Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

From the corner shop. Brussels
Not a typical IPA.
On the sweet side.
Caramel, apricot.
Medium body.
Dry finish.

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

The 'honeyed' version of La Blonde IPA by Jean Brasse, a hobby brewer in Rixensart gone commercial some years ago. Thick and frothy, very moussey, eggshell-white, creamy, shred-lacing head on a misty golden blonde beer with apricot tinge. Aroma of soggy cereals, raw turnip, withered celery, old dried grapefruit peel, dry herb cheese rind, quite pronounced iron (unambiguously confirmed by the 'hand test'), frozen parsley, dried kale, moist white pepper, cold nettle soup, oxidized green apple slices, unripe white peach, something vaguely yet oddly smoky (phenolic no doubt - smoked paprika at first, burnt natural rubber in the end), chicken broth, sweetclover, rainwater, volatile hint of manure. Crisp onset, sharpish carb, fruity aspects of green apple peel and unripe white peach so very restrained in sweetness, lots of minerality from the (over-)carbonation and iron 'palpable' early on; slick body, cereally with an old-bready core, under growing earthy and leafy hops, while the metallic effect increases. Finishes with lingering 'green' and non-sweet fruitiness, earthy and phenolic yeast effects (that smoky note returning, albeit very subtly so) and 'dark green' bitterness from hops, aromatically hovering between withered kale, green celery and moist white pepper, whilst providing a more satisfying drying bitterness too, which remains altogether relatively gentle. The metallic aspect here will bother many, and as far as the hops go: typical 'Belgian IPA', i.e. a brew conceived and executed by people who think classic Belgian ale styles automatically and magically turn into IPAs if one 'overhops' them. In this case, the hops add little grace and charm, only an earthy, 'dark green' bitterness which admittedly lasts in a pleasant way after swallowing; the honey addition does what it is supposed to do, namely adding flowery aspects without sweetening everything. Passes.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

33cl bottle. A clear orange brown beer with a beige head. Aroma of raisins, dark malt, red fruits. Taste of dark malt, raisins, caramel, spices.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5.5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 5 | Overall - 5

Trockener, mild kräutriger Beginn. Dunkles Malz, wässrig bitter, mittellanger Abgang. Okay. 10/9/8/8/8/8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

33cl bottle. A clear dark golden beer with a beige lacing. Aroma of ripe fruits, apricot, some peach, yeast. Taste of ripe peach and apricot, spices, yeast. Moderate bitterness.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 6.5

Heller malziger Antrunk mit unterstützender milder Süße. Die milde Herbe nimmt zu keiner Zeit zu, ein Hauch Karamell, mild grasig hopfig. Geringfügige Bitterkeit zum Ende. 9/11/10/10/9/10

33cl bottle. A clear amber beer with a beige head. Aroma of mild raspberries, grapes. Taste of grainy malt, cereals, biscuit, ripe fruits.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 5 | Overall - 4

Leicht bitterer, süßlich herb-getreidiger Beginn. Weich, wenig würzig, trocken kräutriger Hintergrund. Kurzer Abgang, etwas Heu. 9/6/8/6/8/7

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Dark amber colour, white foam. Bready, notes of toast, caramel, some herbal notes, medium sweet, some bitterness in the finish. Not very well balanced.