La Trappe Isid'or
Poured from a corked 750 mL bottle into a Duvel tulip. A: Nice, rocky, off-white head is noticable at first. It quickly dies to a solid, one-inch crown. THe beer itself is a light-amber, mahagony concotion. Strong carbonation throughout. S: Tart, fruity, with a hint of caramel. Some estery aroma and phenolic spice from the yeast, but not much. In the end I get a faint, cork-like character, which is slightly off-puting, but at the same time rustic. T: Nice flavors with plenty of fruits like apple and pears. The fruitiness is on the tart side. I do get some nice phenolics with some clove-like character. There is a touch of caramel in the flavors and a faint sweetness of the malts. The hops are definitely there and supply an almost leathery or earthy bite. The alcohol is slightly noticable in the end. M: Light to medium bodied. Crisp, tart, and refreshing. The acidity is noticable in the mouthfeel as a brightness on the tongue. The carbonation is on the stronger end and scrubs the flavors down nicely. D: A nice Belgian Pale Ale. Maybe a bit too strong for the style, but definitely nice. I really enjoy the style however. The yeastiness may be a bit toned down for some as well. Overall, this is a solid BPA and worth a try. I would like to see the price (10 bucks a bottle)a bit lower though.