I.P.A. Belge 2010
Boquébière

This beer starts off on the right foot with a cloudy amber colour and a thick creamy head at least one inch high. The bottle has a very classy design as well, which is a welcome change from some Quebec brands (I won't mention names, but those of you from the region probably know what I'm talking about).

The smell is quite unassuming considering this was dry hopped. The most notable smell is the malt they used, with a hint of sour cherries.

Am I really not allowed to use Caps Lock when describing the taste? Because its really good. The hops that were missing from the bouquet are out in full force, and the fact that this beer is 9% ABV will not go unnoticed. Definitely a Belgian IPA if I've ever tasted one.

Just like the head would suggest, this beer is quite creamy and it has a slightly dry finish. Not too shabby. My only complaint is that the alcohol content is a little high, so there's no chance of drinking more than one of these in a night unless you have a drinking problem (or a better stomach than mine).

500ml bottle, merci Phillipe.

It pours a hazy copper orange with a foamy white had that leaves a bit of lacing.

It smells extremely malty, there is a ton of caramel. The Belgian spice is noticeable. It also has a tropical fruitiness to it.

The flavor is pretty good, but I do not like the malt bill at all, it is a bit buttery. It does have an ample amount of bitterness though. The hops are kind of bland. They are tangy with some citrus and pine, but the malt fails to bring out the full range of flavors.

The mouthfeel is prickling and I like it. Overall a decent BIPA.

A: Hazy dark yellow color. Very strong off white head, very fluffy. Retention is phenomenal. Lacing is pretty good too.

S: There are nice hops in this: grapefruits, resinous/piny, a bit floral. Solid malt backbone that brings smells of candi sugar, honey and biscuit malts. There are also some nice apricot, orange juice and peel. Typical belgian yeast spices: pepper, cinnamon. Light vanilla too. Very interesting smell.

T: Quite bitter upfront. Very unsweetened red grapefruit, orange peel, piny and a little bit floral. Much less sweet than the smell but there are still traces of vanilla, honey, candi sugar. Biscuit malts are a little bit less present as well. Still a little bit spicy with pepper and cinnamon. A little bit too bitter for a Belgian IPA IMO as the Belgian characteristics are not as present as expected (near not at all). More malt sweetness and less bittering hops would have helped to balance it out.

M: Medium body with medium carbonation. Typical belgian characteristics but a little bit stickier. Good feel.

D: There isn't much alcohol in this that you can taste. The only thing that could stop you drinking it would be the overly bitter taste. It's not that there is too much hops, they just aren't as aromatic as they could be. Still easily drinkable.

Bottle: Poured a deep hazy amber color ale with a very large foamy head with nice off-white foamy head with good retention and some very good lacing. Aroma of fruity ester with nice dry floral hoppy notes. Taste is also a well balanced mix between some nice fruity notes with dry floral notes and light citrus notes. Body is quite full with limited filtration and great carbonation with no apparent alcohol. Very well brewed and something I would like to have more regular access to.

Got kind of excited when I saw a new Belgian I.P.A. at the store. Don't really know what to think.... Hope it's good.

A- Superb head on this. Whipped and milky. Leaves thick lacing all over that's just as white as the head. The liquid isn't quite as nice. Brown with some gold highlights and very erm... yeasty looking.

S- Punch of citrus and light fir. Alochol is strong. The sweet malt combined with the hops gives off a nice ruby red grapefruit smell.

T- Mmmh, bubblegum. Grapefruit, white tea. A bit of dirty grassiness but that might be because of the way it was stored. I found it on a unrefrigerated shelf of the store. Yeast is nice and spicy. Taste of alcoholl gets stronger and stronger as it warms. A bit too strong.

M- Low but sufficient carbonation creating a soft mouthfeel. Pretty dry. I'd like a bit more effervescence.

D- Quite good because I like the taste but the alcohol comes on too strong.

Taste has everything I love in the style but mouthfeel could definitely be refined and so could the color (less important though). Again, the head looked great.
Glad it was good. Might buy it again, especially if the price drops a little (though I doubt it will at 4.99/500ml).