Cali-Belgique IPA - White Wine Barrel-Aged
Stone Brewing

5-18-19

 

 

Had this at the 2018 Strange Brew festival. Was one of the best beers that day.

Pours a golden light orange color with 1/2" white head. Nice and pretty. Aroma definitely is a punchy white wine/white grape light bright french oak feel to it. Belgian yeast is secondary to those aromatic notes.

Taste is nice, the white wine barrel carries the heavy lifting while notes of mild hopping and belgian yeast esters are in a supportive but not irrelevant role. Not overly complex, but a nice layered medley of flavors dancing around. Mouth feel continues to reveal a solid amount of carbonation that helps push the chardonnay day drinking feel. Bitterness is enjoyable and appropriate, prolly clocking in around 60 ibu if I were to venture an educated guess.

While I've really enjoyed fresh calibelgique, I think this elevates the beer to an even better place. One of the few beers on Saturday that I went back for seconds. Plus all that sweet Stone schwag at the table. . .

 

Just some quick tasting notes of this. Tried in a flight at Limerick's Tavern during Stone's 4/20 tap takeover. Alhambra, CA.

I enjoyed this barrel aged variation. You get a lot of the sweeter white wine notes in the smell, with a much sharper, more bitter flavor profile that makes for a really nice contrast. Super smooth, nice golden color, would drink again.

 

 

 

 

 

A nice golden yellow color with and a firm one finger head. The head left lacing on the glass and has some legs.

Bright fragrant floral bouquet with lemon, grapefruit, and a hint of pine. Other aromas in the beer are a slight toasted malt with a spicy, yeast aroma. The white pulls through making this complex nose.

Taste: A very perfumy, floral bouquet with fruity esters and some pine notes. The fruity esters are grapefruit with hints of oranges and lemons. The malt is slightly toasty and a note of yeast. Tropical fruits, butter, oak are the background.

A smooth creamy finish that linger pleasantly on the palate.

This is already a good beer, but aged in wine barrel add a level of complexity that makes this beer ever changing with each sip. I really enjoyed this beer.

 

 

 

 

the chardonnay barrel here changes the game on this already delicious brew. the white grape fruitiness marries beautifully with the belgian yeast esters, a very cool match in any beer, but especially unique in such a hop forward one. the hops half mash and half clash with that fruitiness, making an odd but enjoyable battleground out of the tongue. the oak on this is also fairly intense, adding weight to the beer at the same time the acidity of the wine lightens it up. a number of compatible and uncommon juxtapositions in this brew. alcohol is still dangerously well hidden, and that chardonnay character just makes the whole thing sing. hop bitterness is lower now than i remember, probably a product of the age in the barrel. that was true with other barrel aged variantes of this one i have had as well. carbonation is rock star though, and the finish is oaky and buttery like a decent chardonnay. one of the better wine barrel beers ive had in awhile, not overdone or pretentious, just accenting an already top tier brew.