Great Divide Belgica
Belgian-style India Pale Ale is always an interesting concept, and can produce some very different beers. Some lean towards Europe and are spicy and wheaty – others lean over the Atlantic and have that hoppy punch. Plenty are down the middle of course, but it’s interesting when Old World breweries whack the hops in (i.e. Urthel Hop-It) or Stateside producers aim for a more European feel (see Stone Cali-Belgique). Another right along those lines is Belgica (7.2%), from the Great Divide brewery in Denver, Colorado. Combining Belgian yeast and pilsner malt with US and European hops this one is very much an American version of the Belgian style, rather than the other way round.
This becomes immediately apparent when you open and pour the bottle. A hazy golden colour, fast-reducing head and aromas of citrus and wheat all point very definitely towards the Old World rather than the new. It’s quite astonishingly drinkable – with very little alcohol flavour at all – if I were blind tasting this I’d put it sub-5%. Some great flavours of lemon peel and wheatbeery spice lead to a finish that’s slightly floral, as finally some of the IPA characters arrive – but only just. This is first and foremost a Belgian-style ale, with the yeasty citrus and zesty fruit. To me, it doesn’t really matter that Belgica doesn’t taste like an IPA – it’s one to embrace nonetheless.
