Dutch Bargain Imperial Pale Ale
Brouwerij Brouwershuis

Copenhagen 27/7 2021. 33 cl can from Brygshoppen web-shop. Old photo of guys with turbans and uniforms looking ready for action. The usual Dutch Bargain stamp in blue.

Pours slightly unclear copper brown with a small white head. Settles as thin patchy layer of foam unable of covering the surface of the beer. Not a very pale ale. No lacing.

Aroma is intense with a sweet, boozy, malty odor mingling with fermented fruit. Sweet pale malts, caramel, hints of toffee. Fermented apricots and plums. Sweet, sweet liqueur.

Light carbonation. Slightly thick, oily, soft, lightly tingling and a little sticky texture.

Flavor is intense with a heavy sweetness followed by a thin, moderate sourish bitterness. Aftertaste is sweet bordering on sugary. Lingering. Finish is sweet with a strong presence of alcohol.

Quite on the sweet and boozy side - even for a Barley Wine.

 

Got this one from the Mitra in Maarssen. Why not...?

From a bottle into a snifter
EBC: 35
IBU: 45

APPEARANCE: Pours a three finger, thicker, creamier, off-white head with great retention. Hazy, opaque rust orange with lots of carbonation evident. Head eventually recedes to a full, frothy cap and leaves lots of frothy lacing on the glass. Fuller wisp remains leaving lots of decent lacing down the glass. Good looking.

SMELL: Caramel malts, fruity esters like green apples and pears, grassy aromas, hay, and floral hops aromas on the nose. Very Belgian-like.

TASTE: Caramel malts, grassy and hay flavors, green fruits and some hop bitterness at the swallow. Belgian like. A bold finish of fruity esters, caramel sweetness, grassy and floral hops flavors, as well as some hop bitterness and a touch of alcohol. Flavorful for sure.

PALATE: Medium-fuller body and medium carbonation. Creamy on the palate, a little foamy perhaps, goes down smooth and finishes somewhat sticky on the palate. A touch of heat lingers.

OVERALL: This is solid. Clearly this is a Belgian style pale ale but it’s smooth and not overly bitter. If you’re a fan of hoppier Belgian style strong pale ales, this will certainly work for you. I’m not a huge fan of the style but this is one I would gladly re-visit in the future. Good stuff.

 

 

 

Really an American Barley wine with its strong hop character. There is a sweetness to it naturally at the high ABV but in my opinion fermented to relative dryness. My favourite Dutch expression of the style really. Hope this tiny new brewery makes through the first shake out of the Dutch craft beer explosion.