Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie, now settled in the hip Antwerp Eilandje neighbourhood so apparently making a lot of money (no doubt propelled by the support of Moortgat behind the scenes), tackling the now ubiquitous NEIPA style with this "Eilandje", referring to the neighbourhood but also evoking associations of tropical sweetness - very curious to find out if they can credibly convey this 'tropicality'. Thick and frothy, shred-lacing, stable, egg-white, foamy head on an initially only lightly hazy, apricot blonde beer with pale orangey tinge and - especially for intended style - very enthusiastic sparkling throughout, turning misty with sediment. Aroma of pink grapefruit, fresh bread, toasted pumpkin, pine resin (!), toasted onion, melon, tropical-scented shower gel and indeed soap or bath foam, starfruit, fresh lemon thyme, apricot, something weirdly chemical which I assume is supposed to mimick the 'diesel-like' dankness of a true NEIPA, sweet potato, dried lemon peel, vague whiffs of roses, spoiled coconut flakes, overheated olive oil. Quite crisp onset - too crisp for the intended style - from lively, minerally carbonation piercing through hints of apricot, ripe pear, banana and starfruit, early soapiness coming up and never going away, in the middle backed by a bready, almost dry-biscuity and rusk-like maltiness yet remaining relatively light and supple; soon, spicy effects appear, of grapefruit peel, slight toasted onion, pine resin and white pepper, while the promised tropical effect remains limited to pomelo and other exotic citrus fruit, but never offers the true mango, lychee or maracujá fruitiness any 'correct' NEIPA would offer. Ends with considerable hop bitterness, too, oniony and grapefruity, though indeed nowhere harsh and only gently drying, with somewhat resinous, but quite long-lasting effect, a bit peppery in the very end. Belgium still has a lot to learn about IPA and its 'postmodern' history - but I dread the day that, apart from the already existing general 'Belgian IPA' category, creations like this call for a separate 'Belgian hazy IPA' style... There is a certain amount of sultry tropicality in this one, but it remains so subtle that it still gets overruled by resinous, even piney hoppiness, so that the overall experience is still closer to the original West Coast IPAs of years ago than to true NEIPA; indeed, this beer evokes memories of old school West Coast IPAs by the likes of Anderson Valley, Flying Dog or even Anchor and Sierra Nevada, much more so than any other Belgian brewery so far (to my knowledge - and with the possible exception of Musketeers). What it does not evoke, however, are the hazy, sultry, tropically aromatic New England IPAs the brewery had in mind - I guess I will have to deduct a point for that. Strange - Belgium is lagging behind in global craft beer evolutions (except when it comes to spontaneous fermentation, but that is another story) and apparently a professionally organized attempt at NEIPA ends up closer to late 20th and early 21st century West Coast IPA than to actual current New England IPA... This beer, in all, is a blast from the past for me, packed with nostalgia, but not at all a representation of the genre it wants to flirt with. I guess the brewer needs to get his hands on some fresh Trillium, Hill Farmstead or Tree House NEIPAs - let's talk again after that has happened.

Dark brownish-reddish color and a nice off-white head. Nice maltyness with herbs and hoppy finish.

Bottle online from Beerhouseshop.be. Pours a hazy copper colour with a large thick creamy off-white head. Aromas of citrus and stone fruits, floral and spice. Taste has orange sherbet, floral, spice with hints of caramel and biscuit. Fairly light body, lively fizzy mouthfeel with a citrus tang and also slightly sweet finish. Different and not bad at all.

Bottle from Delhaize. Hazy golden with a thick, foamy, white head. Aroma of apple peel, pear, white tea, apricot, jasmin, orange blossom, some leek. Taste has sweet estery apple & pear over a honey-bready and cake dough-like malt base with perfumey-flowery notes. Herbal hoppy, bit bitter finish, more perfumey tea & yellow fruit, some warming jenever-like alcohol. Medium body, oily texture, average carbonation. Enjoyable. (Edited: 3/02/2026.)

Bottle from Delhaize. Hazy yellow with a small, frothy, white head. Aroma of pineapple, nectarine, melon, tangerine, pomelo, honey, lime. Taste has sweet pineapple & tangerine, honey maltiness, bit soapy-wheaty, ending floral hoppy with low bitterness, mostly citrus rinds & tropical fruit against a dougy malty backbone. Medium body, creamy texture, soft carbonation. Good effort from ABC, hop-forward but maybe 'soaped up' a bit.

opalescent amber colour, large, dense beige-ish-yellowish ecru head; aroma and taste of orange and orange peel oils, floral, fruity, biscuity, some boiled carrot and pine resiny notes;good one

bottle at home.. September 2020... amber... no head.. oily yeasty orange bready fruit nose... soft bready fruit.. Light bitter.. soft bready fruit