Rictus Grin
Ale Asylum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

weirdly heavy and weirdly sweet for what it is, but a decent take on a style that seems to fading all too quickly from the american brewing lexicon as fast as it came up a few years back. nice to see something like this still around, but its not as advertised i dont think. a little more malt weight and sugar than it needs to be a summer crusher. the hops are vegetal and very bitter, and it never quite turns into something refreshing. it tastes a little strong too, maybe in the 7% range, but its tough to call it. the yeast is something we have all seen before, but its a nice compliment to the hops, spice on spice, with a little lemon zest freshness in there, very pleasant, as bold as it is, i like it a lot. i have liked just about everything i have had from these guys, i wish their beer made it down here to colorado, i think it would do well as it seems most of what they do is interesting enough for the beer geeks but approachable enough for the casual dabbler. i liked the high carbonation and heavy hops in this one, but its a bit too sturdy for the hot weather, at least in my opinion...

 

Unlike a classic example of this style, such as De Koninck, this beer features more of the ester/phenolic balance found in many Trappist-styled beers. This actually seems pretty common in Belgian Pale Ales not named De Koninck and their American imitators. The malt contribution of breadiness and there is a welcome touch of candy-like sweetness in the mid-palate, but the finish is dry. Although I think the yeast derives flavors may be off-putting to those drinkers who have not cultivated a taste for them, I'm a fan. I find this beer very drinkable. The beer has a pleasant fullness in the mouth, just a touch of slickness. The room I drank this bottle in was a bit dim, but the color seemed orange, the head seemed sufficient, and the empty glass shows plenty of lacing. Wish I had a second.