Dancing Pierre
Central 28 Beer Co.

Cloudy, orange/amber appearance with a large, off white head and good lacing. Aroma of yeast overshadowing orchard fruit. Modestly sweet flavor offset by spicy, herbal hops. Aftertaste is a weak spot and spoils the overall experience. Medium bodied, modestly carbonated mouthfeel leads to a short lived finish.

Picked this up a while ago when in Florida and took quite a while to get around to reviewing it on here. No date on the bottom of the can but this poured nicely and tasted fresh for the style, even though it wasn't quite like any other Belgian Pale Ale that I've ever had. While not bad, this needed more yeast and heft in order for me to rate it higher but in the end, this was a decent take on the style that was a bit rounded and smoothed for the masses...

Of course, this poured golden with some sediment in the liquid with a fluffy head to top it off. The lacing was quite thin as the bubbles left on the side of my pint glass. Lots of lime, sulfur, stone, mineral, and urine in the nose as the taste contained all of those with some funky stone fruit and deep, tangy citrus thrown into the mix for good measure. Hints of banana, clove, and spice rounded things out as this had a lot going on with the end result being a surprisingly deep and heavy beer that only went down easily because of it's lack of overt alcohol...

Yes, this was Belgian in nature but not as good as Belgian Pale Ales from overseas or Ommegang that I've been able to review on here. That's not to say that this was bad but when something comes across as too heavy and weighted down, it's hard to step back and appreciate everything that's going on. Malted with a bready base, this was a Belgian Pale Ale that stood apart from the rest while not standing above them. Worth a go once just to see how a beer like this could be brewed, but a 12 oz can would easily be enough for one session!

A nice belgian, but nothing stood out about it.

A light amber ale with just a hint of haziness, the head dissipated almost immediately, almost no lacing; A pleasant smell, hints of sweet fruit; Mouthfeel is quite smooth, moderately carbonated; Flavor is mild, pleasant, slightly sweet, unremarkable. I wouldn't turn it down, but I wouldn't seek it out.

Pours an orange amber color with a foamy white head that lasts quite a while. Aroma is spice. Tastes of malt, fruits and spice. Finishes slightly sweet.

 

 

 

12 oz can from Florida.
This has a slightly hazy amber body with fine-grained visible carbonation. Very good head.
Spicy and yeasty with both the Belgian and Pale Ale (hops) clearly evident. Good balance for style, with a nice bready aspect in the finish and aftertaste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Central 28 Beer Co. "Dancing Pierre Belgian-style Pale Ale"
12 fl. oz. can, no apparent freshness dating
$1.99 @ Knightly Spirits, Orlando, FL

Look: Cloudy orange-amber body beneath a pillowy head of white that settles slowly to a thin cap, and eventual collar. Lacing is average.

Smell: There's something slightly off-putting in the very first whiff, followed by light spice. As you take a few more whiffs it become more acceptable, and spicy (cardamom. clove. cinnamon?). Is the odd note some dead yeast? Doubtful. I initially thought of it as salty (and it is mineralish), but the flavor is not salty. Nor is there anything off-putting in the flavor. Nor does the beer seem old... perhaps my nose is just extra sensitive at this moment. ... the more I look at it I think it is just yeast, and not dead yeast either. I also find dried apricot which may be contributing, and it's floral as well... probably just a personal thing that I'm not even truly aware of. Moving forward...

Taste: Solid, bready and gently caramel-accented malt combined with apricot and raisin dusted with spice. The cardamom and apricot seem to come forward first, followed by clove, and then the raisin followed by cinnamon in the finish. It's a nice transition that finishes with a dollop of sweetness that's balanced by a firm bitterness, and surrounded by floral, fruity, mineralish and spicy notes.

Feel: Medium-light and effervescent. It's initially quite crisp, but softens fairly easily as it warms.

Overall: My conclusion on the off-putting note that I found in the aroma is that it is indeed personal. Once warmed I find that the floral note (I'm thinking Asiatic Lily, probably coming from the cardamom), the mineral component from the yeast (crushed granite and chalk/calcium carbonate), and the dried apricot fruitiness (also from the yeast) are all fairly strong, and that in combined form they're probably a bit too much for me - hence, off-putting, and I'm guessing that's not the case for everyone (I have a sensitive nose). The flavor, however, works for me. It IS a difficult balancing act as they've suggested on the label, and it is impressive as well, as they've also suggested. I'll throw in that it's also unique. I've had beers that offer the same components, but I've never had one that ties them all together, and certainly not one that does it so well.

 

Hazy amber, fizzy off-white head, nothing on the glass. Smell: lightly bready, caramel, clove, red apple, coriander, orange note. Taste: pear, a little caramel, clove, coriander, spicy hopping melds well. Lighter bodied, finish is a bit spice heavy. Pretty tasty yeast driven Belgian pale.