Vittles:
Specialty Beer (Belgian IPA)
6.5% abv
55 IBUs
13 SRM
188 cal.
Score:
Appearance: 9/10
Aroma: 22/25
Taste: 36/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 7/10
Overall: 87/100
Impression:
It's zesty! The aroma and the flavor both have a refreshing combination of sweet roasty maltiness, citrus/grapefruit, piney, herbal, earthy, peppery, and clove notes that nicely complement the palpable yeast characteristics, while the effervescence helps give this beer a more satisfying mouthfeel. I felt the first sip on my tongue almost like licking the terminals on a 9-volt, but each sip after that was a little less... lively... on the tongue. It's well-balanced, too, unlike some of the other Belgian IPA attempts I've tried in the past. I want to be able to taste the yeast, the hops, and the malt, and I can taste all three in this beer. The only real negative I have here is that I taste something a little funny on the back end, like a detergent kind of flavor in the lingering bitter aftertaste. I know there's no detergent or soap in my glass, since I wash my beer-only glassware with only scalding hot water, since I don't want soap residue left in the glass to destroy the head on my next beer. But I can get past the detergent-like taste, since it isn't all that strong, and it doesn't linger very long.
Cheers!
