Valeir Extra - Brouwerij Contreras

blindnil

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours cloudy with a monstrous head that drops fairly quick for a Belgian.

Grassy nose with straw and kumquat aroma.

Citrus quality follows through with a bitterness that is subsided by the malt that has sweetness that carries through to a dry, bitter fiinsh. Lingers with an acrid spicy noble-hop flavor that compliments the malt bill well.

Served warm-ish, this beer is superb. Cold temperatures rob this quality Belgian IPA/Pale of its potential. I highly recommend this to everyone, particularly those Northwest US IPA drinkers who want something more than the typical hop-bomb.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 06:38:15 | More by blindnil

chinchill

South Carolina

3.91/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

11.2 oz fat squat brown bottle of "Belgian IPA" served in a St. Bernardus snifter. Coding indicates this may be an August 2011 bottling.

The beer is cloudy, despite leaving a good bit of sediment in the bottle. The body is a pale brown-orange color, with a moderate size eggshell head than has good retention.

Aroma: very fruity, suggesting apricots, old citrus and fresh dates. Light malts and some spicy and earthy hops too. Lightly roasted nuts.

Taste: perhaps due to the age, this is more like a Belgian Pale Ale in terms of hops. Still, very appealing and complex mix of fruity and lightly spicy flavors, with hints of caramel and honey It starts a bit sweet and ends balanced and nutty.

M: Full bodied; juicy, with excellent medium-low carbonation.

O: recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 23:23:00 | More by chinchill

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

smell of hops as its pouring

cloudy, pinkish-amber, small particles in suspension - big off white head, smooth-sudsy, nice slow descent, snotty crystal lace

fruity-hoppy, kind of "off" fragrance - little bit of malt comes through, icing-like

menthol up front, kind of like wormwood - could be a combo of the hops/alc? - bitterness and is that a slight tart/sour late? - yeast byproduct presence, but not too much hop - quite malty (grain, biscuit) for a Belgian ale - and more wormwood than hop

soft-ish, light-foamy mouthfeel, quite carbonate (brap!) - a hint of weight - lazy-mild spice and warmth left on the tongue - mostly lightly-fruity malt flavor left behind - more hop bitterness than said flavor, however, a vague raspberry, fresh-baby-pine needle thing going on

this was alright - noteworthy apparently - less fruit and more malt and hops, if you please

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 06:26:08 | More by Bouleboubier

rarbring

Sweden

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A hazy straw colored beer. A high off-white head with good lacing and good curtains.

Smelling of bread, grape-fruit, lemon and yeast.

Tasting sweet white bread, bitter orange marmalade and grape-fruit peel. Some spicy notes, clove, cardamom.

Medium high carbonation, an oily texture. A big body with a coarse dry finish.

On the verge of being too bitter, but has some body to balance it.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 18:11:39 | More by rarbring

brentk56

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a cloudy peach nectar color with a very impressive head (so Belgian!) that leaves clumps of lace

Smell: Yeasty caramel and honey; smells like a Bit-O-Honey

Taste: Bit-O-Honey, up front, though not particularly sweet; becomes very grainy by mid-palate and into the finish; I was expecting the hops to arrive but they never did

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation; rather flabby

Overall: Although this bottle is almost a year old, I would have hoped that the hops would hold up better than this; at this stage of development, it is very mediocre

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 22:52:17 | More by brentk56

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Impressive, but over-the-top (literally) head. Plenty of yeast at the bottom of the bottle that clouds up the pale amber color. Surprisingly little permanent lace.

Clean, well-balanced aroma of floral hop and light pale malt. Very little Belgian yeast to the nose.

A very smooth IPA without any bitterness bomb. Superb blend of all of the elements: a touch of sweet blonde malt with a notable but in no ways too powerful hop finish. The body is full but the carbonation is very, very high. My 20 ounce glass ran over when I poured the bottle a little too vigorously.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 18:38:32 | More by smcolw

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly hazy orange-tinged gold with a thick, fluffy white head.

S: Aromas of grass, fresh herbs, lemon, minerals, and caramel dominate the nose.

T: Notes of lemon, grass, straw, herbs, caramel, minerals, and biscuits wash across the palate. The finish is delicate and layered with notes of grassy, herbal hops underscored by biscuit-like malt notes.

M: Light-to-medium in body and dry. Carbonation is active. Nice and crisp in the mouth. No alcohol whatsoever. I could easily knock back a few of these.

O: This is a really pleasant, solidly constructed Belgian IPA with a clever layering of flavors. Quite deep for the style. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 12:57:06 | More by mrfrancis

tony223366

California

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Golden caramel colored with decent clarity. It's certainly a little foggy but that's to be expected as it's refermented in the bottle. Head is fluffy, cloudy white and gorgeous. Great lacing. It's about as gorgeous as an unfiltered Belgian IPA can be.

S: Smells sweet and full of delicious fruitiness. Maybe some apple or pear. Really juicy aroma. The hops come off more as a light spiciness. The malts are harder for me to track down. Maybe some light grain breadiness? Either way it smells good.

T: Man the belgian IPA is such an interesting beast. The flavors are all over the place. You have tons of spicy hops as well as the typical belgian sweetness and fruity flavors. The malts indeed come off more grainy than anything else and the finish is actually really quite bitter. The flavor certainly lingers quite a bit. It's a really big beer with huge flavors and I dig it.

M: Nice medium body with decent carbonation. Definite astringency in this beer. Very good.

O: A great beer. So different and unique from the other Belgian's. I'll be honest I've only had a few. I think I need to be just in the right mood for one and I just happen to be.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 05:15:32 | More by tony223366

avalon07

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a goblet. Had an orange color and a hazy consistency. There was an inch of foamy head that lasted a fair amount of time. Pretty good lacing.

S: A surprising amount of fruit mixed in with a good deal of hops in the aroma.

T: A different kind of flavor for a Belgian IPA: Very fruity (apples, grapefruit), malt, a good deal of hops (though not that much), and a touch of yeast. A lively, refreshing flavor.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a smooth, crisp finish. Light- to medium-bodied.

O: An extremely enjoyable, easy to drink beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 13:06:18 | More by avalon07

B967ierhunter177

Pennsylvania

1.88/5  rDev -51.7%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This beer pours a very cloudy, dark yellow with a huge head and lacing until the end. It's aroma is of grapefruit, some wet blanket, and a hint of vanilla. The flavor is mainly grapefruit with a wild yeast sourness and a grassy finish and aftertaste. The mouthfeel is light-medium. Valeir Extra is an okay beer, slightly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 00:32:39 | More by B967ierhunter177

yapi

Belgium

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I love these Belgian IPA attempts, cause they keep a lot of some of the amazing characteristics of my country's beer. This is a great balance between malts, bread and hops. Very refreshing, and I tend to drink one every other time I go to the beerbars in Bruges. A must try when in Belgium, some great new style beer here.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 16:05:32 | More by yapi

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this for the first time at the Bethlehem Speakeasy on 12-6-2009. They desribed it as a hoppy tropical fruit IPA. Say no more I want one! They brought it out to me and poured the beer. It was a bright yellowish gold color. The head was fluffy and white. The lacing was very good here. The smell was stunning! I had the hardest time taking my nose away from the glass on this beer. The smell was hoppy and fruity all at the same time. The taste was sweet and bitter, leaving a wonderful aftertaste of citrusy sugar notes with a delightful dryness as well. The mouthfeel was well carbonated and fairly light bodied. Overall this beer is best when you know it's a fresh batch. The taste and aroma are at their best when fresh. I picked up a few bottles that were probably pretty old at my local shop and found that the intensity of the beer had faded with age. Buy and Drink this one fresh, you'll love it!

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 22:24:41 | More by Knapp85

Wildman

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured a cloudy copper color and formed a nice foamy snow white head that left latticed lace as it subsided. A medium amount of carbonation is present. An aroma of malt, herbal, grain and citrus. The flavor was of malt, bread, hops and pepper. The body was medium light and the finish slightly bitter. Not a bad beer and typical of Belgian IPA attempts.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 01:01:11 | More by Wildman

beerthulhu

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Against backlighting a murky orange glows in the glass like an evening sunset displaying a snow globe storm of large bran colored macro flakes dancing in the excited carbonation. The head evolves almost instantaneously, even upon the most gentlest of pours rising a staggering 3 fingers plus of cream colored rigid foam. Spongy deposits remain and lace the glass with good coverage.

S: Musky damp oranges and citrus appear on the opening aroma. A nice dash of peppery spice comes about as well. The Belgian pale grains are the highlight here, a component I feel that is sorely forgotten in American style (pale and ipa) interpretations in favor of heavily toasted caramel and munich specialy grain bases.

T: Musky wet grains balance well against a balance of wet musky citrusy hops and a wet bread. For flavor spicy oranges with a dash of pepper spice add a nice accent against the musky citrus and grain base. A touch of Belgian yeastiness adds nicely here as well adding some flair. Again it is the musky Belgian pale grains and yeast that really define the flavor more so then an obnoxious helping of hops (which does have its time and place). It is refreshing to see a ipa or pale ale with a majority pale grain base.

M: creamy, medium base with a bit of dry spicy and peppery orange. A nice touch of alcohol brings a gentle warmth to the palate. Creamy smooth on the tongue while leaving a spicy bite of pepper and musky citrus behind.

D: 6.5%abv that drinks more inline of a 5%. Packs a ton of musky grainy flavor and yeasty highlights, not so much hops, but incorporates a great belgian grain base that more then makes up for it. A very good Belgian interpretation indeed.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 22:17:39 | More by beerthulhu

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a hazy dirty amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of light funky notes with some tart notes with some refreshing ester. Taste is also a very refreshing mix with tart notes and sweet Belgian malt with light refreshing fruity notes. Body is quite full with limited filtration with good carbonation with no apparent alcohol. Very well brewed and more refreshing then I had expected with nice level of complexity.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 03:33:15 | More by Phyl21ca

sitarist

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudy golden yellow. It has a thick pure white head. The head slowly falls to a top coating that leaves webs of lacing.

The smell is mostly musty over ripened fruits. I smell pear, apple, papaya, g-spot juice, tangerine, and moldy basement.

The overripe fruits carry over into the flavor along with biscuits, and pepper. The flavors are subtle.

Light to medium body with lots of carbonation stabbing at my tongue. It is dry with a weird aftertaste.

Highly drinkable, it goes down easy. I could drink several in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 12:53:50 | More by sitarist

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #43 (Aug 2010):

It begins with its hazed golden color. The nose is of tangerines and papaya with a smattering of bready grain and herbal hop. This beer is smooth with a mildly snappy crispness. It starts with a breath of alcohol, but hop bitterness is waiting there as well. There is a good amount of maltiness that sticks around and helps balance the semi-aggressive hop bitterness. It has a peppery, leafy, earthy, semidry finish. Spot-on for the Belgian vari- ety of IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 03:42:30 | More by BeerAdvocate

DeanMoriarty

California

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a 750ml bottle in a trade with Dawson's Liquor in Severna Park, MD and poured it into a Forestinne tulip glass - thanks fellas!

A: Pours a hazy straw-like hue with a good head (fat bubbles) that sticks around for a few sips, leaving minor amounts of lace, with some nice effervescence.

S: A lot of sweet malt, funky yeast, toasted grains, fresh baked biscuits, fermented fruit (banana/apricot), balanced well with prevalent earthy bitter hop - classic Belgian IPA all the way!

T: Really on point with the nose, but with even more prevalent fermented/dried fruits (apple/pear and apricot), the malt is nice and finishes with a good amount of bitter hop to balance the overall flavor very nicely.

M: Extremely dry for the style (which is a plus in my book), light/medium-bodied with good carbonation and a nice bitterness on the palate from the hops.

D: Real easy drinker for a Belgian IPA - i'm always on the fence with this style, but this one leans more towards a true Cali/West Coast IPA and less like the average Euro IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 07:20:09 | More by DeanMoriarty

ElGordo

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the 330ml bottle into a Gordon tulip glass. Body is a nice golden color with a very slight haze, and very nice carbonation. A nice, tight white head hangs around for a good long while, leaving some pretty lacing as it slowly recedes. Sweet aroma of pale malt, a touch of candi sugar, and a good bit of tropical fruit from the hops. Notes of pineapple and a bit of grass.
Palate is a well-balance up front between pale malt and fairly assertive, grassy hops with a good bit of pineapple. Finish is a little dry, with a good dose of tropical fruit lasting for a bit after the swallow.
Body is well-carbonated but not foamy, and sticky but not thick or syrupy. A nicely drinkable Belgian IPA, not quite as assertively hopped as I might prefer, but a nice beer nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 05:41:15 | More by ElGordo

plaid75

New York

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at Waterfront, Brooklyn, New York.

Poured a hazy medium copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a sweet malty grain with a light ester.

The taste was upfront sweet with a moderate herbal hop and secondary eatery spice.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style.

Overall a tasty sweeter side of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2010 15:59:02 | More by plaid75

farrago

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Heavily whipped up and foamy head of close to two fingers, mostly larger bubbles which burst on the way down to a big island resting against the side of the glass, just off-white with more lots of splotches of foam residue than streaks of lacing. While fully opaque does capture enough light to highlight the yellow hay to paler orange hues, not that hazy but can't see any bubbles anyway. The nose first hits you with corn, grains and pressed lemon rinds, some orange pekoe tea and clove, light mutter of apricot, peach, apple fruit, no distinct malty accents, conversely no real hoppy bite either, sheer fullness in the nostrils its best attribute. Full-bodied, the heavy carbonation gives it a soft, expansive mouth feel, initial impression is of sweeter orange, tangerine citrus alongside honey, oatmeal, corn, basil and sweet tea. No herbaceousness but there is a drying graininess. Maybe, just maybe, some cocoa powder to speak for the malts. Inoffensive, slides down the throat with ease, simply lacks a distinct personality.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2010 01:58:16 | More by farrago

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Not bad, decent, but nothing so remarkable. Poured with a large, foamy, frothy, thick, off white head after an aggresive pour, that mostly settled down, and a bit of lace. Color is a hazy amber with a few chunks of sediment floating around. Aroma is yeasty, malt, spice, and little straw. Flavor is like aroma. Body is good with very good carbonation. Finish is like flavor and short with a bit of alcohol at the end. Easy drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 22:48:48 | More by drpimento

atsprings

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle into a Corsendonk tulip pours a hazy pale orange with plenty of floaties and a massive frothy eggshell head that lasts and leaves decent lacing on the glass. Aroma is crisp citrus hops and mild spice. The taste is very sweet malts with a nice amount of Earthy hops balancing it out nicely with mild yeast spice. The beer is medium bodied with a little more alcohol presence than I expected with 6.5%. This is an enjoyable Belgian IPA, but it does not hold a candle to Houblon Chouffe, my personal favorite.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 00:48:31 | More by atsprings

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle sample at Mondiale 2010, Day Two. Light brown body, hoppy taste, with good mouthfeel and fruitiness, citrus. Tasty and decent drinkability. Not spicy like a saison. I was getting yeast and wheat. Bit drying finish. Good drinkability.Appropriate carbonation. Want to try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 05:51:12 | More by northyorksammy

SFLpunk

Vermont

3.03/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3

Label notched D, Aug, 11. 11.2 oz squatty brown pry-top bottle.

Pours a hazy yellow straw color with perfectly fluffy 1.5 inch bone-white head. No over-frothing even with a solid pour. Nose is of classic Belgian pale ale yeast with some straw and caramelized sugar notes. Something slightly soapy (not the glass) and a high note of dried seed spices. Palate is medium and spicy, turning sour like mustard on the finish. Creamy carbonation, prickly alcohol and hop acidity make the body a little chaotic and unbalanced. The finish is dominated with leafy-bitter hops and sweet, sticky slick alcohol.

It's an ok Belgian brew, but not very focused.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2010 02:23:50 | More by SFLpunk