This one is an example of a Belgian Strong Ale. Ales of this type are a stronger versions English Pale Ale and still golden in color.They have a much a much higher alcohol content by nature that is not always evident, but usually sneaks up on you. They can have a nice spice to them. This is a powerful ale, yet mild in in flavor and usually has nice head to it.. Hop and malt are usually present, as well as hops and some fruit.
Brooklyn Brewery has a solid rep on the east coast, but I have found a few of their brews, the IPA and Pale Ale, lacking. The Brewery has a noble mission and a great heart though. They continue the grand tradition of breweries in New York City with their opening in 1987. Until then the last successful commercial brewery in New York was Schaefer and Rheingold who closed in 1987. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani even cut the ribbon at their opening. Brooklyn Brewing’s history.
The appearance of this one is what you would expect in a strong ale. Definitely golden in color, this poured well into a pilsner glass producing quite a lot of bubbles with a moderate cloudiness to it. Great head to it, stays a nice one finger for a while, thus producing very nice lacing.
Aroma was that of yeast (almost of fresh baked bread), hops and citrus. Although, there is a definite hint of alcohol on the nose of this one that brings the citrus out.
The taste was refreshing to me and not quite what I expected. The alcohol had a definite presence, but not overpowering. The hops and yeast definite balance this one out, allowing you to enjoying the lighter aspects, namely the flavors of coriander or orange.
The had a nice crispness to it, and the longer this one lingered in your mouth, the more the alcohol came out.
Overall, this was very pleasant. I was not aware that Brooklyn re-fermented this one, which is not all that common these days. They ferment it with a belgian Yeast strain for a few weeks, then filter it out and add new yeast in with sugar. The re-fermentation process often creating natural carbonation. I had this one over the course of a couple of hours, allowing me to really enjoy it. It weighs in at 9% ABV and went very nice with the Grilled Chicken with sauteed onions and cesar sald I had for dinner.
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