Blijven Hijsen

Hazy APA following the earlier ‘Hijsen’ and, like its predecessor, honouring the memory of Nelson Lamyns, a former employee of both the legendary Brugs Beertje pub and the Halve Maan brewery in Bruges, whom I have known quite well too and who left this world much too early. Large one (0,5 l) from tap at Brugs Beertje, the only place where one can obtain this tribute beer. Medium sized, snow white, moussey, nicely lacing head over hazy apricot blonde robe with ochre-ish tinge. Aroma of fresh orange zest, halfripe mango, lemon thyme, young wormwood leaf, white pepper, stewed onions, minerals, white bread, dank sweaty notes (even vague sweaty feet when warming up). Crisp onset, very sharply carbonated to the extent where it inflicts pain on the tongue and hinders drinkability; quite clean, with sweetish notes of mango, mandarin, lychee and pear. Smooth body, white-bready maltiness, ‘full’ enough, under a firm and prolonged hop bitterness with wormwoody, grapefruity and white-peppery flavours, as well as retronasal aromas of withering leek, overripe onion and orange zest. Dry, quenching, long finish. A bit of everything in IPA and APA territory: the bitterness of a West Coast IPA, the cleanness of a mountain IPA and citrusy-fruity notes hinting at APA – with very subdued touches of Belgian IPA as well. In any case a powerful tribute to the late Nelson – cheers buddy, this one is for you.

Cloudy yellow pour and a fine white head Ok lacing Pleasant intensity in the aroma Balanced sweetness and a fine smooth carbonation level Pale malt, citric, fruity and mild lactose in the back [On tap at ’t Brugs Beertje in Brugge, Belgium]