Alvinne Gaspar

Brewed by Picobrouwerij Alvinne
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Moen, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

11.2 oz bottle, one year old, marked down to 3.49 at Royal Liquors on State Line. Gaspar must have been the wise man that brought gold because it has a nice golden straw color with a white almost fluffy head and plenty of small floaters (i wasn’t the most judicious with my pour). Since it is old the hops are pretty smoothed out but they still don’t exactly blend with the yeasty Belgian characteristics, which is usually how i feel about hoppy Belgians. I enjoy it, probably because i enjoy most Belgians, but the hops really don’t do much for me. Light on the palate and not too bitter on the finish. Nice, but not a standout.

THOUGHTS: The second Alvinne beer I’ve had that started to fizz out the cap as I opened it. I don’t think I jostled it either. The disappointing part was that all the sediment got stirred up. It hid the alcohol fairly well. It was really unique in the amount of hops for a Belgian beer. The hops were much heavier in the flavor than in the aroma. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a murky, light to medium orange with a huge, rocky, almost meringue looking, off-white head that slowly diminished and kept a nice sheet and left fair to good lacing that had some thick clumpy spots. There were also tiny, small and medium particles of average to thick density in the body. The aroma was nice but very weak, especially when compared to the flavor. There was bread; moderate to heavy floral, herbal, orangey and earthy hops; light to moderate doughy yeast, light fruits and spices. The initial flavor was lightly sweet, bitter and acidic; while the finish was sweet, very bitter, acidic and lightly sour with an average duration that was a bit clipped and short for all the hops. There was orange, candy, spices, grape, fruit, earthy, herbal and floral hops, slightly soapy, honey yeast, a little sour fruit and slight funk. The light to medium body was slightly syrupy for a second and then extremely dry with rather fizzy carbonation and a dry, lightly alcoholic, lightly astringent and slightly metallic finish.

Pours a cloudy ruby/orange color with golden burnt orange hues when held to a light source and a thick foamy off white head that slowly fades into a lasting ring. Minimal lacing. Very hop forward aroma, especially for a Belgian Golden Ale. Hints of estery light fruit, mostly apple and pear with a noticeable alcohol scent. Smooth with some slight creaminess that balances out the bitter hoppiness and crisp fruity, estery alcohol presence. Hints of apple, pear and grape with some chapagne like soft carbonation. As with the aroma, this beer is surprisingly hoppy and bitter for the style, but instead of overpowering the other flavors, it’s provides a nice level of complexity.

Bottle at the brewery. Pours hazy golden with a small unstable head. Citrus grassy hop nose. Zesty aroma’s, but over a sweet malty backbone. MF a bit gritty and sour. Medium to long finish.

Bottle [330ml] shared with and courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a murky orange-gold with a snowstorm of floaties and a huge rocky white head. Aroma: Yay, hops, along with sweet malt, some fruit, herbs and spices. Flavour of grassy hops along with alcohol, sweet malt and some spices. Average to medium bodied. An O.K. beer.

Bottle ( 330ml ). Shared with blankboy via trade with glouglouburp. Hazy orange-gold, huge fluffy white head, absolutely tons of dark floaties. Lightly fruit-sweet aroma redolent with floral pungent dry hop bitterness, somewhat faded. The taste is muted, but lovely - floral and grassy, hardly any alcohol - a real overripe fruit tangy sweetness in the background. Light body, decent carbonation, a nice light grassy finish, the sweet malt fades quickly. I would love to try this ultrafresh - pretty solid even so.

This bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a very large sized head of foamy finely sized white colored bubbles that were long lasting and left behind a semi-opaque softly carbonated dark orange colored body with a lot of floaties and a fair lacing. The aroma was hoppy floral and malty. The mouth feel was semi-vinous strongly tingly at the start and mediumly vinous tingly at the finish. The good flavor contained notes of malt hops and mild candy. Delicious and one I would certainly buy again.

Boottle. An unclear deep golden beer with a huge, rocky, creamy, almost fully lasting white head. The aroma is nice, yeasty and with a good hoppiness. There are notes of grass, flowers, earth, apricot, spices and a hint of alcohol. The flavour is moderately sweet, almost moderately acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Medium to full body, lively carbonation, long finish with medium to high bitterness, lightly to moderately alcoholic. A very nice beer, great appearence, nice clean bitterness.