Contemplation
Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Belgian Style - Blonde / Pale / Amber Rotating|
Score
6.59
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Clover honey added during the boil contributes color and complexity but adds no sweetness to the beer as the sugars are broken down during fermentation. Look for whispers of apricot and nectarine on the palate, mixed with the floral aroma of the hops grown in northern Michigan.
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6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Poured from the can. Interesting twist on the style--honey with Belgian yeastiness with some hints of fruit. Okay.
Tried
from Can
on 08 Aug 2016
at 21:56
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Can. Pours clear orange with a medium fizzy white head that dissipates with some lacing. Aroma is grain, honey, hay. Flavor is about the same, prominent honey taste but only medium sweetness. Light spicyiness and yeast notes present, perhaps a bit of clove. Light grassy bitter finish. Clean finish, medium body, silky mouthfeel. Not bad.
Tried
from Can
on 05 Nov 2012
at 18:10
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
16 ounce can into tulip glass, 2018 vintage canning. Pours crystal clear golden orange color with a 1 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings to the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lemon, orange, pear, apricot, red apple, honey, peppercorn, clove, biscuit, white bread dough, light banana, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, honey, earthy hops, and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lemon, orange, pear, apricot, red apple, honey, peppercorn, clove, biscuit, white bread dough, light banana, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/grassy bitterness and peppery yeast spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, orange, pear, apricot, red apple, honey, peppercorn, clove, biscuit, white bread dough, light banana, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, honey, earthy hops, and bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance; and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy/sticky, and fairly crisp balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 7%. Overall this is a very nice Biere de Garde style. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, honey, earthy hops, and bready malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Great balance of French saison yeast, MI Honey/Hops, and bready Munich malts. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.
Tried
from Can
on 18 Oct 2012
at 19:40
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
On tap at the Shark Club in Howell, MI. Golden pour with a white head. Mild aroma, where mineral scents dominate with hints at yeast. Yeasty clove flavor with a slight citrus. The yeast flavor is nice, but it’s definitely missing a malt presence that would help to complete it.
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Sep 2012
at 21:30
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 4
Draft at HopCat. Although this was advertised as a sour, it didn’t have any characteristics of a sour. It had a decent nose of vanilla and subtle bourbon, but the body was thin and flavor had no apparent funk. Oh well.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Jan 2012
at 18:37
6.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 5
Tap @ Brewery Vivant. Clear, golden orange appearance with an off white head. Mild honey, slightly spicy belgian yeasty, pale malty aroma. Honey, dull belgian golden ale flavor. Bleh bleh bleh.
Tried
from Draft
on 17 Nov 2011
at 15:53
6/10
Very light. Definitely vivant Belgium but light honey aftertaste
Tried
on 12 Nov 2011
at 15:52
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
On tap at the brewpub. Translucent clear orange-brown body, thin off-white head. Complex nose with honey, flower petals, clove, bubblegum, and hints of chocolate, with smoky hints. Somewhat thin body, estery, with clove, banana (circus peanuts) and bubblegum, in addition to light fruits (pear), toast, and herbal hops. Sugary with warming alcohol notes.
Tried
from Draft
on 28 Feb 2011
at 16:04