Belle Époque Belgian IPA
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery

Belle Époque Belgian IPABelle Époque Belgian IPA
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From:
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
Belgian IPA
ABV:
10%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.81 | pDev: 15.49%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
24
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 22, 2017
Added:
May 31, 2015
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  4
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Bf_89:
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Rated by Bf_89 from Canada (ON)

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jun 13, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.74 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

May 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.66 by ikidunot from Canada (ON)

Jan 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by GoHabsGo from Canada (ON)

Mar 25, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by Jotora from Canada (ON)

Jan 02, 2016
 
Rated: 3.83 by hotsudge from Canada (ON)

Dec 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.32 by Molson2000 from Canada (ON)

Dec 08, 2015
Photo of taxandbeerguy
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

3.94/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
750 ml bomber served just above fridge temperature into a tulip. Purchased for about $11 CDN from the LCBO.

Appearance - slightly hazy beer, near orange in coloration ruby hues. Big two fingers of frothy white head on top. Great head retention and some sparse lacing left behind too.

Smell - huge nose, plenty of Belgian yeast aromas, candi sugar. Some light herbal and floral aromas. Just a hint of citrusy goodness too.

Taste - yeasty and quite sweet from candi sugar. Big brash hop bitterness that is part citrus part floral and part herbal comes through like a freight train. Alcohol is quite apparent and some spiciness comes through as well. Flavours hit like a sledgehammer rather than the more subtle and delicate way the Belgians do Belgian IPAs.

Mouthfeel - carbonation is high, body is very full, closing in on a hot sticky mess, but the carbonation and hop bitterness cuts through just enough to avoid that.

Overall - a tasty Belgian IPA, that gets the job done as a blunt instrument and is enjoyable enough, but lacks the finesse of the best brewers. Certainly worth a try and a pretty fine beer for a 10th anniversary beer.
Nov 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.79 by LanceH from Canada (ON)

Oct 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.21 by osickeym from Ohio

Oct 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.52 by Simon212 from Canada (ON)

Aug 06, 2015
Photo of EricVonStein
Reviewed by EricVonStein from Canada (ON)

4.12/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
effervescent pour rich cloudy dark honey colour. Cream coloured head, 4 fingers easy and super long retention sticking all over the glass. Looks are handsome.

hop forward on the nose with big candy sugar and overripe fruit backing it up. some yeasty notes and spiciness.

Fruity hops on the front, juicy. burnt sugar and dried prune, fig, date flavours sweep in, in the style of a Dubbel. lemon and orange rind, pumpkin pie, and baking spices. Dry hops bite on the finish with a yeasty funk aftertaste. Booze and alcohol are present particularly at this point, warms the throat.

mouthfeel is strong. creamy and mealy, good body. good carbonation.

Overall, a pretty crazy mashup of styles. Basically American IPA meets Belgian Dubbel. It works though, as the balance is there, if perilous - you get the feeling its a bit of a tight rope walk. This beer has got lots going on and has been brewed with care to show off a bit - its just plain fun to drink. Highly recommend. Def buy again and with something this good, could be more than a 10 year anniversary one off.

edit: there is a good amount of sediment in the bottle so if you can stir that up before you pour do so, otherwise, as i do, swirl the last half glass in the bottle and pour out into your glass for a slightly different and more barn funk flavour!
Aug 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by NSXAG from Arizona

Jul 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.84 by RedAleMan from Canada (ON)

Jul 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4.24 by Wajohnst from Canada (ON)

Jul 22, 2015
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.52/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Bottle: Poured a hazy deep blonde color ale with a nice large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of sugar with some fruity hops is interesting. Taste is a mix of booze with loads of residual sugar notes and medium fruity hops with light bitterness. Body is full with good carbonation with some alcohol being apparent. A bit too sweet for its own good and too much booze. Base beer is interesting and would have been better with more attenuation.
Jul 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.83 by Giggy from Michigan

Jul 12, 2015
 
Rated: 3.51 by MattCampbell from Canada (ON)

Jun 23, 2015
Photo of -Liam-
Reviewed by -Liam- from Canada (ON)

1.35/5  rDev -64.6%
look: 2 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 1.5
This thing is a hot alcohol mess. For these guys to release this as their Tenth Anniversary beer is embarrassing. I always thought that they didn't know how to brew a decent beer, and now they have removed all doubt! I'm annoyed at myself for spending 11 bones on this.
Jun 22, 2015
Photo of thehyperduck
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

4.3/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750 mL bottle-in-a-box from the LCBO; served slightly chilled. I haven't had a chance to try a new Flying Monkeys beer since last October - their very impressive Paranormal Pumpkin Ale. I also happen to love Belgian IPAs, so there was no way I wasn't going to try this one, regardless of the price point.

Pours a clouded orange-amber colour; extremely effervescent, with nearly three fingers of fluffy, off-white head seated atop providing ample proof of that fact. The foam has a creamy, whipped topping-like look to it, and is remarkably long-lasted. It cakes the sides of the glass with gobs of sticky lace as it slowly recedes into a lumpier, but much more manageable-sized cap. The nose is a nice blend of fruity and spicy; hoppy and yeasty. I am getting a lot of grapefruit pith and lemon zest, with earthy, spicy clove and pepper coming through nicely, as well. Somewhat floral, with hints of stone fruit and banana; a rather pleasant bouquet.

In a slight twist for one of these Flying Monkeys special releases, I find this brew to be pretty balanced, at least as far as Belgian IPAs go. I am picking up flavours of syrupy caramelized sugar sweetness and bready, pale malts right off the bat, with notes of fruity apricot and banana coming next in line. An equally impressive wave of hoppy, bitter flavours follows thereafter - lots of earthy, floral astringency, with hints of candied citrus. It finishes with a peppery, yeasty, spicy kick, ending with a flash of boozy heat in the aftertaste, which quickly dries out the palate. Full-bodied, with a creamy, generous mouthfeel, and a crisp, assertive bite from the high levels of carbonation. The high IBUs and abv make this one best-suited to slow, contemplative sipping, but with beer this yummy it's easy to get ahead of yourself.

Final Grade: 4.3, an excellent A grade. Flying Monkeys' Belle Époque was brewed in honour of their 10th anniversary - and what a decade it's been! These guys made a name for themselves by brewing aggressively hoppy beers, the likes of which the Ontario-wide marketplace had not yet seen - and they are still doing so today, with the same amount of skill and finesse as ever.

[Updated Jun 12 2016]

Finally cracked the second bottle, but it seems a full year was a bit too ambitious. It drinks more like a barleywine at this point, with the weakened hops unable to stand up to the overpowering 10%. Rife with overripe fruit and boozy warmth, and still quite bitter with an earthy, dirty bitterness. I preferred it young. No reason to tweak the grade, since IPAs (regardless of stripe) are best consumed fresh. If you're one of the four other BAs who've "Got" this, then hopefully you like strong ales.
Jun 08, 2015
Belle Époque Belgian IPA from Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 24 ratings