Belgian IPA
Max's Fanno Creek Brew Pub

Served in their stemless tulip at the brewpub, the Belgian IPA is copper colored with a small white head head that leaves lots of very nice belgian style lace on the flared part of the flute.

Smell is a big hit of PNW hops of the floral citrus variety. Theres some orange or perhaps corriander that I assume was an adjunct, although I suppose it could be from the hops and/or yeast. Spicy with a soft sweetness, and very nice.

Taste is appropriately complex for this hybrid style beer, with characteristics of both styles nicely blended. Plenty of belgian yeast spice, more of that orange flavor (which works well and doesn't overwhelm), and a very bitter finish. This beer really works for me, although I'd prefer more hop flavor and less bitteness (which is often the case for me with PNW IPAs). There's a slight funk that must be part of Max's terroir that is immediately recognizable from my previous visits, and this is probably the best suited brew for it.

Mouthfeel is crisp, medium bodied.

Drinkablity is very high. Robust and tasty, but low enough ABV that I can really go to town. I'm definitely impressed by this beer, and glad I've made a return visit to Max's after a several month hiatus (moving to the other side of town was only 1/2 the reason). Cheers to Max for bringing some Belgium to Portland, I've always applauded his affinity for the countries fantastic brews, and am really pleased to see him putting a PNW twist on them in a successful manner.

Max’s serves this in a curved and curious glass that some may call “tulip” but I would describe as “bowling pin.” The premise is that it takes an American IPA grain bill and hop regimen and marries them to a Belgian ale yeast. The flavor and fragrance of orange rind show obvious Belgian properties as does the solid Belgian lace. But a surge of fervent bittering reminds us of the American IPA. The body is copper-bronze with a head that soon retreats.

The bittering in this crossbred ale is a bit extreme for a beer characterized by Belgian yeasts, yet the experiment is successful in creating a bold, innovative beer worth a try. It’s not as confused as the concept suggests it could be.

Tried the Farmer's Daughter last time, so I figured I'd try another one of their Belgian style beers. I'd never heard of a Belgian IPA, so I'm wishing I had a little more experience for a baseline before reviewing this beer. I love American IPAs, so I figured I'd give it a shot.

It was served in a unique flared glass kind of like a tulip glass, only taller and without a stem. Same as they served the Saison to me before. Color was a somewhat close to amber, without the golden look to it. Not brown, but hard to describe, possibly due to a little bit of cloudiness. It was filled to the brim with not much of a head.

Smell was definitely unlike any IPA I've had before. Some floral, slightly sweet citrus hops. The yeast is very present here. I have a hard time describing it...spicy, biting, pungent, slightly "funky."

Taste was also driven by the hops and yeast. Hops are on the bitter side, while having a citrus character. Not a whole lot of malts to be noticed, they're overpowered by everything else going on. This beer definitely has a unique, "Belgian" taste. The bartender mentioned that it's made with Belgian yeast, which is probably the biggest culprit. It the the most yeasty of any IPA I've tried. Different, but not sure I like it, or whether it was done right or not.

Mouthfeel was refreshing and dry. Medium-light body worked fine. I also feel like I'm reaching here, trying to get my mind around this beer. It's worth the curiosity try. I'm now interested to try some real Belgian IPAs, but I'm not sold on them yet, if this is a good example.