Stone Cali-Belgique IPA (Cali-België)

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Escondido, California USA

FIRSTLY: What’s with all the mediocre ratings for this beer? Is it just simply because it shows finesse and restraint? This is as good as any other Stone IPA I have tried! And they all get 4+ each to their own I suppose. Well, oh my, this is a tasty treat. I had my doubts about this (God, I do NOT know why...) but I did I should learn to trust more in Stone Brewing Co’s consistency. Not only am I pleasantly relieved, but I think I may have found one of my favourite Stone beers to date! It looks perfect in the glass, glowing rich golden with a fat creamy almost pure white head standing two fingers high. The aroma! The aroma is sweet, with grapefruit, herbs and the faintest - but most definite - trace of Belgian yeast reminiscent of Saison yeast or Westmalle Tripel. The flavour is excellent, classic Stone, somewhere between their Levitation pure blood grapefruit and their IPA... but then, whats this? in comes the clear flavour of a belgian beer, once again reminding me of the aftertaste from a sip of Westmalle tripel or perhaps Saison Dupont, this comes in very pleasantly tempering the full on Hop attack and mellowing it to a creamy grapefruit/cream cocktail. It is soft and voluptuous in the mouth, it looks as if it’s going to be overly effervescent but no, it’s creamy and mouth filling, defying your preconceptions when looking at it in the glass. The beer takes you o a journey of the best parts of Stone’s hop science then into sweet, herbal, spicy, citrusy, Belgian territory, finishing on a refreshing relatively bitter end with notes of resin, soap and Belgian yeast, balanced like I say with a burnt candy/sugar sweetness hovering over the death of the flavour. Stupendous people! This beer rocks. It is a great all year rounder, but especially brilliant on this sunny warm day. I will state - though there is probably no need - but as is to be expected the alcohol is kept low in the mix and well hidden. Bravo!!!

Bottle. Copper / amber with white head. Love that Belgian yeast smell. More sweet with lower bitterness than a usual IPA but enjoyed this a lot. Nice sweet car mel flavour with a fresh spice and hop thing. Quite a dry long finish. Nice.

THOUGHTS: I think they did a better job with this than Victory did with Wild Devil. These Belgian style IPAs are really fun, because we get to taste a new style as it is being created. Not as good as I think these beers will be in a few years, but very nice. Still nowhere near as good as Green Flash Le Freak. More and more of the IPA shines through as it warmed. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Mine was labeled Belgiê. Poured a clear, medium orangey copper like a new penny with an average, off-white head that mostly diminished but kept a decent sheet for a while and left excellent lacing. The aroma was very light caramel malt, light to moderate pine hops, and some barnyard, earthy, dusty yeast. The initial flavor was rather sweet, bitter and acidic; while the finish was sweet, acidic, very bitter and fairly sour with and average to long duration. There was caramel malt, pine and citrus hops, funky, sour yeast, and leather. The light to medium body was very dry with fizzy carbonation and a slightly metallic, slightly chalky and moderately astringent finish.

Lovely take on the Stone IPA brewed with Belgian yeast that adds a more citrus light flavor and sweetness that balances the bitterness of the "Stone" hops.

Bouteille de 22 oz achetée chez Beverage Warehouse (Winooski, VT). Arôme: Odeur d’agrumes et de conifères avec une pointe de caramel. Apparence: La couleur est blonde légèrement voilée. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’agrumes et de pins avec une pointe d’épices. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement huileuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût légèrement houblonné. (Rating #2602)

Bottel pours a clear light yellow-beige. Thin off white fine head. Big aroma of Belgian spicy funkiness and citrusy hops. A little bit of gym socks. Flavor is planty bitter IBUs ala STONE. Fairly light feel with a mild carbonation. Decent lingering bitterness. This is definatly what I would think of if Stone made a belgian ale.

Bottle Pours out a light gold topped with a white head. Aroma of pine and citrus hops a little belg funk. Taste to sweet caramel hops plenty of citrus bitterness. Along with the belg yeast. Thanks IndianaRed.

Bottle compliments of Indiana Red: Clear gold with white ring head. This reminds me of Urthel’s Hop It, but way better. The aroma is a battle between huge hops and funky Belgian yeast. The flavor has a flowery hop taste with an English Breakfast tea aftertaste. Smooth and thin finish which leaves a solid hop coating on your tongue. Nice.