Valeir Extra - Brouwerij Contreras

richmof

Belgium

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I rarely review but I feel the other reviews here are a little ungenerous to what is one of the best Belgian pale ales I have tasted. It is more complex in the mouth (creamy effervessence and mild citrus notes) and less dry than some of the other newish Belgian pale ales (like those from the De Ranke brewery or Brasserie de la Senne). However, it is keenly hopped to give it an appealing dryness. Having tried it on draught and in a 33cl bottle, it seems to be done more justice by the bottle. It is a welcome addition to the growing selection of Belgian pale ales.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2009 15:54:39 | More by richmof

DStoked

Ohio

4/5  rDev +2.8%

05-17-2013 18:31:09 | More by DStoked

sd123

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

05-03-2013 19:51:55 | More by sd123

Mattias

Sweden

4/5  rDev +2.8%

04-25-2013 17:07:08 | More by Mattias

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

JohnHodge

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

03-17-2013 02:27:23 | More by JohnHodge

richkrull

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

02-22-2013 00:05:53 | More by richkrull

prisoner1572

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

01-29-2013 15:19:51 | More by prisoner1572

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -22.9%

12-25-2012 22:24:40 | More by ejimhof

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

aztraz

Sweden

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

11-10-2012 22:47:33 | More by aztraz

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

samEBC

Belgium

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

07-29-2012 16:03:04 | More by samEBC

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%

07-12-2012 21:31:16 | More by rolltide8425

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

deldad

2.25/5  rDev -42.2%

04-22-2012 15:04:25 | More by deldad

pixieskid

France

4/5  rDev +2.8%

04-18-2012 07:05:46 | More by pixieskid

hyoung41

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

04-17-2012 00:41:57 | More by hyoung41

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

ensign11

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%

03-14-2012 02:06:33 | More by ensign11

AJD1201

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

03-13-2012 01:21:34 | More by AJD1201