668 Neighbor Of The Beast
New England Brewing Co.

12oz can courtesy of Roguer. Canned on September 22, per the stamp on the bottom of the can. "G'Doyle Rules!" is also stamped there. I do not know what that means.

Poured into my Precious Things teku, this was a fairly cloudy dark apricot shade of amber, with a good sized beige colored head. Lots of lace. It's a bit dark for the style, but it's got that classic Belgian golden ale head.

Nose can be best described as smelling like what I might imagine a Belgian iced tea would smell like. There's definitely some spicy Belgian yeast notes, but the dominant nasal player is the tea-like aroma, with a mustiness in the background. Notably absent are the predicted banana notes.

Taste is...odd. It's not bad, it's not great, it's not what I expected at all, either from the description or the aroma. It is both spicy and tea-like, with a bit of herbal hop flavor,but there's an odd though not unpleasant sweetness as well.

Somewhat light bodied, but, despite the big, creamy, long lasting head, it somehow seems a little heavy for the style.

I love the name of this beer, and it's not unpleasant to drink, but it's definitely odd for the style. I'm not sure this could be a regular for me if it were local. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna bust out some Maiden.

Rich, peach colored body; semi-cloudy; thick, white head, creamy and rocky. Wonderful aroma; pear and green apple; candi sugar sweetness. Heavy, sweet taste; earthy esters at play; excellent phenol spiciness; bold bitterness throughout; big alcohol presence though tamed with the sweetness. Heavy body; coarse and sticky; bold residual sugar presence; mild boozy dryness.

This is a great Belgian style ale, rich and boozy with some outstanding ester and phenol interaction.

Pouring temperature: 44 °F; canning info: O'DOYLE RULES! 09/22/21

Pours deep gold with excellent clarity; one finger of creamy white head with some rocks; good cap retention; heavy ring; soapy lace. Nose is clove, star anise and strong estery bananas. Taste follows nose; clove is strong but supported by sweet Belgian Candi. Medium body, moderate carbonation; no warmth from 7.8%abv. Tastes like style, but the spicy clove/coriander notes are a bit strong for me; not as balanced as Duvel, but the taste can give the Devil a run for it’s money.

Pours a hazed golden-bronze with three fingers of yellowed head. Not nearly as rocky as Duvel, but at least in a foamy camp that leaves thick lacing.

Banana, lemon and clove in the nose. Maybe a hint of biscuit-like malt underneath.

Less banana, more green apple and lemon, in the taste. Hint of bubblegum. Not strictly woody, but definitely some twiggy character, which I attribute more to the yeast than any barrel.

Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

Definitely one of the better American takes on the style. Very enjoyable.

 

 

 

An easy pour from a 12-oz. can released a fat finger of creamy off-white foam with very long retention and thick blotches of lacing. Very hazy, can't read through it but I can see my fingers. Golden straw color with a hint of orange.

Rising yeasty bread dough, cracker and baked fruit greet the nose, faint herbal hops in the background.

Semi-sweet with mild bitterness, crackery malt is in front of a medley of fruits; apple, orange, banana, pear peach, and honey dew melon, all with a cooked taste. Alcohol is noticeable in the taste, hidden during the smell. Big yeast presents provides that Belgian taste. The finish is fast and clean with the alcohol bite and bitterness rising to above average.

Medium-light body with plenty of carbonation, smooth minus the alcohol bite. Meets style guidelines head on. Big flavor with big alcohol, a little chewy towards the finish. Hops are faint yet bitterness sneaks up on you.

FROM THE WINDOW TO THE WALL 10/16/20

 

I have not drunk many Belgium Pale Ales. Purchasing these beers here that are moderately fresh often poses a challenge for me. The beer is a few months old but has a higher alcohol content. The beer is 50 degrees and served in a tulip glass. The pour of the beer produced a two-finger rocky and billowy head. The head is bright white. The head of beer dissipated quickly, leaving little behind on the glass. The color is medium amber with straw yellow hues. The clarity of the beer is transparent, with a few yeast cells floating happily within. The beer follows the guidelines for the appearance.

The aromas in the beer are bananas, spicy phenols, cloves, crackers, toasted malts, orange, a tinge of caramel, and a slight nuttiness.

The flavors in the beer are peppery phenols, orange, fruity esters, cloves, banana, toasted malts, light caramel, a nuttiness, and biscuity.

The mouthfeel of the beer is smooth with a slight alcohol warming.

The body of the beer is medium, medium-carbonation, and a full finish.

Surprisingly, this beer is well balanced, and the flavors fit this style perfectly. The beer is smooth with a pleasant balance. I was amazed by this beer. The beer needs a slightly higher rating on this website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L - Hazy golden yellow with two fingers of frothy white head

S - Banana, Belgian yeast, and spices

T - Sweet banana and peach, black pepper, doughy malts, some funk, coriander.

F - Full-bodied, but not syrupy or thick. Minor warming, but easy to look past.

O - Good example of the style. Can easily hang with others directly from Belgium.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can of 668 Belgian Style Ale sampled july, 2016. Poured into a La Choulette goblet.

Fine long-lasting head with nice lacing later. Aroma is assertively sharp true to style. The amber brew was definitely cloudy.

Flavor reminds me of a past trip to Paris, where the Belgian Leffe and Grimbergen ales were on draft everywhere. True to style.

$ 10.20 (Including tax)/four pack ($ 0.213/oz) at Max Wine & Spirits, Danbury, CT
Undated can at 42 degrees into a hand washed and dried JK snifter
Aroma of yeast phenolics, weak
Head large (Maximum 4.8 cm, aggressive pour), off white, creamy with rocks, diminishing to thick, creamy ring and layer
Lacing poor – rare arc of tiny to large bubbles
Body – yellow, hazy, some very tiny sediment
Flavor – bitter from hops which decreases as the beer warms although the hops flavor hangs on. No alcohol, no malt, no diacetyl.
Palate light to medium, watery approaching syrupy, lively carbonation

A well-made take on a Belgian Strong Pale Ale. However, not my favorite style.

Appearance 4, Aroma 3.5, Flavor 4.25, Palate 4, Overall 4