Bitter Sweet Symphony - Brouwerij 't Gaverhopke

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Hazy yellow orange. Nice white head. Wispy.

Smell - Very grassy and herbal. Some yeast. Grain and a touch of sweet malt.

Taste - Extremely herbal hop presence. Sweetness comes through next. Slight graininess. Otherwise creamy. Herbal flavor persists throughout. Mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Creamy and well carbonated. Slightly bitter with a medium body.

Overall - Love this style and this is a pretty good example of the style. Could be hoppier.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 00:42:09 | More by Alieniloquium

Brenden

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A golden-yellow color that's not marred by the murkiness in the depth, further complemented by swirling and settling yeast sediment, this beer screams pure and unfiltered. It develops a nice head that rises over a finger and settles for a while. Lacing clings all over the place in rings, legs and paces to the bottom of the glass.
Belgian yeast is in moderation, as is the hopping for a beer claiming "double" status, though it certainly couldn't be deinied that it is hoppy. Drink it in the same setting with some big, really hoppy beers, though, and it'll be on the lighter, softer side. It doesn't do it too much discredit, as it balances very nicely and displays a nice sweetness that the bitterness that is there offsets.
The ripe fruits and citrus balanced by light earth and breads with a bit of spiciness make up a nicely complex flavor. A bit more bright citrus ad bitterness from the hops would push this into territory few beers are in, but it remains a good one nonetheless.
The body is light but creeps into medium territory with a rolling creaminess that comes off a steady carbonation to work alongside a crisp bite.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 08:08:14 | More by Brenden

metter98

New York

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is hazy golden yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation along with lots of miniscule yeast particles floating in suspension. It poured with a two finger high dense light beige head that has excellent retention properties and consistently left a sizeable head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are moderate aromas of Belgian yeast in the nose along with some hints of citrusy hops.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has flavors of Belgian yeast and orange citrus along with notes of apricots and some hints of spices towards the finish, although the yeast is what really lingers in the aftertaste. A light amount of bitterness is present.
M: It feels medium-bodied and both smooth and chewy on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This is an interesting beer in which the alcohol is very well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 00:37:08 | More by metter98

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

Wow. Utterly amazing. This is hands down the smoothest Belgian IPA I've ever had. Ever. The hop tones are very gentle, which would make me think it was only a Belgian IPA and not a "double". (at 7.8%, can it really be a double??) The marriage of styles between Belgian and IPA is without a flaw. Certainly, there could be a bit more punch, but we'll ignore that American expectation of mine and enjoy this for what it is. Gaverhopke is my favorite brewery for a reason. It was a pleasure being able to try this one. Funny label too.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 04:23:46 | More by RblWthACoz

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very hazy to cloudy golden yellow to orange in color with significant amounts of dark visible yeast sediment in suspension. The beer has a three finger tall dense off-white head that reduces to a dense quarter finger head covering the entire surface of the beer. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of pale malts with orange/citrus hops, light fruit, powdery yeast, and some spices. Similar to a tripel hiding under some hops.

T: Very similar to the smell with a certain light sweetness from the pale malts. There are hints of light fruits with a light amount of orange/citrus hops which does not give a lot of bitterness. There is a moderate amount of powdery yeast flavors. Again, similar to the tasty of a hoppy tripel.

M: Just a hint shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly thin, lightly coats the inside of your mouth, and light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: This is a very interesting beer with a complex smell and taste. The alcohol is pretty well hidden considering the 7.8% ABV. Enjoyable and easy to drink though not a sessionable beer, one that you have to take your time sipping.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 22:08:16 | More by dbrauneis

bfields4

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slightly hazy golden body. Large frothy off-white head. Leaves a nice lace.

Very pungent aroma. A little citrus from the hop, but more of that resiny hop aroma. A bit of caramel.

Nice flavor more of that caramel malt, but still heavy on the resiny hop. A bit of orange and slightly fruity.

Good simple flavors that work very well together. more of a traditional IPA from a Belgian brewer than what I've come to expect from Belgian IPAs. I thought this was a delicious brew. Alcohol is also very well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 01:44:39 | More by bfields4

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a slightly cloudy bright orange amber. A carefull pour yields a massive three finger off-white head with good retention and massive lacing. Muted aroma of sweet malt, citrus hops and light fruit. Flavor is light fruit; peach and apricot, caramel, overlaid with hop bitterness and tripel spicing. Finishes with dry toffee, fruit and hops. Lives up to its name with a nice blend of sweet fruit and neutral hop bitterness. Lively carbonation and medium body provides a nice mouth feel. A refreshing and interesting take on an Belgian ale / IPA. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 03:18:05 | More by LiquidAmber

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Max's during the annual Belgian fest event. This was one of the true surprises (in a good way) during this event.

The beer pours a solid gold color with very good head retention and considerable sticky lacing. This beer has a very intriguing nose, showcasing an unusual blend of honey, gin, lime and cherry orange citrus. The flavor profile replicates the nose in this beer, and once again I'm picking up considerable gin, lime and now tea leaves. The complex flavor array in this beer is truly amazing and unsual, and I'm really digging it. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and a bit lean, but with a long, complex, slightly hoppy finish. Alcohol is somewhat noticeable, but not overly so. Also, the light bitterness in the finish seemed to perfectly balance the modest sweetness in this beer.

Wow! Like nothing I can recall ever having before. It's beers like this that make the event at Max's so much fun to attend!

Serving type: on-tap

02-29-2012 17:42:48 | More by johnmichaelsen

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Found a fresh shelf of squat 33 cL bottles on the shelf at Wine Source in Baltimore. I assume this is a few months old now and wish I could have found this sooner/fresher. Served in a Duvel collection tulip.

Pours a dark, murky rust-orange color with a large frothy off white head. Fades moderately quickly to a thin layer and a few clumps of lace. Despite a careful pour, still an abundant amount of sediment. Mildly sweet, bready aroma, Belgian yeast, ripe fruit, light citrus and orange hops. Lighter medium body with soft carbonation and a watery, slightly bitter/cardboardy finish. Sweet flavor, light phenols, bready malt and yeasty fruitiness before turning to a musty, stale finish. Very little hop presence unfortunately. I'd like to try a fresher sample or one that has aged a little more gracefully than the bottle I had.

edit: After speaking to Jean, this is a new batch, but less hoppy than the first

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 23:20:38 | More by yourefragile

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out with a big explosive white colored head on top. The body was a nice yellow color until the sediment mixed in and darkened it up a little bit. The lacing on this brew was nice and sticky looking. The smell of the beer was also quite present and inviting. The aromas of Belgian yeast and hops come together and create a bready citrus floral aroma. The taste of the beer was hoppy, really good amount of sweetness and bitterness from start to finish. The mouthfeel had a good amount of body to it and was very drinkable. Overall this brew was quite nice, I'd probably buy this one again if the mood struck me.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 19:32:35 | More by Knapp85

avalon07

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a goblet. Had a murky, dull orange color and a thick texture. Lots of sediment. There was a big, creamy, long-lasting head. Pretty good lacing.

S: Smelled mainly of hops, possibly with a bit of fruit mixed in as well. Not an overpowering aroma, but pleasant enough.

T: A very hoppy (at least for a Belgian beer) flavor, with a slightly fruity aspect to it. There was a little bit of malt in there, as well as some yeast. An interesting flavor, not what I was expecting.

M: A highly carbonated beer with a super smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is one of those easy to like beers - well made and not at all harsh to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 11:33:05 | More by avalon07

Blanco

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a collaboration with Tired Hands Brewing.


Beer pours a dark orange, almost red color. Very cloudy. Huge fluffy white head that was difficult to keep in the glass, which only very slowly disspates and leaves some stickiness on the walls.

Smells is lightly hoppy upfront. Hops are somewhat generic in that they don't smell fruity, citrusy or piney. Stronger whiffs seem more like a tripel is hiding underneath.

flavor is well balanced and the hops go smoothly with the malt. Hints of fruit though dry at the same time. Flavors are hard to describe but simple. Medium bodied with slight mouthcoating.

The description of the beer on the bottle is "Belgian Ale Double IPA." I don't really get the "double" out of this one, though the ABV clocks in at 7.8%. But this is what I would envision a true Belgian IPA should taste like. I've had far too many of the style that I didn't enjoy, the kind that make me feel like someone poured an IPA in my tripel, but this one truly shines.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 01:45:27 | More by Blanco