The Belgian IPA: No?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by bramsdell, Oct 5, 2012.

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  1. bramsdell

    bramsdell Initiate (0) May 27, 2011 North Carolina

    Some of my favorite beers are belgian IPAs. I love Terrapin Monk's Revenge, GF Le Freak, but there are some other that I've had that I've really disliked. I really disliked Little Sumpin Wild (though I love Sumpin Sumpin), and I was very underwhelmed by Piraat. Anyone else frustrated by this disparate and inconsistent style?
     
  2. reverseapachemaster

    reverseapachemaster Zealot (722) Sep 21, 2012 Texas

    I don't know why Piraat gets labeled as a belgian ipa. There's no hop character to it. I don't know if it comes from the distributor or somebody stateside thought they should call it an IPA because it's too heavy to be comparable to Chimay White as a tripel but it is a tripel.
     
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  3. miketd

    miketd Initiate (0) Mar 2, 2006 Ohio

    Some good examples out there like Hoppin Frog Hop Abbey(or whatever the name is) and South Hampton Belgian IPA. There are also many bad ones, the last I tried was heavy Seas' version... horrible.
     
  4. SatlyMalty

    SatlyMalty Initiate (0) Sep 12, 2012 Washington

    Hit or miss for me too. Luckily though, there's a new one for those of us in/around Spokane, Coeur D'Alene;
    http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/28798/82834
    This is easily my favorite locally brewed beer. Can't wait to see bottles of this start to show up in area stores.
     
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  5. muletrane

    muletrane Initiate (0) Oct 26, 2006 Pennsylvania

    Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp is a good one!
     
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  6. denver10

    denver10 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,081) Nov 17, 2010 New Mexico
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I have long stayed away from this style, just never had much interest in checking it out and assumed I wouldn't be a fan, but checked out Funkwerks Belgian IPA the other week and thought it was absolutely delicious. That said, it still wasn't enough to get me to want to try more of examples of the style. I am sure I will, just not in any rush.
     
  7. yamar68

    yamar68 Initiate (0) Apr 1, 2011 Minnesota

    Well Piraat was my suggestion... sorry bud, don't know what to tell ya.
     
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  8. THANAT0PSIS

    THANAT0PSIS Pooh-Bah (2,201) Aug 3, 2010 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Ale Asylum's Bedlam is awesome, but exclusive to Wisconsin. It's one of my Top 5 beers.
     
  9. superspak

    superspak Grand High Pooh-Bah (10,336) May 5, 2010 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Nope. Not disappointed, nor have I been disappointed in any I have really had. IMO Sumpin WILD is one of my top beers of the entire year. Trying to find more White IPAs as they come available too. Belgian Tripels are my favorite style, and I also love IPAs. Sooooo, its natural that it would meet in the middle as a fantastic style for myself. There are plenty of good ones out of Belgium too. Try Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor, De Ranke XX Bitter, and Poperings Hommel.
     
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  10. Oboogie

    Oboogie Initiate (0) Dec 6, 2011 Minnesota

    Just had a Mikkeller Hop Burn High yesterday and it was quite tasty
     
  11. brewbetter

    brewbetter Initiate (0) Jun 2, 2012 Nauru

    Why do you have to like all the beers in a given style? There is variation within the style and you like some and dislike others, there's nothing wrong with that. Anyways, flying dog makes a couple good Belgian IPAs - raging bitch and wildeman.
     
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  12. LambicKing

    LambicKing Initiate (0) Apr 13, 2011 Germany

    I swear by Troubadour Magma...
     
  13. climbeer07

    climbeer07 Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2012 Wisconsin

    I am going to second the Ale Asylum Bedlam Its in my top 5 beers as well, and i am NOT a belgian drinker in general. I am also a fan of Lil Sumpin Wild but not the regular…..
     
  14. RyanMM

    RyanMM Crusader (403) Mar 12, 2009 Michigan

    Aldebaran and Minx are both fantastic ones.
     
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  15. fmccormi

    fmccormi Initiate (0) Oct 24, 2010 California

    I'm really interested in what makes a good Belgian IPA, because it seems like there's a handful of substyles: hopped up witbier, hoppy tripel / BSPA, American IPA w/ nominally Belgian-ish yeast, "farmhouse" IPAs, etc. Personally, I think the best examples I've had are more along the hoppy tripel / BSPA line, but I think there's a lot of potential for the "farmhouse" IPA type—just haven't had one yet. For what it's worth, last time I had Piraat I thought it was phenomenal, and I'm really, really looking forward to an upcoming Ommegang special release called Goudenhop:
    [​IMG]
     
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  16. matthaslaservision

    matthaslaservision Initiate (0) Aug 18, 2012 Canada (BC)

    .... excuse me but why the hell are you all calling any of these beers a belgian "IPA"... it really irks me when people use ipa as a buzz word for having more hops than usual, and it's just so fucking uncreative.
     
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  17. BuckeyeOne

    BuckeyeOne Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2008 Washington

    Take it easy, Francis.
     
    Hanzo, climbeer07, SatlyMalty and 3 others like this.
  18. miketd

    miketd Initiate (0) Mar 2, 2006 Ohio


    Well, Beer Advocate seems to have no problem with the designation.

    http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/174
     
  19. MarcatGSB

    MarcatGSB Initiate (0) Jan 8, 2011 Michigan

    Yah I hate Black IPA's. When I order a Black IPA I don't want a porter with a big hop to it I want a big bodied IPA with a hop to it.
     
  20. BEERMILER12

    BEERMILER12 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,701) Sep 11, 2010 Maine
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Sorry, but going by this logic, nothing should be called a black IPA either... It's called and classified as such because the brewery does it
     
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