Hapkin

Brewed by Brasserie Union (Alken-Maes / Heineken)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Jumet, Belgium

Hazy, gold color with a billowy and sustained, white head. Aroma of subdued tropical friut, flowers, sweetness, and an underlying dessert banana. Flavor has some sulphur, sweetness, definite saaz hops signature, grain, and a very uplifting carbonation that when combined with the earthy, acidic hop bitterness, finishes the beer very dry. The interesting thing though, is that the beer is dry but there is also a strong, almost silky, oily maltiness that rides along the palate and competes for dominance in the finish. Alcohol is also present but is pleasant and incorporates itself well into the malt and overall palate. I am torn over this one because I like it better than Duvel, but if Duvel is the benchmark for the style than Hapkin has too much complexity and power for style and is not feminine enough.

This brew pours with a pale yellow body topped by a thick head with great lacing. The aroma is sweet, malty and flowery wtih a touch of mustiness. The flavor is slightly sweet yet sour and bitter with some flowery notes. Medoum bodied, smooth and slightly dry.

Pale golden yellow w/ lasting head and good lacing. Flowery and sweet, and sour fermented fruit on the nose and mouth, and a hint of sugar candy on the mouth. Minor effervescence and smooth.

(11.2 oz bottle, $6: O’Brien’s in San Diego, CA) The flavor is moderately sweet at the start and very fruity, but by the finish, the fruitiness is tempered by a fairly prominent maltiness. It’s still moderately sweet, but now it’s a candi sweetness. The nose is moderately sweet, malty and fruity. Lively carbonation, medium bodied, sweet maltiness extends the finish. Murky, medium golden color. Huge, fluffy, white head explodes on the pour, but I should have poured more carefully because when the bottle was opened, lots of carbonation bubbles immediately began rising through the beer. The head takes forever to die down, but a mountainous island stays til the end. No lace.

Bottle, from a shop in Brugge. Nice creamy head, clear golden. Nice yeasty aroma with floral hops. High alcohol is mostly masked by the sweetness. A good belgian strong ale.

Bottle. Didn’t mind it. Pretty much an innofensive Belgian golden ale, in much the same style as Duvel. Lightly yeasty and floral aroma, some apple and citrus and light spicyness on the palate, pretty easy going.

Bottle from Pitfield Beer Shop, London. 330ml. Served in a chalice. Pale gold, pours cloudy with a sparse, quickly dissipating white head. Lager like aroma with spice, and slightly metallic. Light and smooth, bitter with spice. Dry in the mouth. Very nice. Similar to Duvel.

Big white head. Yeast floaties. Golden colour. Candy sugar and flower bouquet aroma. Spritzy and sweet. Lighter hopped than Duvel. Alcohol is well hidden. Nice sweet golden Belgian.