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Gaspar Ale
Picobrouwerij Alvinne
- From:
- Picobrouwerij Alvinne
- Belgium
- Style:
- Belgian IPA
Ranked #82 - ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- 83
Ranked #24,170 - Avg:
- 3.65 | pDev: 13.7%
- Reviews:
- 110
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Sep 09, 2023
- Added:
- Jul 05, 2007
- Wants:
- 7
- Gots:
- 9
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BeerAdvocate:
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland
3.5/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Beer review from BA Mag Oct 2007.
Following the lead of other Belgian brewers brewing hopped-up ales for the US market, Alvinne releases this unpasteurized, unfiltered, bottle-conditioned beer brewed with pils malt, 3 specialty malts, and Hallertau, Goldings, and Saaz hops. 115 International Bitterness Units (IBUs) worth of hops to be exact.
This one is a foamer! Decanting is difficult, so a patient slow pour into a big glass, or simply waiting a few minutes for the carbon dioxide to release, but once you're there you've got a hazy rich honey-amber-colored beer topped with an outrageous chunky meringue-like foam head with some amazing cling. The nose is a bit yeasty, cidery, with a dense floral hops aroma and some spice. Fluffy and smooth on the palate with a light to medium body. Sweet up front with a buttery caramel base and toastiness that's immediately followed by a massive hop bite and some zesty citric action that's not overly bitter but certainly "hoppy" with plenty of raw leafy, herbal flavors. Earthy, pithy, really rough around the edges, and semi-astringent too. Fruity notes emerge, apple and pear initially, and then a berry-like note. Beneath it's a bit alcoholic, spicy and peppery. Wraps up with a yeasty and slightly bitter linger, with prolonged dry finish.
Though the point of the beer is to be "one of the hoppiest beers of Belgium" (as stated on the label), in doing so the brewer risks overuse and misuse of the hops, and losing total control of the flavors, which is why this brew is not as clean or balanced as other versions--as balanced as you can get for a raging hoppy beer that is. However it's certainly a good pick for those wanting to explore this emerging style.
Jul 07, 2010Following the lead of other Belgian brewers brewing hopped-up ales for the US market, Alvinne releases this unpasteurized, unfiltered, bottle-conditioned beer brewed with pils malt, 3 specialty malts, and Hallertau, Goldings, and Saaz hops. 115 International Bitterness Units (IBUs) worth of hops to be exact.
This one is a foamer! Decanting is difficult, so a patient slow pour into a big glass, or simply waiting a few minutes for the carbon dioxide to release, but once you're there you've got a hazy rich honey-amber-colored beer topped with an outrageous chunky meringue-like foam head with some amazing cling. The nose is a bit yeasty, cidery, with a dense floral hops aroma and some spice. Fluffy and smooth on the palate with a light to medium body. Sweet up front with a buttery caramel base and toastiness that's immediately followed by a massive hop bite and some zesty citric action that's not overly bitter but certainly "hoppy" with plenty of raw leafy, herbal flavors. Earthy, pithy, really rough around the edges, and semi-astringent too. Fruity notes emerge, apple and pear initially, and then a berry-like note. Beneath it's a bit alcoholic, spicy and peppery. Wraps up with a yeasty and slightly bitter linger, with prolonged dry finish.
Though the point of the beer is to be "one of the hoppiest beers of Belgium" (as stated on the label), in doing so the brewer risks overuse and misuse of the hops, and losing total control of the flavors, which is why this brew is not as clean or balanced as other versions--as balanced as you can get for a raging hoppy beer that is. However it's certainly a good pick for those wanting to explore this emerging style.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
4.04/5 rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Feb. 2013: 330 ml stubby bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.9%, 115 EBU. Hops are Magnum, Chinook, Columbus and Hallertauer Mittelfrüh. Hazy deep golden colour, huge white head. Lovely aroma of fruity hops, particularly citrus and tropical fruits, hints of pine trees. High level of carbonation in the mouth. The flavour is very sweet with a yeasty spiciness, but also very bitter. Distinctly hoppy throughout. The aftertaste is very bitter, nearly medicinal.
Sep 09, 2023Rated by edthehead from Maryland
3.58/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Have had better
Feb 06, 2022Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania
4.25/5 rDev +16.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +16.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Picobrouwerij Alvinne "Gaspar"
11.2 fl. oz. brown glass bottle without packaging codes or freshness dating.
$4.23 @ State Line Liquors, Elkton, MD
Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured a cloudy golden-orange colored body beneath a massive head of off-white foam. The aroms is quite striking. It's bold with a strong floral and fruity character. There's malt there too, but I'm mainly finding flowers (lily, lilac, rose), apple, pear, peach, citrus (lemon, orange), grape and spice. On to the flavor then... it's very much like the notes of the aroma all mixed together. Wow, I'm not sure I can even wrap my head around this one as it's so floral and fruity with spice to boot! I'm getting lots of flowers, as noted in the aroma, and probably with even more. Crysanthemum, perhaps, and maybe some sweet pea and jasmine - it's very floral! Ahh, but that's probably because the fruitiness is bolstering those notes. There's everything I mentioned in the aroma and more. Add in some plum, cherry, banana, and cut grass. As for the spice that's a little harder to determine but it's definitely peppery and woody, and I'm assuming that woodiness is coming from coriander. There's also a soft note of clove. The malt helps to level things, and it's lightly bready and gently caramelish. A firm bitterness and a slap of alcohol keep it in check, and as you might expect, it finishes dry with pleanty of floral and fruity notes lingering. In the mouth it's medium bodied and zesty with a very fine-bubbled, natural carbonation that warms in the mouth to become smooth. I've had beers like this in the past, but never one that was so bold. I wouldn't consider this as an everyday beer, but for certain occassions I'd definitely like to have another one.
Review #7,573
Nov 25, 202111.2 fl. oz. brown glass bottle without packaging codes or freshness dating.
$4.23 @ State Line Liquors, Elkton, MD
Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured a cloudy golden-orange colored body beneath a massive head of off-white foam. The aroms is quite striking. It's bold with a strong floral and fruity character. There's malt there too, but I'm mainly finding flowers (lily, lilac, rose), apple, pear, peach, citrus (lemon, orange), grape and spice. On to the flavor then... it's very much like the notes of the aroma all mixed together. Wow, I'm not sure I can even wrap my head around this one as it's so floral and fruity with spice to boot! I'm getting lots of flowers, as noted in the aroma, and probably with even more. Crysanthemum, perhaps, and maybe some sweet pea and jasmine - it's very floral! Ahh, but that's probably because the fruitiness is bolstering those notes. There's everything I mentioned in the aroma and more. Add in some plum, cherry, banana, and cut grass. As for the spice that's a little harder to determine but it's definitely peppery and woody, and I'm assuming that woodiness is coming from coriander. There's also a soft note of clove. The malt helps to level things, and it's lightly bready and gently caramelish. A firm bitterness and a slap of alcohol keep it in check, and as you might expect, it finishes dry with pleanty of floral and fruity notes lingering. In the mouth it's medium bodied and zesty with a very fine-bubbled, natural carbonation that warms in the mouth to become smooth. I've had beers like this in the past, but never one that was so bold. I wouldn't consider this as an everyday beer, but for certain occassions I'd definitely like to have another one.
Review #7,573
Reviewed by Ginger-tipple from Belgium
3.42/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.42/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Not sure what Alvinne was brewing here. Arome was weak and did not reflect the beer. The hops and the beer did not meld so I could not appreciate the drink. Nice cloudy look though.
Sep 08, 2016Rated by josanguapo from Spain
3.06/5 rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.06/5 rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
From Uvinum. In Teku glass. After dinner. Not as bad as its sister beer Balthazar. Its a bit stinky but its taste isnt too bad.
Dec 06, 2015Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England
3.85/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottled
Golden bodied hugely clouded with massive foamy white head
There's a lot of yeast in the bottle & it dominates the aroma with some citrus hop
the flavour mirrors the aroma
deceptively hides the big abv
good stuff just too much yeast
is this over bottle conditioned lol
Sep 30, 2015Golden bodied hugely clouded with massive foamy white head
There's a lot of yeast in the bottle & it dominates the aroma with some citrus hop
the flavour mirrors the aroma
deceptively hides the big abv
good stuff just too much yeast
is this over bottle conditioned lol
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota
4/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: It pours hazy gold to peach with a billowy 2” white head that provides clingy lace
S: The nose is fruit with traces of biscuit.
T: Fruit, biscuit, spice, peach, alcohol, citrus and orange juice.
F: Very creamy, medium to medium light body, medium high carbonation.
O: This is supposed to be Belgium’s hoppiest ale – the hops are minimal at best suggesting the beer is past its prime.
Jul 20, 2015S: The nose is fruit with traces of biscuit.
T: Fruit, biscuit, spice, peach, alcohol, citrus and orange juice.
F: Very creamy, medium to medium light body, medium high carbonation.
O: This is supposed to be Belgium’s hoppiest ale – the hops are minimal at best suggesting the beer is past its prime.
Gaspar Ale from Picobrouwerij Alvinne
Beer rating:
83 out of
100 with
166 ratings
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