Escondido, California
Cali-Belgie
Style: Belgian India Pale Ale
Availability: Limited - Year Round
Format: 22oz
ABV: 6.9%
IBU's: 77
Hops: Columbus, Centennial, Dry hopped with Chinook.
Bottle text & Info:
Tasting Notes:
Alright so half of these have the French speaking "Belgique" label and the other half has the Dutch "Belgie." Looks like we've got the Dutch which I've never actually seen. Only seen the French the last couple years. O.K., so this is supposed to be the exact same recipe as the Stone IPA, just with a belgian yeast strand. Let's check it out.
Pours a brightly clear glowing golden orange with a slow rising legion of extremely large bubbles leading into a quarter inch white head. This actually appears slightly darker than their original IPA. There is some faint citrus on the nose but it is mostly dominated by that of the yeast which is somewhat saison-like. Not gonna lie. I'm pretty excited about this. Anddddd....Yup. Delicious. I'm so glad they didn't pull back too much on the hops. An exotic and thrilling collision of flavors - high alphas v. belgian yeast. This is such a well put together beer. Sophisticated and restrained, this ale is delicate and complex. Some excellent orange citrus cut by candy-like sweetness, held together by some nice pale malts. I love that Stone kept the body on this light and crisp. A deftly handled special release. I hope that some of the great brewers in Belgian get to try this! It's a prime example of heights American brewers are now achieving and a fitting tribute to Belgian yeast.
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