LEFT FIELD BREWERY ~ PROSPECT SINGLE HOP: MOSAIC

This is the newest offering in Left Field’s Prospect single hopped IPA series. Each incarnation is brewed to the exact recipe except it is single hopped. Sampled from a bottle the beer poured a clear orangey straw colour with a white frothy head, which left nice lacing. The nose is somewhat fruity, especially citrus, but also contains, an earthiness, pine and grassiness. The flavour is hop forward with notes of orange and grapefruit, tropical fruit, and pine. Bready malt is present and provides a good backbone for the hoppiness. The finish is medium bitter with a touch of sweetness. The carbonation was on the lively side and the body was medium. Hops are definitely present and take centre stage but don’t shred your taste-buds. A solid brew!

6.1 % From Toronto 60 IBU

Picture Courtesy of Left Field Brewery

ST. BERNARDUS ABT 12 ~ BROUWERJI 

ST. BERNARDUS

St. Bernardus (a quadrupel) is another one of those rich special occasion Abbey Ales. The brewery maintains that it is brewed using the original recipe from the early days of the Trappist Monks of Westleteren licensing their beers to a made by a local brewery. Sampled from a corked bottle, the ale poured a translucent dark brown with a dense ivory coloured head. The head left impressive lacing and eventually settled into a cap. The sweet and complex aroma contained lots of dark fruit, rich malts, peppery yeast, alcohol, and hints of bubble gum and spice. The taste too contains lots of sweet ripe dark fruit along with sugary caramel. There is also a little tartness in the flavour along with beautiful malts, and a touch of spice, but no real hop presence. The flavour is full, robust and warming with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel and moderate carbonation.

10% Watou, Belgium 22 IBU

LEFFE BLONDE ~ INBEV BELGIUM

MACRO BELGIAN ~ Leffe Blonde, a Belgian Pale Ale, is probably the second most mass-produced and exported beer from Belgian, though far less advertised. Although it is advertised as an Abbey beer, multinational Anheuser Busch brews it in massive qualities. Sampled from a bottle this beer poured a filtered golden yellow with a thick white head. The head was lasting and left a ring of suds and lacing as it disappeared. Streaming carbonation animated the glass. The aroma had notes of Belgian yeasts, fruit (orchard fruit), spice (clove and coriander) and malts. The flavour had notes of lemon citrus, lots of yeast, spice, toasted malts and a hint of banana. The beer had a medium body and a slightly creamy texture. For a mass produced beer this is not bad at all, in fact much nicer than North American mass-produced brews.
6.6% from Dinant, Belgium or Leuven, Belgium

Caveat Emptor: Abbey beers aren’t always what the name would suggest. Though Leffe did have an Abbey (established in the 12th Century) and the priests did brew beer their, the monastery and Abbey had long disappeared. Priests returned to Leffe at the turn of the twentieth century and made a deal with a commercial brewery, where they would be paid royalties. That brewery was than bought out by larger companies. Leffe is brewed now in the massive Stella Artois brewery. There are several “Abbey beers” that have you believe that they have closer ties to God, than they actually do.