Party All The Time
Block Three Brewing Co.

 

500 mL bottle picked up at the brewery last month; served slightly chilled.

Pours a foggy golden-orange colour, generating nearly an inch of loose, soapy white froth at the surface. It weakens and dissipates over the next 3-4 minutes, eventually being reduced to a foamy collar and patchy, bubbly cap accompanied by an attractive swath of lacing. Citrusy notes of tangerine on the nose, with additional notes of apricot, pineapple and pear. Grassy and somewhat spicy, with coriander and some noticeable yeastiness.

A decent, well-hopped Belgian pale, but not a real stand-out in the category. Grainy, doughy pale malt sweetness comes through in a clandestine manner, but is swiftly overwhelmed by the hops that follow through on the back end. Quite grassy and moderately floral, with suggestions of lemon zest, orange peel and stone fruit. Finishes with some yeasty spice, followed by a dry aftertaste; the bitterness seems a little chalky/medicinal at times. Medium in body, with moderately prickly carbonation levels that provide a good, crisp bite which helps to accentuate the spicy, dry features of the end of the flavour profile.

Final Grade: 3.71, a B grade. Block Three's Party All the Time is a good BIPA, but I don't find it to be a great one. The hop flavours in this one lean toward the floral, grassy side of the spectrum - they manage to supply a more-than-adequate amount of astringent bitterness, but the remainder of the flavour profile doesn't provide enough depth of flavour to complement (or counteract) that astringency with much success. Basically, I could take it or leave it. Enjoyable enough to be worth a try; the foundation's sturdy, but some renovations are in order.