Strong IPA hopped with Amarillo, Motueka, Rakau, Azacca, Sabro and Wai-Ti, originally developed for the Zythos Bierfestival of 2020 which was cancelled because of the Covid pandemic. From tap at Nieuwjaarsreceptie Gentse Biervereniging. Snow white, creamy, tiny-bubbled, slowly opening but generally well-retaining head on a hazy amberish-tinged peach blonde beer. Aroma of biscuit, dried orange peel, cheese rind (oxidized hops), freeze-dried parsley, toasted onion, persimmon, pink peppercorns, paprika powder, petrichor. Rounded, restrainedly sweetish onset, persimmon and unripe apricot notes, medium carbonated with soft, oily mouthfeel; dry cracker- and old biscuit-like maltiness with a slight ‘rusty’ edge from oxidation, supporting paprika- and white pepper-like spiciness linked to a long grapefruity hoppiness with oniony side notes, connecting well with the soft toasty bitterish side of the malts. Biscuity sweetness lingers beyond the hop bitterness, but so does a cheesy aftertaste of oxidized hop components; the alcohol remains altogether remarkably well hidden, making this one dangerous beer. My sample was noticeably too old with first signs of oxidation, something which bothered others much more than me, because I still liked the general ‘old school American’ flavour profile of this beer quite a lot. I guess I will have to find a fresh sample too then for comparison…

30/XII/21 - 33cl bottle from Geers (Oostakker), shared @ home, BB: 30/X/23, ZB/002-003 (2021-1627)

Clear orange beer, big creamy yellowish head, pretty stable, bit adhesive, leaving some lacing in the glass. Aroma: super fruity, lots of diacetyl, caramel, popcorn, sweet malts, dank hops. MF: ok carbon, medium to full body. Taste: sweet start, malty, diacetyl, pretty bitter, some caramel malts. Aftertaste: malty, grains, sweet caramel malts, dank, nice bitterness, but also buttery, diacetyl, meh. The hops can mask it a bit, but not that much.

Not your typical Belgian IPA 😉 Tasty!

25 June 2021. At Dok Brewing Company. Cheers Anke & PIeter! Hazy dark orange, frothy, off-white head. Aroma of apricot jam, marmalade, biscuit, dried orange peel, mango, pomegrenate, strawberry. Taste has sweet apricot, orange, mango & vague strawberry in a jam-like, biscuity malt body, touch of caramel even. Bitter citrus rinds & pink grapefruit accents in the bitter, earthy hoppy, almost resinous finish along malty biscuit & marmalade. Medium body, oily texture, average carbonation. Nice one, rather heavy on the malt (and the tongue) though.