33cl can as ‘’Fugu Hop Circles’’ from Carrefour market LA CHASSE (BRUSSEL). F: big, egg-white, good retention. C: deep gold, hazy, opaque. A: rich fruity, orange, grapes, white wine, grapefruits, mango, mellow tropical fruits, caramel. T: full malty base, orange, grapefruits, mellow tropical fruits, grapes, mango, pine touch, nice harmonic bitterness, bit caramel, onion effect touch, soft to medium carbonation, very good for the style, fully enjoyed.

33cl can from Carrefour market LA CHASSE (BRUSSEL). F: medium, white, average retention. C: pale gold, milky hazy. A: rich citrus, grapefruits, yellow tropical fruits, bit passion fruits, bit onion effect, spicy. T: medium to full malty base, orange, grapefruits, bit onion, spicy, floral, pineapple, soft to medium carbonation, nice bitterness, good balanced beer, enjoyed for sure.

The first beer from a brand new brewing company in Brussels, only having started up this year - with a NEIPA, how times have changed... Very thick and dense, regularly shaped, egg-white, membrane-lacing, stable head over a hazy yellow blonde beer with somewhat khaki tinge. Powerful aroma of lime blossom and orange orchard, ripe papaya, grapefruit zest, green spring onion, wild garlic leaves, paprika powder, vague ginger, wet bread dough, milk, faint armpit sweat dankness, dried green olives, southernwood. Hop-fruity onset with some light esters mixed in, pear, rambutan, green mango, spritzy but fine-bubbled carbonation adding some light minerality but not getting too much in the way of a smooth, near-creamy mouthfeel, though perhaps feeling a tad on the thin side for ABV and style; silky, smooth doughy maltiness, a tad whole grain porrigde-like with a cereally edge, highly aromatized early on by an almost old-fashioned dose of strong Simcoe (spring onion, spices) and Citra (lime zest, pink grapefruit) reminding me more of the aromatic effects in a West Coast IPA than a true NEIPA. There is some peppery end bitterness, but I can feel that it has deliberately been kept limited to aim at a NEIPA effect - yet it is strong and long-lasting enough to confirm my West Coast-y feel about this one. This Fugushima certainly conveys a NEIPA experience in its looks, but on an aromatic and flavour level, I cannot shake that old school West Coast feel off - this beer feels like a NEIPA if it were made by Sierra Nevada, Stone or AleSmith. That said, I cannot deny that this is a damn fine American style IPA, with the Belgian idiom kept at bay - if present at all. If regarded this way, I must sincerely congratulate these Fugu guys (Nico and Sam) - so with the fish after which their company is likely named in mind, I am willing to take the risk and taste whatever beer they brew next, as one swallow does not make a spring.

18/XI/21 - 33cl can from De Hopduvel (Gent), shared @ home, BB: 2/IX/22 (2021-1461)

Clear pale blond beer, small creamy yellowish head, stable, non adhesive. Aroma: nice, lots of tropical fruits, citrus notes, grapefruit. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: fruity, bit sourish, nice bitterness, bit grassy, some persimmon, kumquat. Aftertaste: nice bitterness, sourish, very fruity, juicy, lots of citrus, dry, very refreshing, orange peel.

Can sourced from Beergium and drunk at home (19/10/2021) - hazy orange with a white head. Citrus and light tropical fruity, soft sweet malts, medium body, piney light bitter hoppy close. Alright.

Can from Beers@Moviefun. Hazy ochre, stable, frothy, white head. Aroma of dank peach, rambutan, pineapple, hard cheese, sweaty feet, dough, pine. Taste has sweet peach, pineapple & papaya; dank onion, spices & some herbs in the middle over doughy maltiness. Floral & piney hoppy finish, perfumey note, ripe tropical fruit & spicy yeast. Medium body, oily texture, average carbonation. Odd mix between herbal & dank but decent.

0.33 l can from Ambasada. Zagreb. Shared with Marko and Luka. Hazy orange, small off-white head. Lightly hoppy, orange, ripe citrus. Malty, bland, flat, abrupt finish.

Can at Ambasada. Hazy golden body, white head. Apricot juice and citric touches, light oxidation but pleasant. Lean, soft taste, weak gummi bears, mild oats, vague orange rock candy. Lean, light. Forgettable session NEIPA with a fantastic label.

Canned 330ml. -from Ambasada Zagreb. Murky orange coloured, medium sized creamy white head, citrusy herbal nose. Sweetish malty, herbal hoppy, citrusy and mild tropical fruits with touch of caramel and tea like notes in the finish.