Mad River The Mad Belgian

Brewed by Mad River Brewery
Style: Belgian Ale
Blue Lake, California USA

Bottle. Pours light amber with a three-finger yellowish off-white head. Aromas of citrus and yeast. Medium body with mild carbonation. Flavor is almost tangerine. Very refreshing. Not a great deal of spice or yeast. Smooth and almost mellow. There’s a low level yeast with time. Clean. Refreshing. Definitely has that Belgian yeast/spice characteristic - but quite light compared to many. Drinks moderately well.

12 ounce bottle from the Davis Co-Op. Pours a hazy orange marmalade color with a thin ivory head. Aroma is of light fruit (apricot), a pinch of spice, some cream. Simple but pleasant aroma. Flavor repeats the apricot, but now with piney hops and floral flavors. The hops are bold and the highlight of the flavor. Mediocre mouthfeel, medium viscosity. More IPA-ish than Belgian in nature, but a very easy ale to enjoy, with the hoppy flavor being the highlight. Overall, very good.

Compliments of bhensonb. Pours bubbly copper with a decent apricot head and a floral toffee aroma. The flavor is carbonated caramel malt with some hop bitterness and a dry finish.

THOUGHTS: Nice, but nothing too special. Very Belgian. It was pleasant except for strong, bitter, orang rind. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a hazy, light to medium orange with a small, slightly off-white head that mostly diminished. The aroma was light to moderate citrus fruit, moderate to heavy spicy yeast, apricot and orange rind. The initial flavor was slightly sweet and acidic; while the finish was lightly sweet, bitter and lightly sour. There was citrus, spice, yeast, bitter orange rind and metallic hops. The medium body was mostly dry with rather fizzy carbonation and slightly metallic finish.

Pours a slightly hazy copper bronze with a thin, wispy-lacing white head. Aroma of toasty pale caramel malts and lighty biscuity notes with some oxidized toffee and lemon fruitiness. Starts with decent fullness and a soft biscuity malty flavor with some light coriander and orange zest tartness before a semi-dry smooth bittersweet finish. Could use a little more sweetness and complexity, but an ok Belgian ale.

Tap @ Johnny Brown’s. Pours a deep hazy golden orange with a two finger thick off white ring that left some spotty lacing. Nose is quite fruity with a burst of Belgian yeast. Flavor is also yeast dominante with a nice fruity balance.

An okay but fairly humdrum Belgian-style ale. The beer pours a medium amber with a small white head. The aroma is fruity and sweet, apricots and malt. There is a promise of good underlying spice and other complexity that does not find satisfaction in the flavor. The flavor is a relatively clean, sweet and simple Belgian. The fruit is more restrained in the flavor and the spice is bland. The aftertaste is mildly unpleasant with a touch of stickiness and minerals. That said, it’s not an objectionable beer. It just pales in comparison to better beers in the style.

Poured out a dark yellow with a foamy white head. Aroma of yeast, pepper, light citrus hops. Flavor is pepper, yeast, some caramel malt. Pretty solid brew all around from a pretty underrated brewery.