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Brewery Ommegang
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.
Belgoobeer
Municipality of Binche
Province of Hainaut
Region of Walloon, Belgium
Magus
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
Availability: Year Round
Format: 330ml
ABV: 6.6%
Malt: Barley, Wheat, Oats, German Wheat
Hops: Saaz
Bottle text & Info:
Belgoo Magus is a unique top fermented 4 grains craft beer.We use as main ingredients barley malt, wheat malt, Oats, German Wheat (triticum spelta) and Saaz hops.It is a 100% natural, non-filtered beer which, when poured in, gives a turbid white look to the beer.Belgoo Magus is, like all Belgoo beers, a "living" beer due to a last fermentation in the bottle by adding yeast just before bottling.Belgoo Magus accompanies perfectly seafood and more spicy dishes.
Tasting Notes:
Was given this by Sean of Ararat. I guess they're testing this one out to see if it's something they wanna bring into the state. Was initially confused as they are listed on BeerAdvocate as being brewed by Brasserie La Binchoise. This is not correct. Belgoo is a separate and new company that shares the same building (a no doubt, equipment) as La Binchoise. Alright. Let's crack this guy.
Pours a vibrant apricot color with some slight yeast haze. A generous white head settles nice and slow. Smells distinctly of pale malt with some clove, orchard fruit, grain and slight estery notes. Nice and creamy mouthfeel thanks to spot on carbonation. Candied pear, Banana, slight clove and lemon. Saaz on the finish imparts a sort of musky dryness.
Bottom line: This is an above average Belgian Pale. It's light and refreshing, I would love to sit out on a late spring night on the Belgian cobblestone streets, and sip this. With that being said, this is just missing something - another gear flavor wise. Being a young brewery in a country brewing beers steeped in hundred year traditions, you can probably chalk this ales shortcomings up to not yet possessing an awesome yeast strain. Solid yes. Steller, no.
