Belgian Golden Strong
Station 26 Brewing Co.

Had it on tap at the brewery on Sunday. Not the first time I've had it, and I like most of their beers. But this batch tasted like someone put a couple tablespoons of sugar in it. Clearly not to style, and not in a "hey, we made an interesting tweak to the style" kind of way. I assume it was either under attenuated or someone accidentally used lactose instead of sucrose in the brew process (completely possible, they also had a milk stout on tap). What astounds me is that they served it. I would hope they taste each batch before putting it on tap, so either they wanted it to taste like this or they knew it was bad and served it anyway. Either way, it's a big problem in my eyes. I didn't take the time to ask them at the brewery about it, I wish I had. I did send them a message later that day asking what was up with it but I never heard back from them.

With the proliferation of breweries in Denver, there's sadly a lot of lousy beer being made. This is probably the worst one I've had.

a bit one dimensional, but they have done a pretty solid job with this one. the first belgian style i have had from these guys. its got just a little chill haze to it but still glows golden. the head is pure white and just under an inch high, settling at a normal pace. it smells bright and yeasty, a little tropical, and a little sweet. orange and honey come to mind, a little green grape, subtle on the spice but brighter on the fruit from the yeast. the grain is real simple here, light pils type malt and likely some added sugar of one kind or another. could be honey, that flavor is here, but more likely dextrose or something flavorless, as there really isnt much body going on. a fairly dramatic carbonation level is one of the best features, it keeps it feeling lively and too easy drinking and light for how strong it is. the alcohol is extremely well disguised here, no trace of it. kind of a simple beer, flavored entirely by the yeast. a little taste of apple juice comes on late and a little more sweetness, but this is pretty well dried out by the end. overall a pleasant beer, very approachable for its strength.