Cooperstown, New York
BPA: Belgian-style Pale Ale
Style: Belgian Pale
Availability: Limited
Format: 750ml
ABV: 6.2%
Bottle text & Info:
"This fine pale ale has citrus and tropical fruit aromatic shared with a well-balanced – yet abundant – hop character. It uses our own Belgian yeast, five malts, two hops, and plenty of patience. Finishing touches include dry-hopping with Cascade hops and warm-cellaring."
Tasting Notes:
I know, I know. Where's the Irish beer. Listen, i had this small production irish micro I was gonna review but..... I accidently left at work. I know. Lame. So instead of doing another "irish beer" that really brewed in Canada were gonna go ahead and settle for the second release in Ommegang's "specialty beer intiative." So for Mar/April we have the BPA! Who needs St. Patty's day. Moving on. Pours a hazy golden orange with billowy suds forming two to three fingers high and then quickly receding. Typical belgian yeast esters on the nose, including a good bit of candi sugars, dried apricots and some subdued clove. Smells quite like a tripel, really. Medium body with a soft and delicate mouthfeel, holding some tangerine, navel orange, banana-like phenols, finishing with the slightest prick of hops. An interesting take on this version. Ommegang sure is one of the best, if not the best, at domestic Belgian replications, and this is a solid offering. Best way I can explain this is that it has the esters of a Tripel and the phenols of a Witte. I would have liked for this to have been a little cleaner. The label boasts that it's been dry hopped with Cascade, yet there's not a whole lot of citrus or pine on the end, which is a bit disappointing. I get brewing in subtleties, I would have just like to seen a bit more bite here. Nonetheless, a refreshing limited offering from some of the pioneers of Belgium brewing in America.
No comments:
Post a Comment