Alvinne Gaspar

Brewed by Picobrouwerij Alvinne
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Heule, Belgium

From bottle at the Trappist in Oakland. 115IBU from Belgium? This is definitely worth a sample. Unlike the American brewers who are trying to out hop-hype themselves and rip my stomach in half, this one is focused on smooth bittering hop flavor, which just goes to show that 115IBU means something different in Belgian brewers minds than American brewers.. The bottle says, hallertau, goldings and saaz. The goldings are defeinitely very prominent in the bittering, somewhat with saaz on the finish, but i would have not guessed hallertau. Light golden color, medium carbonation, nice and dry finish. More spicy than citrus in the hop flavor, very delicious all in all. Thanks to Aaron for the pour and suggestion.

330. Thanks, Boboski! Dense, cloudy toffeed light amber with an incorrigibly fluffy platinum blonde head; sparkling bubbles permeate its gigantic mass. Lots and lots of stiff beaten egg white lace sticking to the sides of the glass. Slight horse blanket funk on the nose, along with some basement and must. Medium body, light carb. Lemon and hay and bitter biscuits on the mid-palate, along with some heavy dark spices, falling into a dry, biscuity finish with some slightly creosotey hop present. This is definitely a tough one to get a read on. Pleasant and pleasurable but not familiar in any way.

[draught at Sunset Grill] Cloudy amber color, with a nice dense off-white head. Somewhat mellow aroma, hoppy, but kind of "green", earthy hops. Flavors are musty, kind of harsh malt character with some considerable hop bitterness. I doubt this weighs in at 115 ibu, but still its quite bitter in an interesting way. Smooth mouthfeel.

Cloudy orange-yellow beer with a huge thick white head. Very inviting appearance. The aroma is very minty, fresh, bright and mentholic. There is also a lovely clove and spice aroma. Fresh Belgian maltiness. Flavour shows soft metallic hoppiness, honeyish malts and a soft, spicy bitterness. There is really no way that this is as bitter as the label states. Further warming brings up a bit of citrus and lots of herbal/spicy hoppiness. Soft peppery alcohol and a strong spicy aroma. Grassy with lemongrass and a bit of unusual zestiness. Uniquely aromatic and quite tasty. Lemon, tangerine and more mint. A strange beast, this, but I think I like it.

Dark gold body with a butter colored head. The aroma is fruity with canned peaches, cinnamon and a little black pepper. The taste is fairly spicy up front with black pepper and some bitter burnt bread crust. There is a little bit of peach character that comes through after a few drinks. The finish is hoppy with grapefruit and some pineapple. The mouthfeel is rich and creamy. While this is a good Belgian strong, it is a little boring.

Cloudy darker orange, massive head with good lacing and retention. Aroma is very fruity, quite yeasty, some sugar. Various spice notes as well. Based on the description, I’m not getting a massive hop aroma, but they are definitely there. Medium bodied, fairly sugary, slightly rough with alcohol burn and a dry finish. All over the place. Same scores as yesterday’s beer, yet completely different in every way. Interesting for that at least...

color ambra schiuma abbondante aderente e persistente ma per niente fine sentori speziati netti di luppolo in bocca leggermente acidula decisamente tendente all’ amaro dei luppoli erbacei

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 4     Pale Yellow(1)->Copper(5) : 3     Still(1)->Volcanic Sparkling(5) : 2
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 3     Lasting: 4     Lacing : 5
Aroma:
Intensity : 4  
Yeast : 4   Bread : XX   Dough : 4   Esters : 3   Phenols : 3   Dusty : 4   Spicy : XX   Apple : XX   Banana : XX   Tropical Fruits : XX   Brett : XX   Barnyard : XX   Leather : XX   Wood : XX   Vinous : XX   Cheese : XX   DMS : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX
Malt : 2   Pilsner : 2   Pale : XX   Vienna : XX   Biscuity : XX   Toasty : XX   Hay : 2   Caramel : XX   Honey : XX   Cereals : 3   Grainy : 2   Wheat : 1
Hops : 3   Noble(1)->American(5) : 1   Leafy : 2   Perfume : XX   Orange : XX   Floral : 4   Lemon/Lime : XX   Herbal : 3   Grassy : 1   Piney : XX
Notes : Pepper : 3   Cloves : XX   Coriander : XX   Ginger : 2   Orange : XX   Earth : XX   Vanilla : XX   Oxidation : XX   Bubblegum : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 2   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 1   Sourness : 1   Acetic : XX   Lactic : XX   Bitterness : 3   Farmy : XX   Complex : XX   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 4   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 5   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : 4   Alcohol : 3   Mineral : XX

Comments: Spicy, dusty, rather astringent, seedy, mustardy beer of high attenuation and very big and active bubbles – DRY Belgian ale. I found the proclaimed 115 IBU hard to believe. Hoppy, but not that bitter.