7.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

BOTTLE. Cloudy amber, off-white head. The aroma ranges from fruity jammy malts, to tart bright dried stone-fruit (apricots?) to hoppy citrus notes. There's a distinct spicy fresh grass/green pepper note that gets stronger as it goes. Just a hint of alcohol. The hop presence is not as strong as in a conventional big IPA - it is indeed a hybrid rather than a hopped up quad. Same with the taste - it is juicier and overall easier drinking than ordinary Belgian strongies, but not a downright hop bomb - in fact, even the bitterness is quite humble. Big creamy and easy going mouthfeel, big soft massaging carbonation. Yep, they managed to keep a good balance between the two ancestor beer styles (it still a notch more Belgian, I'd say), and get a really big easy drinker while at it.