Apr 18, 2013

Emelisse DIPA Hop Serie

The only other beer from Netherlands’ Bierbrouwerij Grand-Café Emelisse was a pretty tasty Imperial Russian Stout that served as a proper introduction to the brewery. Now let’s see what they can do with a bucket full of hops. Not much information is available with regard to this beer, but I can tell you that this is a pretty solid stab at replicating a big West Coast IPA.

The 7.9% ABV double (or imperial) IPA isn’t quite as tropical fruity as some of the big IPAs that have washed over my tongue, but it’s got a decent balance between the piny, grassy hop character and a well defined malt backbone. And much like the beer’s packaging, it’s a little subdued but with a touch of class.

Appearance

The brew pours deep amber in color with a rothy, off-white head that dropped slowly, leaving behind lacing on the inner walls of the glass.

Aroma

The nose is filled witha good amount of toasted bread, grains, grapefruit, light pine, a touch of orange zest and herbal notes. It’s got a well balanced and attractive aroma.

Taste

The beer’s soft mouthfeel delivers a myriad of flavors to the palate. Bready malts and grains arrive initially, but are quickly eclipsed by a solid amount of herbal hoppy goodness in the form of grapefruit, orange zest and some piny resin. There’s a good deal of sticky sweetness left on the lips after each sip, but also a healthy dose of hop bitterness to balance it all out. The finish is fairly dry and leaves you wanting more.

Overall

This is a pretty solid beer. It’s got good balance and a decent flavor. It’s not quite as palate punching as a big West Coast Imperial IPA, but its’ darn tasty just the same. So far, of the two beers from Emelisse that I’ve had thus far, this one is good, but I think I prefer the previously mentioned Imperial Russian Stout a touch more.

Rating: 3.75/5

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