Urthel Hop-it

Brouwerij De Leyerth
Brewed at De Koningshoeven (Bavaria - Netherlands)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Ruiselede, Belgium

Brown bottle, 33 cl, best before 08-2010, via Importations Privées Bièropholie, savoured on June 21 2008; eye: straw, clear, good effervescence, voluminous white head that turns into a carpet, a bit of lacing, suspended matter; nose: hops, grapefruit, pine, perfumy, light caramel; mouth: lots of hops, grapefruit, pin, perfume, a bit of caramel, malt, yeast, "strong Belgian" finale is crushed by a wave of hops, medium body, mildly bitter, lightly sweet, harsh then creamy and finally harsh texture, average carbonation, light astringency; overall: the wedding of "Belgian strong" with "quite hoppy" does not work in this case FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 33 cl, meilleure avant 08-2010, via Importations Privées Bièropholie, savouré le 21 juin 2008; œil : paille, claire, bonne effervescence, abondante mousse blanche qui se transforme en un petit tapis, un peu de dentelle, matière en suspension; nez : houblon, pamplemousse, pin, parfumée, léger caramel; bouche : beaucoup de houblon, pin, houblon, pamplemousse, parfum, petit coulis de caramel, malt, levure, finale « belge forte »qui est écrasée par une vague de houblon, corps moyen, moyennement amère, légèrement sucrée, texture rugueuse puis crémeuse et de nouveau rugueuse, carbonatation moyenne, légère astringence; en résumé : le mariage « Belge forte» et « très houblonné » ne fonctionne pas ici

Hazy golden colour, white head. Aroma has some citrus hops -much less prominent than I expected- and some faint malts. Flavour is hoppy and fruity. The hops do not fit in this beer. Quite disappointing.

Bottle. Pale blonde with a lot held in suspension, and a soapy white head. Lemon-citrus nose with big pale malts and a hint of spice. Taste is bitter and hoppy with light sourness and a ton of spice. Dry yeasty finish. Lightish body, a little sweeter than I’d like in the beginning, with a very nice floral overtone and lesser herbal nuttiness. Alcohol is showing and even that seems a bit simplistic. Robust flavor and something of a character-filled Pils, but with a more distinctive hop profile. And twice as much warming alcohol as is necessary. Not terribly impressed.

Poured a real medium golden with white head. The hops were apparent from the pour. The taste was great: super hoppy yet medium to light feel all the way down. This one was especially carbonated, which added to its distinct feel. This one was definitely enjoyable and I hope to find it again!

750ml from Whole Foods, Durham. I’m a sucker for this style. A big boomin’ Belgian with superior lacing, a hefty yeasty body, and a pungent aroma combining earthy funk with intensely dry hops. There’s some spice in there, mild citrus rind, and a substantial bready heft in the middle. Not up to La Chouffe, but damn fine.

Hazy off orange/gold in color. Perfumy, yeasty, sweet aromas. Lots of sweetness with a nice bitterness from the hops. Slighty flowery and dry with a bit of spiciness. a fun beer

Pours a cloudy orange, big white rocky head. Nice lacings. Flavors are mostly spicy hop and a smooth yeast. Clean and yeasty with a slight sour finish--then something seems not quite right in the aftertaste. All in all, a good beer but not great.

750 ml bottle from Plaza Liquors - After a careful pour, a got a hazy light golden color with a one and a half finger thick white head which slowly fades. Light lacing. Has kind of an odd floral perfume aroma with a touch of yeast. Flavor is spicy hops, lightly sweetened malt, and esters. Medium to full body. Alcohol is somewhat hidden, but is noticeable. Has kind of an odd aftertaste. Can’t quite pin it down. Overall, a decent beer but, I was hoping for something like Houblon Dobbelen IPA . Now I have to finish the whole 750 myself.