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Today is my last day at the position I’ve been in at work for almost seven years now, and I’m moving on to a new position at the same company. So my co-workers planned a happy hour in my honor. I hadn’t had this one yet, so when my boss offered to buy me a beer, I went for this one. I’ve been considering brewing a Belgian IPA of my own, ever since I had Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch at this same bar over a year ago (as well as after enjoying Brasserie D’Achouffe’s Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel).
Location: Enjoyed a pint glass, at Medici in Normal, IL.
Numbers: 7.0% ABV, 60 IBUs, 19.5 OG, 2.4 TG, 201 Calories
Ingredients: Malts: Pale, C-120; Hops: Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade, Amarillo
Appearance & Aroma: Mostly gold in color with some orange hues. There was a thin, foamy, white head that left a decent amount of lacing on the glass. There was a citrusy and earthy hop aroma.
Taste & Feel: The body was medium and the mouthfeel was fairly crisp. There was a sweet, fruity, almost bubblegum and juicyfruit flavor up front. That was followed by a mix of Belgian spicy and peppery flavors with some citrusy and earthy hop flavors. The finish was slightly bitter with the peppery spiciness easily beating out the hop flavors.
Food Pairing: With the Belgian spiciness and peppery flavors in this beer, I would pair it with a peppercorn spiced steak. The pepper flavors would mix well, and the hop flavors from the beer would add a complexity to the meal.
Overall Impression: As I mentioned, I’ve really enjoyed a few of the other Belgian IPAs I’ve had, and was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, the spicy and peppery Belgian flavors easily took a front seat to the hoppy IPA flavors. The thing I liked about the others I mentioned is that the IPA flavors were apparent and the spicy Belgian flavors added an interesting flavor in the background – and in this beer, the prominent flavors were reversed. I normally enjoy New Belgium’s beers, but this is one I think I’ll pass on.
My Rating: 
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