Return Of The Empire

Tap @ Pigalle. Pours hazy whitish orange, white foam. Aroma is fresh, sweetish fruity edge as a base and then some fresh citrus aromas on top. Taste is pretty much as aroma foretells, feels quite light actually, fruity, sweetish and nicely balanced with bitter citrus hops. Citrus is quite strong and really works nicely with this beer, very drinkable and extremely satisfying.

Can bought at - not ironically - De Moor Drankencentrale somewhere in rural Flanders... Moor, originally a very traditionally English brewery revived by an American in 2007, tends to excel in uplifting English traditions and updating them to the new craft beer era whilst still retaining their roots, not unlike Senne’s, Struise’s or Dochter van de Korenaar’s approach in Belgium, and here’s an interesting concept within that particular policy: the name suggests an attempt to ’make IPA English again’ so to speak, evoking its bygone days of glory during the height of the British Empire, but doing so by using Jester hops - the only English-bred hop variety with a New World character, so much so that it derives its name from the fact that initially, brewers and tasters alike could not believe it to be English... Very thick, foamy, utterly frothy head of irregular structure and egg-white colour, dense and stable and leaving behind thick patches of textbook cobweb - almost ’Belgian’ lacing; immediately completely hazy peach blonde colour with ochre-ish tinge. The aroma indeed breathes a strong, intoxicating New World hops perfume, with the same ’lushness’ and exotic traits that you’ll find in any contemporary American IPA; I get freshly squeezed orange juice, ripe starfruit, lots of lychee, underripe mango, raw red bell peppers, pine-scented soap, quite a lot of moist white pepper but also delicately fragrant jasmin blossoms, dried grapefruit peel and hints of green melon, minerals, bread crumbs, lemon cake, lavender and even hand soap, violets. Vividly fruity onset, sweetish and sourish with hints of raw pineapple, lychee, ripe apricots and Cape gooseberries, soda-like fizz on the tongue, bit minerally and further souring, perhaps a tad too sharp for the style, but otherwise agreeable, smooth, very lightly soapy mouthfeel. Light cereally malt middle, a tad bread crust-like but only distantly so, with the soapiness increasing towards a long, resinous, oily, tonic water-ish hop finish, leaving behind a thorough, leafy, grapefruity bitterness long after swallowing; retronasally, the citrusy (especially grapefruity) effects rise up quite strongly, with floral and eventually even quite piney, almost Columbus-like effects. Peppery and minerally flavours meanwhile stick to the root of the tongue and a softer orange juice effect keeps lingering in the nose for a few seconds after that. Mission accomplished I reckon: brewed with English ingredients including the Jester hops, but 21st-century craft IPA (read: American style) in all respects. High in drinkability even though it seems a bit overcarbonated, pleasantly but quite thoroughly bittering and surely appetizing, this beer understands its own purpose very well. Makes me look forward to further exploring the other Moor beers I bought at the same store.

Lys brun klar med høyt beige skum. Lukter plommer, moden sydhavsfrukt, tung sødme, trevirke og karamell. Middels fylde. Bitterheten dominerer. Fruktigheten blir noe borte, karamell og noe mineralsk smak ligger bak. Middels lang.

Can at Erzbierschof Monday Club. Pours cloudy yellow. Aroma is pine, earth, forest. Body is medium, bitter, pine, resin, a forest floor to drink. Palate is medium and lightly sweet. Okay.

Can at a tasting. Quite tasty, both earthy, grassy, but rather tart zesty, citrusy and general fruitiness. High carbonation, easy drinking. Good one.

Can kindly shared by Kazo, many thanks. Orange golden color with thick white head. Aroma of citrus, zest, pines. Taste, solid malty base followed by light citrus hops and honey. Medium long hoppy bitter finish.

Orange colored, unclear, medium white frothy head, nice lacing, rather lasting. Aroma is of some malt, moderate+ fruity, floral and citrus hoppy, pretty fresh. Taste is medium sweet pale malt, light caramel, medium+ fruity and floral hops with some lemony citrus, medium bitterness, light dryish, some grassy notes as well. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, oily.
Earlier Rating: 2/1/2016 Total Score: 3.5
Amber-orange colored, unclear, medium white frothy head, long lasting, nice lacing. Aroma is of caramel malt and fruity and citrusy hops. Taste is medium sweet caramalt, fruity and citrusy hops, bit peppery, somewhat harsh, medium bitterness, dry finish and lasting aftertaste. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, oily. (can, Bierhalle Deconinck, Vichte)

Fruity nose. Hazy deep golden colour, good two finger frothy white to off-white head, good retention, good lacing. Aroma pale malts, orange, tangerine, peach, grass. Taste medium sweet and bitter, malty, grassy, citrus. Bittersweet aftertaste, orange peel, pine notes. Medium body, oily texture, average carbonation, crisp and mellow, very nice IPA.