my body has never had this kind of reaction to a beer before. Weird. Anyway, this is damn near full-bodied with a soft, refreshing finish. Minimal bitterness, but it does linger. Overall, this is one odd duck of a beer. I don't really know how to classify it, but at 11.5% ABV and $9/4-pack this'll get you where you need to go if you're stressed out and need a little mental break. Not that I recommend drinking all 4 in one sitting. That sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.
Sep 25, 2021
 
Rated: 3.83 by KAP1356 from Pennsylvania

Oct 28, 2018
 
Rated: 3.99 by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

Aug 24, 2018
 
Rated: 3.78 by guzzleacoldone from Ohio

Jul 17, 2017
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.33/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This beer pours a slightly hazy golden orange, with a small head, and a good amount of lacing.

This is hard to figure out, but it smells good. Definitely a good amount of citrusy hops, some floral perfumy hops, clove, vague saison yeast, grassiness, stone fruit, and pine.

This doesn't really feel like a Belgian IPA, as it is categorized on this site. The brewery doesn't categorize it as such, though. They don't really categorize it as anything. To me, it tastes kind of like a hoppy American bastardization of a Belgian tripel. Don't let that fool you- I think it tastes pretty great, though. It's definitely quite hoppy, with luscious and soft fruit flavors, some lots of floral bitterness. It feels a bit perfumey, and it's got a lot of dry traditional saison yeast flavors. There's just a slight hint of funk, but it's barely there.

This is medium bodied, pretty full and rich, with a good level of carbonation.

This is super interesting, and it's basically unlike anything I've ever had.
Feb 09, 2017
Photo of puck1225
Reviewed by puck1225 from Texas

4.09/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Very underrated beer,probably because it has an IPA designation. Anyway, I poured it from a bottle into a glass. Wonderful thick creamy head and great lacing. A pleasant floral-herbal smell. Earthy sweet taste with herbs a saison-like spiciness. Very nice beer!
Dec 28, 2016
 
Rated: 3.65 by logicalparadox from New York

Nov 16, 2016
 
Rated: 4.03 by Electros from Canada (ON)

Aug 07, 2016
 
Rated: 4.37 by AJmon13 from Ohio

Jul 17, 2016
 
Rated: 2.75 by rickklein9 from Pennsylvania

Jul 01, 2016
Photo of ccrida
Reviewed by ccrida from Oregon

3.71/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Appearance is a dull, hazy straw gold with a small white head leaving scattered lace.

Smell is tropical fruits, leafty hops and yeasty bread dough. A little ethanol vapor.

Taste is really big on the fruity saison esters, accentuated by citrus of the hops, lime notesj.

Mouthfeel is off-dry and a bit chewy, but it's still attenuated enough to be aligned with the farmhouse style.

Drinkabiltiy is pretty good. It's a big, bold, beer, but it's not too hot of boozy. Loads of flavor and perhaps not the most digestabile, but overall a nice riff on a saison.
Oct 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.18 by 3fdread from Illinois

Aug 10, 2015
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Rated by westcoastbeerlvr from California

2.15/5  rDev -43.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
Ugly beer, with a spoiled fruit aroma and a disgusting licorice-medicine finish.
May 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.9 by CheapBeerBuzz from California

May 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.66 by mdaschaf from Indiana

Mar 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.98 by Domvan from Texas

Dec 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by BcOneSeven from Michigan

Dec 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by McMatt7 from Pennsylvania

Dec 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by KAF from Iowa

Nov 20, 2014
Imperial French-Style Ale from Lavery Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 57 ratings