Can 33cl. from AH XL Muiden @home poured into a shaker. Cloudy pale golden colour, good frothy white head, good retention and lacing. Aroma pale malt, grain, grapefruit, lemon, belimbing. Taste medium sweet and light bitter, lemon, red grapefruit, grain, mineral notes, has some sharp edges. Medium body, oily texture, soft carbonation, sweetbitter aftertaste, spicy notes, nice.

Blik 33cl thuis. Fruitig, zepig, spelt, klein zuurtje, haver, grapefruit, citrus, pomelo, juicy, bittertonen, wat meloen, fruitzoeten. (29-12-2024).

New hazy IPA by Jopen, one of the trailblazers of the Dutch craft beer revolution (and still operating creatively and independently today); can from the Albert Heijn supermarket in Lokeren. Beaten egg-white, thick and dense, frothy, firm, membrane-lacing, stable head on a milky opaque yolk-yellow robe with apricot tinge - this is (more than) hazy indeed. Aroma of pomelo zest, pink grapefruit flesh, freshly cut raw lemongrass, oatmeal porridge, wholegrain bread dough (the spelt, I reckon), starfruit, withering cut flowers, cumin, dank sweatiness (or sweaty dankness), green olives. Juicy onset in a primarily citrusy way, lime and pomelo upfront, hints of unripe guava, hard mango and green kiwi, spritzy carbonation - minerally but not overly sharp, though perhaps still a tad too sharp for the intended style; rounded, soft mouthfeel, wheat slickness combined with barley doughiness but also oatmeal smoothness and sharper spelt graininess, in all playing out the malt bill more prominently than is usually the case in this kind of beers. Only gradually do the hops take over, juicy and citrusy with a tropical edge (guava) but not descending into sweet tropical sultriness, maintaining a sharp-edged lemongrass, lime zest and even green peppercorn sleekness, with a mild bitter effect, zesty and spicy yet nowhere too pungent. Grapefruit peel-like zestiness lingers. Not as sweet-sultry as expected, rather a hazy IPA on the sharper, more peppery, drier side of the spectrum - many brewers today would call this 'West Coast' even, but I hasten to stress the word "today". All things considered a decent Jopen offering, but possibly not living up to the expectations of the gazillions of spoiled 'haze boys' out there.

Draft at the Jopenkerk. Poured a hazy light yellow golden colour with a lasting frothy white head. The aroma is grainy malt, stone fruits. The flavour is moderate bitter, with a fresh, crisp, mineral, stone fruits, floral, spicy hop bitter palate. Medium to light bodied with average carbonation. A simple beer but refreshing.

Can from AH XL supermarket. Spelt IPA. Color: Hazy pale golden, white head. Aroma: Hoppy, subtle citrus fruit. Taste: Hoppy, fruity orange and tangerine, hints of lemon. Grain/nut like notes most probably from the used Spelt, not pairing very well with the usual IPA flavors in my opinion. Medium body, average carbonation. Moderate sweet, light to moderate bitterness and very light sourness. Overall ok.

33cl Blik van AH. Troebel bleekgele kleur, witte kraag. Fruitig, citrus van de spelt, wat sinaasappel, iets netelig, hoppigheid komt niet lekker door, smaak is daardoor vooral prikkelend maar weinig echte smaak, tarwe of spelt, licht granig. OK-ish.