The Bold Belgian Pale Ale
Dead Frog Brewing

The Bold Belgian Pale AleThe Bold Belgian Pale Ale
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From:
Dead Frog Brewing
 
British Columbia, Canada
Style:
Belgian Pale Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
80
Avg:
3.44 | pDev: 15.7%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
35
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 17, 2015
Added:
Oct 06, 2013
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  5
No description / notes.
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Ratings by mjacquard:
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Rated by mjacquard from Canada (ON)

3.36/5  rDev -2.3%

Sep 02, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by GoHabsGo from Canada (ON)

Sep 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.69 by imfinished from Canada (BC)

Jul 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.7 by FadetoBock from Canada (AB)

May 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.09 by gorfchris from Canada (BC)

Mar 31, 2015
Photo of Diegofcosta
Rated by Diegofcosta

2.39/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 2
the color and the aroma converge to a disappointing taste
Feb 12, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by BCborn from Canada (BC)

Dec 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by R_Kole from Canada (AB)

Nov 01, 2014
Photo of mick303
Reviewed by mick303 from Canada (ON)

3.55/5  rDev +3.2%
Poured from bottle into a tulip glass, beer is a dark cloudy amber brown colour with a large solid cap of honey coloured head, good retention and lacing.

S- caramel malts, an upfront floral and citrusy grapefruit bitterness, mildly spicy and earthy. Get quite a bit of hop character to it, also some rustic malt and spicy fermentation esters over the roasty malt base.

T - start is quite a toasty caramel malt, bitter citrus grapefruit, blood orange, then more dry grainy character, some of the belgian character comes through more in a full mouthfeel that gives some earthy and spice character. Some cardamon and grainy cereal character. Finish is crisp but with a slick yeasty citrus character that sticks around quite awhile.

M - quite sessionable with a pleasant refreshing carbonation. Finish is a bit earthy and bitter as above. Overall, this is an enjoyable pale ale with a mild spicy character coming from the yeast but too much caramel malt in my opinion.

A quite tasty and drinkable ale, fairly one dimensional Belgian spice aspect on top of a lot of caramel malts but the hops do integrate well to create a refreshing easily drinkable ale. Flavour is pronounced but bold might be a slight overstep for this. Still a good beer with some merits to it.
Sep 16, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by cfalovo97 from Canada (ON)

Sep 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.45 by Coronaeus from Canada (ON)

Sep 10, 2014
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

3.35/5  rDev -2.6%
Wait a second, I thought the label said this was a Belgian *Pale* Ale... the flat, dingy copper-toned fluid that comes out of the bottle, however, is hardly any lighter than orange pekoe tea. And with all the yeast sediment floating about it looks no less thick than marmalade (imagine had I have included the last two fingers worth of liquid - I'd need a knife and spoon!)

The Bold smells rather boldly indeed - like an orchard full of fallen, festering fruits. Notes of rotting pears and oranges are strong, though lightened and brightened slightly by a hop bill comprised of floral and citrusy Cascade and Columbus cones. More noticeable even, however, is a significantly bready, biscuity maltiness reminiscent of an American, British even, pale ale.

Indeed, Belgian yeast has very distinct qualities - and this doesn't offer nearly enough of them to be eligible for "Belgian" considerations in my mind. The taste, like the aroma, is defined in majority by its malts which provide an ample flavour of country loaf bread and subtle notes of hard toffee. The over-ripe orchard fruit and citrus peels are appreciable still too.

But what about the peppery, zesty phenolics? There's far too much marmalade sweetness and virtually zero spiciness. This lacks balance between elements as well as the typical effervescence (both in character and carbonation). Also, the plumper malt bill gives the beer more weight than it aught to have; this wouldn't be my go-to for a social, easy-going warm-weather sipper.

Openly designed as a "new world take on an old world brew", The Bold is nowhere as fundamentally flawed as I've made it out to be. In fact, it's not a bad recipe - it's just in need of a little tweaking. And just because I didn't enjoy it doesn't mean you won't. But to be clear: Aldergrove is not Antwerp and British Columbia is not Brabant. Adjust expectations accordingly.
Sep 09, 2014
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Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)

3.75/5  rDev +9%
Hazy tea brown with a moderate head and lots of lace. Yeast sediment at the bottom of the glass. Looks good.

After that it gets kind of odd. Nose is dominated by sugary sweet malt, tons of it. No real hint of anything yeasty or Belgian in the nose. Taste is big bitter hops and a lot of sweet malt. Again, nothing yeasty or Belgian about it to taste. It's certainly bold maltwise and hopwise, but the use of the term Belgian is a bit of a misnomer, because except for the yeast sediment, it doesn't strike me as a traditional Belgian.

That said, it's a tasty enough brew. Lots of character and suitable for anyone who likes big hop flavours. Off the beaten track and representative of the new hoppier Belgian Pale Ales here in NA. Best I've had from Dead Frog.
Sep 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Cramshawbar from Canada (ON)

Aug 30, 2014
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Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

3.51/5  rDev +2%
341 ml bottle pulled from a BC craft brewers sampler pack. About $2.25 CDN per bottle. Served cold into glassware.

Appearance - hazy light brown color, capped by almost two fingers of frothy and dense white head. Some spectacular lacing left behind.

Smell - some hoppy aromas with a burst of citrus. Nice cross between an IPA and a Belgian ale. Just the faintest trace of Belgian yeast too.

Taste - fairly hoppy and bitter flavor, there's more I an earthy flavor than the nose would let one. Less citrus than expected and what citrus there is, is reminisecent of grapefruit. A trace of Belgian Yeats, but in all this is more akin to a west coast IPA or APA. Too bitter for the sake of being bitter for my liking.

Mouthfeel - fairly smooth with sufficient bubbly carbonation. Fairly light but with a dry vinous finish.

Overall- definitely an interesting pale ale, to me this is a toned down west coast IPA maybe crossed with some Belgian yeast than a full blown Belgian pale ale. Still quite taste and an interesting spin on the style. Would enjoy again.
Aug 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Jotora from Canada (ON)

Aug 19, 2014
 
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Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

3.83/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
341 mL bottle pulled from a BC Craft Brewers Guild sampler pack, now available at the LCBO. Served slightly chilled.

Pours a muddy brownish-amber colour, opaque with sediment and full of visible floaties that slowly hover through the liquid. It is topped with two fingers of puffy, resilient off-white head that very gradually seeps away over a period of minutes. Beautiful lace; with a messy cap and collar eventually being deposited. This is a nice-looking beer, although it isn't terribly pale. The aroma is rather leafy and earthy, with additional notes of brown sugar, raisin, bergamot orange and spicy yeast.

An interesting beer - very much a Belgian ale crossed with an American-style pale ale. The malt backbone is quite bready and biscuity, with hints of brown sugar. It then takes a turn toward the hoppy side, with leafy, earthy hop notes and bitter orange, which eventually fades into a peppery, yeasty finish. On the lighter side of medium-bodied, with fairly assertive carbonation that gives this brew a nice, crisp bite that complements the hoppy, spicy tail end of the flavour profile.

Final Grade: 3.83, a B+. This boldly-named beer does not disappoint - Dead Frog's Bold Belgian Pale Ale is a fantastic addition to this sampler pack. At only 5%, this is a very flavourful, satisfying session ale that offers a unique take on the style, with something to please nearly everyone. Not a traditional BPA, as the use of North American hop strains is noticeable, but I am enjoying my glass and would recommend this beer to others.
Aug 14, 2014
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Reviewed by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12oz Bottle from the Ottawa LCBO for $2 or so

Appearance - Copper colour with an average size off-white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for around 4-5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Caramel, malts, breads/grains, hops

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste caramel, malts, and hops. There is also some sugary sweet notes, and a yeasty spiciness.

Overall - Not like any belgian ipa I've had before. Kind of like a ESB meets a belgian pale ale? If that makes any sense. It's not a bad beer, just not to style.
Aug 08, 2014
The Bold Belgian Pale Ale from Dead Frog Brewing
Beer rating: 80 out of 100 with 35 ratings