Green Flash Le Freak - Green Flash Brewing Co.

Thickfreakness

New York

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a rich gold with a fluffy, bright white two finger head that leaves a ton of sticky honey lacing all over the glass. A decent blend of clarity and haze...excellent carbonation that never ends!

S- Grapefruit, orange peel, banana, clove, and nutty yeast. Picking up some nutmeg, lemon, sweet caramel, licorice, bubble gum and pine cones. It's exactally what it is... a West Coast IPA with Belgian Yeast qualitys! It's amazing how you can pick out all the seperate notes and nuances, but at the same time... they blend seemlessly together.

T- Pungent pine and citrus smack your palate right off! Little bits of over ripe banana, winter pie spices and little hints of caramel apple. Some sour lemon/green apple notes along with buttery caramel, bitter orange peel, pine sap and some wet grass and compost funk fron the yeast. Not the most complex Belgian IPA, but very nice.

M- Great bubbly carbonation! Nice blend of sweetness, sour/bitter citrus, and spicey yeast. The alcohol is very well hidden underneath all that bloom and flavor. This is a fantastic brew!

O- Really glad that this finally made it's way to NY. I'll definately be picking up a few more 4-packs of this one! Great complexity... tons of flavor, and goes with so many different foods.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 20:23:15 | More by Thickfreakness

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance: The beer poured a one finger head tha has reduced to a puffy layer. It is a golden orange color with a hazy clarity and signs of carbonation coming up through the glass. Nice lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Smell: yeasty goodness and super hops aroma. Spiciness from the yeast and lots of citrus from the hops. Bready and sweet malts along with grassy and pungent hop aromas too. Very funky aroma wth a lot going on here.

Taste: hops are up front here. Citrus, pineapple, and pine that leave a lingering bitterness in the beer. Picking up some banana and bready malts too. Spiciness and some belgian characteristics follow. Very interestingly tasty.

Mouthfeel: smooth, a little chewy, full bodied, medum carbonation, a little dry, and a lingering bitterness.

Overall: A good offering by GF to the BIPA style. Super hops up front that leave a lingering bitterness, but the beer did get better as it warmed up. Hops could be toned down a bit or just add a bit more sweetness,which in turn will add more alcohol to the beer. The alcohol is veyr well hidden too.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 22:49:25 | More by Flounder57

BucannonXC5

California

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22-oz. bomber into a pint glass at my house on July 20, 2012. Lots of foamy white head, probably about three fingers. Honey golden pale color. The head stayed forever and was thick and foamy on the top and sides of glasses.

Got a surprising mix on the nose of citrus hops, Belgian style and American Pale Ale. First and probably the most strong note is the Belgian style - cloves, light banana, wheat. Sharp spicy bitter citrus hops, seemed to be more tangerine or orange than anything else. Also a light lemon grass.

Tasted pretty close to the smell, really what I described above. Sharp bitter pale notes, sharp bitter citrus hops, at least somewhere in between. Tangerine still is the main citrus hops that I can taste, also a bit of pine. Unlike the nose, the Belgian notes aren’t as pronounced, but they are still there. Some kind of spice is in there as well.

Light body. Creamy texture. Average-to-above average carbonation. Long bitter finish.

Enjoyed this beer. Just a nice hybrid and good change of pace. Would definitely try it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 04:17:47 | More by BucannonXC5

smakawhat

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

Real interesting brew here, It appears almost red and pink, then the body color shows a nice orange amber and very slow rising carbonation coming up. Head is a nice bright white and clumpy with a creamy top.

Nose is really wonderful, floral, sweet Belgian candy, toast malts, faint chewy pear.

Taste brings a great hop push in the palate with a rich malt and sugar candy sweetness. Finish brings hints of pear but also lots of banana like esters. Bitterness and hop angle lingers real nicely and compliments everything nicely. Fruity angle comes out nicely, with a bit of mush and over-ripe tones. Crisp almost body but dense with the mushy-ness and sharp carbonation.

Fantasic brew here, love this take on Belgian IPA. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 22:04:36 | More by smakawhat

51mmz0rz

New Jersey

4.53/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Westmalle Chalice. Not bottle date from what I can see. Sounds interesting, I have limited experience with hoppy Belgians, but the dryness and yeast flavors of a tripel with the hop spice of an IPA sounds like it could work really well.

A: Perfectly clear light amber body with a dense off white head. Lacing is great, as is the retention.

S: Tremendous aroma, yeast and hop aromatics complement each other well. Maltyness in the background smells like cookies.

T: Blends pretty much just like you'd hope. I tend to favor Belgian beers, so I was looking for a little more yeast derived flavor, but it is excellent nonetheless.

M: Love the dryness, no sticky sweetness like some DIPAs.

O: I think of this beer as one of the best DIPAs I've had in awhile. The Belgian yeast ads some complexity, and the cane sugar dries it out.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 03:54:33 | More by 51mmz0rz

BlindProphet

New York

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I opened this bottle of Le Freak after a long and trying day. I'd been looking forward to finishing my day with a beer--any beer, really--but I was especially eager to pull Le Freak out of the fridge. I'm a big fan of Green Flash, and this particular brew advertises two of my favorite styles: Trippel and IPA. It also wins points for its catchy name.

Opening the bottle, I reflexively think, Trippel. The sharp fruity smell of Belgian yeast stands out above more subtle aromas of clove, spice, and a touch of banana and citrusy hops. It smells nice, but underwhelming. I think a stronger and, in particular, hoppier aroma could go a long way with a hybrid IPA/Trippel like this one.

As I pour, bubbles dart up the side of my pint glass and a tall, foamy, beige head quickly forms. Without a doubt, this is a well-carbonated beer. Medium bodied, a deep honey, and just slightly hazy.

As I’ve grown to expect from Green Flash, hops are the predominant flavor. The bitterness starts mild at the front of the palate before asserting itself at the back, lingering sharp and clean for the aftertaste. Let me reiterate: Green Flash makes the hophead in me swoon. And the sweet, spicy, and tart flavors of the yeast add that signature Trippel flavor, giving this Freak an unmistakable funkiness that I adore. Enter the malty sweetness and this brew’s taste comes together beautifully.

Le Freak is smooth and complex, delicately balancing an IPA’s bitterness with the dulcet funk of a Belgian Trippel. My only real criticism is a weak aroma. I could stand to smell those hops a bit more. All in all, however, this beer is remarkably unique, winning points for both attitude and originality.

What are you waiting for? Go get your Freak on.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 15:58:11 | More by BlindProphet

dontpanic5

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass. The white billowy head on this is gigantic atop of a amber body that had cloudy swirls in it, which alarmed me at first since I'm unfamiliar with this style of beer! The hops are at the forefront of the smell. The hops are readily apparent in the taste as well, but are balanced out nicely by a malt flavor. For how high the alcohol percentage is in this beer, it hides it well. After you take a swig you're again reminded of the hops in the aftertaste, there's a common theme here! The mouthfeel of this beer is great, thanks to the balance of the ingredients. Truthfully, if I have to tell someone what my favorite beer is, I'll respond with this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 02:22:24 | More by dontpanic5

Edruil

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into Stone IRS tulip glass

Appearance: lovely pale gold / copper, nicely opaque, creamy fluffy two finger head that retains well but leaves little in the way of lacing lacing

Smell: The "freak" isn't coming through very strongly, this smells like a tripel. Clove, spice, light fruits (banana, apple maybe?), honey, herbal esters. Not much in the way of hoppiness punching through, though I do detect a bit of citrus. Nice, though.

Taste: Very nice. Belgian flavors up front, with the clove, honey, sweetness, banana up front, nicely transitioning into citrus hop bitterness on the finish. A tripel up front and an IPA on the finish, this really is a freak - but a good one!

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied yet crisp, less than average carbonation, dry and bittering. Has the feel of an average imperial IPA. Needs more carbonation

Overall: This is an interesting beer for sure. Never had anything quite like it. The intent - to mix a tripel with an imperial IPA - is achieved quite well on the taste, if not so well on the nose. Really enjoyable. Would benefit from better carbonation and improved feel.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 02:31:00 | More by Edruil

Greywulfken

New York

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: deep gold beer with ivory head; settles into a filmy lid with lots of lacing left behind

S: hoppy citrus and pine predominate

T: the citrus, pine, and some resin come out in front, but there is a nice dry Belgian-y finish

M: fuzzy, crisp, clean-finishing, smooth dry; very drinkable

O: to me, this was like a double IPA with a Belgian strong pale ale finish; an excellent beer

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 17:03:44 | More by Greywulfken

Bendurgin

Maine

2.93/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a tulip. This one pours a caramel brown with three fingers of bubbly beige head. It's settles to leave some cobweb lace.

Bananas and bubble gum in the aroma with some spiciness in the background. Cloves come to mind. Seems sweet and lacks hop character. The pallet is filled with spice. Ginger and cloves with some toffee sweetness. A little bit of a bitter hop finish on this.

The body is medium with coarse carbonation. Sticky on the pallet.

Overall this one underwhelmed me. Not enough hops (IMO) and a bit to sweet. I feel like the flavor profiles don't come together in the end. Drinkable, but I won't buy it again (hell I didn't even buy this, it was given to me).

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 01:08:21 | More by Bendurgin

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from tap into a Trappe Door tulip. Poured yellow-orange with a three finger white head that subsided to one finger very slowly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, banana, sweet alcohol, fruit, wheat, fruit hop, and earth. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, fruit hop, wheat, spice, spicy hop, earth, and alcohol. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. There was a lot going on in this one in both the aroma and flavor, however they didn’t all seem to work together in my opinion, but rather against one another. This really hurt the overall brew in my opinion. There was definitely a lot of spice going on here which was nice blended with the fruit tones, but the alcohol came along and wrecked it all. Too bad. Worth trying to judge for yourself.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2012 11:01:14 | More by thagr81us

fmccormi

New York

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Straight pour from 12oz pry-off bottle to a large wineglass. No freshness dating (but that’s all changing soon—thanks again for finally dating your bottles, GF!)

Appearance (4.5): Oh, mama . . . the head on this beer is cream-colored, off-white, and just thick and luxurious: very tight, fine bubbles rising to a pretty fat two fingers and fading slowly, while some bigger, rounder bubbles make up the center portion of the head. The body is a perfect orange, honey-amber color, very hazy but not cloudy, with a couple streams of bubbles rising. Lacing is spotty and consistent all the way around—almost looks like pancake batter on the glass if you swirl it a bit. Could hardly be any better.

Smell (3.5): Very Belgian-forward here, leaning towards tripels and BSPAs in style. I get sweetness and spice very easily: honey and simple syrup, making it sweet-smelling but not cloying or aritificial, mixed with cloves and some baking spices like nutmeg. Not a lot of hop action in the nose, though there is a very herbal / medicinal character that could be the hops blending with the yeast. More citrus as it warms, though.

Taste (4.5): Ah, okay, here’s where the hops were hiding. Immediately bitter but quickly moving to a subtle, fruity sweetness, on top of a solid body of bready notes, like fresh-baked bread and sugar cookies. That sweetness transitions into a very strong, classic Belgian, estery flavor profile, with strong banana and pear flavors mixing with a lot of clove, too. White pepper comes out toward the end, and then the finish is a strong, long-lasting wave of bitterness, about 50/50 herbal and grapefruit zest-y in character. The finish is very long and drawn-out. Increasingly citrus-fruity as it warms, which is a great touch—everything smoothes out and the fruitiness in the hops becomes both more prominent and more integrated.

Mouthfeel (4.5): Just lovely—smooth, lush, velvety carbonation coats the mouth, but there’s a persistent prickliness that gets into your tongue pretty fast. The body is medium-full and somewhat oily, but still finishes dry. Just grand.

Overall (4.0): So, as Belgian IPAs go, this occupies the tripel-BSPA / DIPA hybrid part of the spectrum, which is a pretty solid route if you’re crafting a Belgian IPA. Others are basically American (D)IPAs with a nominally Belgian yeast profile, and others are basic IPA recipes with a farmhouse strain. This beer is Belgian first, and IPA second. It works for me, but whether or not you dig this beer depends on what you’re looking for from the style. But if you like tripels and unfiltered BSPAs, and also love hops, then this is your beer. My only real complaint is that it isn’t as bombastically hopped as a lot of American (D)IPAs, but Green Flash has crafted a really excellent brew regardless. Definitely seek this out! AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO MY PLEAS FOR LE FREAK IN 12oz BOTTLES, GF!!

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 00:32:32 | More by fmccormi

andrewinski1

Maine

2.85/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass. The color is dark orange; almost copper. There is a bit of haziness to the beer. The head is off-white and about a half inch.

The aroma has a bit of bubblegum, with some nice spicy yeast mixed in.

The taste has some bitter hoppiness, mabye on the citrusy side. Most of the flavor is more towards the Belgian pale ale. The yeast flavor doesn't mix well with the hop flavor; leaving a muddled mess of flavor.

This is full bodied, with very lively carbonation. This isn't terrible, but the yeast flavor isn't great and the hop flavor is mostly just bitter. I should disclose I don't love this style in general.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 04:56:26 | More by andrewinski1

david131

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a slightly hazy orange liquid with a thick and craggy white head that settles to a weird clump on top while leaving some nice lacing.

S- Light fruits, white bread, cracked pepper, honey, and alcohol. Potent and aromatic. Intriguing.

T- Light fruits such as peaches, apples, and raspberries followed by honey, pepper, and bread. Bitter and boozy with a bit of sweetness.

M- The carbonation is spot on and the hop bitterness does not disappoint. There is an odd astringency on the finish.

O- An interesting take on the style. Definitely serious business and drinks as such.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 06:31:34 | More by david131

Kromes

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A clear golden color with a huge white head that laces the glass.

S: Belgian yeast, clove, herbal, grassy and earthy hop.

T: Toasted malt with a nice Belgian yeast bubblegum and clove flavor. The finish gives way to some spicy herbal and grassy hop with a bitter aftertaste.

M: Medium feel with peppery carbonation. Bitter, dry finish.

O: Flavors are good. One of the better Belgian IPAs out there if you like them hop heavy.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 22:20:24 | More by Kromes

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: slightly hazy golden. Big billowy white head on the pour. Recedes to a thin layer. Still impressive for a 9+%.
Smell: smells more like a tripel than an ipa. Banana, clove, a bit of sour, lots of yeast.
Taste: hops more prominent than in the nose. Still strikes me as a tripel at the start but grapefruity hop bitterness dominate the finish.
Overall: very nice, interesting combo.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 20:52:28 | More by cindyjeffsmith

GregSVT

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a snifter

A: Pours hazy dark yellow, almost dark golden, with a ice white head that fades to a ring and leaves some lacing on the glass.

S: The nose has lots of belgian sugars and yeast along with herbal hops, citrus, and cloves. The cloves and belgian yeast really come out as it warms.

T: The taste is mostly cloves, belgian yeast, vanilla, and a touch of piney bitter hops on the finish. I actually really like this beer compared to others in the style.

M: The feel is medium bodied and creamy from the great carbonation.

O: A good representation of the style and one I would recommend. I'm not a fan of the style but when it's done right it can be great. This one is close.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 03:18:43 | More by GregSVT

Gatch

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Cloudy, bright, golden-amber in color with a big, white, fluffy head. Good retention and lacing.

S: Malty, boozy, funky.

T: Hoppy, malty, & delicious. Everything a good beer should be, I guess. Notes become nearly illegible because this was the last beer of the night.

M: Funky, Belgian, boozy, and different.

O: Pretty good. Unique.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 04:41:46 | More by Gatch

jtingue

New York

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter.

Appearance. Golden straw in color, with only a slight haze. Pours with 4 fingers of frothy head, which slowly dissipates leaving peaks and valleys.

Smell. Upon pouring there is a distinct and almost overwhelming herbal aroma. As it warms a bit it becomes more balanced with a substantial amount of honey-like sweetness and a slight clovey yeast. The hops develop to contain the grass from earlier as well as some pine and citrus.

Taste. Starts out with a slight presence of clovey yeast, which is accompanied by a resinous combination between pine and herbs. Sweetness builds, and takes on a clove honey character. A moderate, but not cloying, bitterness that has a more citric character this time around. The finish is sweet with a lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel. Carbonation is high to start, but dissipates quickly. The body is relatively full and a bit sticky.

This was one of the first craft brews that I tried as I got into craft beer, and this is first time I have gotten around to reviewing it. It is as good as I remember. It really combines the aspects of the ipa and tripel quite well, balancing the flavors in a very natural way.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 00:25:30 | More by jtingue

argock

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap in a chalice at The Regal Beagle (San Diego, CA). Reviewed from notes.

A: Golden amber with sticky 1/2 finger of white head with good staying power and copious lace.

S: The hoppy IPA side of this beer strikes first with mango, pineapple, and tart lemon that segues into the tart yeast aromas. The base maltiness is crackery and bready.

T: The flavor has much more Belgian yeast character than the aroma, although the hoppiness is no slouch. The tart yeast is a tad rough and doesn't mix with the fruity alcohol as well as it should. The hoppiness is very tropical fruit oriented with mango and pineapple and a bit of pine and citrus. The malt component is pretty substantial but one dimensional as it should since this beer already has enough going on.

M: They did a good job of drying this beer out to help its consumability. At 9.2% it's still a bruiser but still drinks reasonably light relatively. Carbonation is also lively which helps too.

O: A pretty enjoyable beer overall although I would pick a Belgian yeast strain with less tart and more fruity esters to go with the hops and evident alcohol fruit character.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2012 00:30:27 | More by argock

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a brilliant, clear gold with a thick, pillowy white head.

S: Aromas of spicy Belgian yeast, juniper berry, pine, grapefruit, lemon, lime, and biscuits fill the nose.

T: Notes of biscuit, chalk, and spicy Belgian ale yeast are apparent upon the entry, but quickly give way to notes of lemon, lime, grass, black pepper, grapefruit, juniper berry, and pine. The finish is dryish and prickly with notes of biscuit, pine, lemon, grass, and grapefruit mingling.

M: Medium in body, syrupy, and slick. Carbonation is prickly and active. Alcohol presence is pronounced.

O: This is a very solid ale. The brewery bills it as a combination of an IPA and a tripel, and I think that description is apt. Combining the hoppiness of an American IPA with the delicate malt and yeast balance of a Belgian tripel, this is one seriously complex, interesting ale. Nicely done Green Flash!

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 13:25:30 | More by mrfrancis

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Lightly hazed orange beer with a one finger white head. Retention and lacing both strong. Aroma is quite yeasty, with lots of spicy phenols, and well hopped, with citrus and herbal notes.

The flavor balances the Belgian-style yeast and Cali hoppiness very well and it ends up being very tasty. Again there’s lots of orangey citrus and herbal notes, spicy, pepper-and-clove yeast flavor, and a decent amount of sweet maltiness underneath to support everything.

Medium bodied with lively carbonation and a dry finish. Very quenching and easy to drink beer; not much indication at all of the relatively high ABV. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 04:09:19 | More by tobelerone

woemad

Washington

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber purchased at Huckleberry's in Spokane for $8.99. No freshness date, and the label is totally different from what is shown here.

Poured into a Chimay goblet, Le Freak showed off a hazy apricot color with a big, creamy off-white head that took it's time dropping and left lots of lace.

Fruity esters greet the nose, though soon the presence of coriander and clove can be detected as well. A very mild piney note can be discerned as well.

Up front the flavor is of bitter hops, but then it more or less turns into a tart, spicy Belgian tripel. The finish is dry and herbal.

Medium bodied, with that slightly effervescent mouthfeel I tend to associate with Belgians, and that I find so few American brewers are able to pull off when attempting Belgian-style beers. Well done, Green Flash!

A surprising and intriguing beer. Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of so-called Belgian IPAs, but I enjoyed this. It's not something I'd want to session all night, but as a stand alone bottle, I dig it.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 00:52:13 | More by woemad

WankelEngine

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a mildly hazy golden color. There is a white head of one finger that fades fairly quickly.

S: Belgian yeast, coriander and clove. A lot of spices. Also a bit of pine and some fusel alcohol.

T: Interesting. The flavors of an IPA and a Belgian ale are both present at the same time. The first flavor I get is resinous pine. Some of the Belgian spices come to meet and blend with this. This spice is complemented by some alcohol heat, but tempered by a bit of banana flavor. I want to say I can also taste some nutmeg. There are some notes of tropical fruit in the background, but the beer is primarily hops and Belgian spices.

M: Medium thin like a Belgian Strong Pale, with small, effervescent carbonation.

O: This is my first foray into Belgian IPAs. Tastes similar to what you might expect, like a Belgian ale with strong hop flavor. Still, interesting and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 05:04:09 | More by WankelEngine

BigPlay1824

New York

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed in a tulip glass

A: Pours a very hazy orange golden color with a decent amount of sediment both in suspension and at the bottom of the glass, has a decent amount of carbonation bubbles permeating to the top as well as a thick head of frothy pure white head with just the slightest yellow tinge, head lingers nicely before dissipating and leaving an incredible amount of lacing spread across the glass
S: A scent which i would equate to a saison style ale, nice peppery notes and spiciness as i would expect from a Belgian style, hops are absolutely present towards the second half of the sniff but there is also a citrus note which is more on the sour side of lemons
T: the taste is quite bright and pleasant enough, a good amount of hops are present in the middle followed by their bitterness which lingers on the palate for an extended period, there is also a bit of an alcohol or perhaps even phenol like flavor in the middle which has a bit of a bite to it, obviously i know it is 9.2% but this taste is more than just heavy alcohol flavor, there is something on the very tail end of it that makes me point towards phenols
M: Medium carbonation up front, smooth and kind of frothy across the middle like it is almost fizzy without the carbonation bite, leaves the palate very dry and also feeling kind of musty like a basement
O: this is not a bad brew by any means, the scent is really quite wonderful but i feel a bit like the wrong notes popped out in the taste, none of the spiciness from the nose came through in the mouth, probably a one time shot for me

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 01:18:17 | More by BigPlay1824