Viven Imperial IPA
Brouwerij Van Viven

Copenhagen 16/6 2018. 33 cl bottle from Den Belgiske Ølbutik, Jyllingevej, Vanløse. Label looks like cheap print on rough paper. Motto seems to be "The Art of Belgian Brewing".

Pours hazy amber with a very big off-white head. Settles as a 1,5 cm thick frothy layer of foam crawling up the side of the glass.

Aroma is strong, fruity and dark. Decayed fruit, caramel, alcohol, fermentation with noticeable citric, sour notes. Lightly acidic.

Medium strong carbonation providing lightly prickly mouth sensation. Soft medium thick texture.

Flavor is medium sweet followed by strong and prominent bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter. Finish is dry.

Fine bitter Belgian hitting the DIPA decently.

RB transfer

 

Impressive 3-finger head that settles slowly in a dome-like fashion. Webby lacing after each sip. The liquid is light brown and cloudy.

Lots of caramel sweetness to the nose. Hints of alcohol. No notable hop.

The taste starts with the round body and semisweet crystal malt. The carbonation is fine and though low cuts the richness well. The finish is surprisingly bitter and creates a long-lasting aftertaste. The semisweet malt base provides just enough balance to prevent this beer from becoming extreme.

 

 

Shared bottle at local tasting. ABV 8.0%. Amber colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Distinctly hoppy aroma and flavour, grapefruity and piney notes. Very "American", good stuff.

L- Mid amber, somewhat cloudy, pours with 10mm crumpled duvet-like head that's leaving lacing down the sides of the glass.
S- Bready and light conifer aromatics
T- Quite bright/vibrant yet with a pungency that yes you know this is about it's 8% ABV
F- On the dryer side, this should not feel over-rich to anyone (and no way sweet), it's somewhat on the dryer/hoppier side of things but no way a challenge to non IPA mega-fans.
O- It's very nice. A bit hoppier than I usually choose but it does it in a balanced and classy way. No shouting or un-balance here. 'Imperial IPA' + from Belgium, brewed well for adults (no unscripted drama going on) and that's what's in the glass.
330ml bottle BB: 28/11/21 Bought from TremblingMadness/York as part of a large pick-your own consignment to London.

Very nice, solid imperial. Great balance of fruit and hop. Extremely satisfying.

L: Slightly hazy red/amber color, three finger beige head, messy lacing, good carbonation.

S: Yeast, malts, hops. Smells nice.

T: Yeast, malts, hops, bitter. Has the Belgian touch. Good.

F: Medium bodied, quite smooth, lots of flavor.

O: Very decent Belgian-style DIPA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, the approach to Christmas. I haven't anyone to celebrate it with & school had its last day on 21 December, so I have over two weeks free to drink & review beers. It sounds nice until you realize that I am paid per diem, so if I am not working, I am not getting paid. 8=( It makes it easier to drink beer, though.

From the bottle: "The art of Flemish brewing - L'art de brassage flamand - Vlaamse brouwkunst".

I am always amused by what comes out of a Belgian bottle & it begins with a Pop! of the cap. I was extremely gentle with my pour since the Belgians pride themselves on playing with their yeast & who knows what might be lurking in this mystery bottle. Once sufficiently decanted, I gave it a vigorous in-glass swirl that raised nearly three fingers of foamy, rocky, light-tan head that threatened to overrise the lip of the glass before suddenly exhaling and falling away, leaving a mess of sticky lacing in its wake. Color was Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with NE-quality clarity. Nose did not smell like a DIPA! Instead, it smelled like a stack of musty newspapers discovered in the attic after the death of a loved one. Still, I love the unexpectedness that often accompanies a Belgian beer. Mouthfeel was thin-to-medium, very light for this style. The taste reminded me of a fruitcake with a slightly tart fruitiness and a pronounced breadiness. How odd! Finish was dry, thanks to the action of the yeast, but there was no way that I would have identified this as a DIPA had it not been for the label. This was a strange little duck, IMHO. YMMV.

 

From cervezasespeciales. In Teku glass. Playing A Foretold Affair. Very pleasant floral notes, with caramel. Abv well hidden. Nice feel. Its only downside is the lots of foam it generates