Iron Hill Biere de Or

Brewed by Iron Hill Lancaster
Style: Belgian Ale
Lancaster, Pennsylvania USA

(BCTC, draft) Hazy apple juice body with white head. Aroma is medium sweet, orange, some coriander, light pepper. Taste is medium sweet, orange, pepper, some coriander. Light-medium body, some chalk.

[BCTC 08] Poured a clear dark golden color with a small, white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of honey, floral hops, spices, vanilla, coriander, pepper, and faint ginger. Taste was also a touch sweet up front, certainly more honey, cardamom, ginger, and alligator pepper in the finish, with a little alcohol.

Tap at BCTC. One of the highlights of the fest for me. Though listed as a Belgian, this has some serious farmhouse characteristics to me, and could easily be classified as a saison. Aroma is lightly floral (violet, dandelion) with pils malts is mellow but complex. Some great yeast notes in there, also showcasing chamomille and pepper. Very easy drinking with a subtle but defined complexity. I’d love to down a few pints of this.

On tap at the Lancaster location. Deep golden pour with a small retentive cap that leaves light suds lace. Lots of spice in the malty aroma. Tons of pie spices and coriander mixed with citrus and orange zest. All of these complexities mix with the Belgian yeast strain and integrate well. Lots of complex spices revisit in the finish, and accompany a medium-light mouthfeel. Very nice.

On tap in Lancaster. Poured cloudy gold in color with a medium sized white head. Aroma of citrus and Belgian yeasty esters. Taste is overall mild but there are touches of citrus, ginger, with a little spice in the finish. Maybe a little refreshing, but that wasn’t really what I was after. There were so many better choices in Lancaster. (3.0) RERATE: Sampled at BCTC ’08 I enjoyed this a little better then I did in Lancaster.

Had this On Tap at Iron Hill in Lancaster with afireinside. Poured a slight hazy gold with foam head and some nice lacing. It had some citrus notes and a yeast character up front. Moving into the pallet the spice and citrus character was a little weak and bitter towards the end. Looking for a smoother blend and passed on the growler of this and got a growler of the Biere De Garde instead!