Bass Pale Ale (Belgium)

Brewed by InBev Belgium
Style: English Pale Ale
Leuven, Belgium

Serve in English pint, Shaker

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

Bottle from Beers of Europe. This poured amber in colour with white frothy head. Whilst it had a Bass like quality it alo had a very umistakeable Belgian feel to it and if I’m being honest this really was a great marriage of the two, nice fruitiness, yeastiness on the nose and in the taste ok so it might be a touch sweeter than the Bass we’re used to but that was no bad thing and in truth I found this to be a very structured beer that I would definately have again and quite simply the best of the Inbev beers that I’ve had thus far.

Dark transparent brown with a thick white head when poured. It tastes very similar a stout. Doesn’t leave much of an after taste at all.

June, 2003: Belgian Version. Bass Pale Ale. Bottled. 5.2% This is a tasty version. It is sweeter, yet also hoppier - all round a better balanced beer. After a comparison with The Beer Station’s Iron Horse and Worthington White Shield, I have notched up the rating of the Belgium Bass. {3.7]

I very much doubt this was brewed in the UK. Interbrew more probably... Amber colour. Very heavy pearling, full yellowish head, going down with textbook lace. Very malty nose, worts-like, pale & coloured. Some English hops in the nose. Surprisingly good hoppy taste (noble & bitter hops) on a malty but not sugary base. A bit lemony finish. Medium-bodied. Thanks to the hops, refreshing enough. In the aftertaste the hops seem to have gone, but retronasal they return on the tongueridge. Something we all grew up with, and have learned to look upon with disdain. Undeservedly. This is the typical Belgian ofshoot of the bottled British bitter.

I loved this beer. Its aftertaste is reminisent of carmel and it has a hoppy clean intial taste

Bottle, Beers of Europe. Pours amber with a frothy white head. Malty, sweet aroma. Flavour is again quite sweet , but with a good balance and a nice tangy finish. In the words of the great Larry David...’Pretteeeeey good !!’

23rd September 2011
Bottle from Bier Koning. Solo hungover tasting in my hotel room! Clear amber beer, small off white head. Palate is slightly soft, good carbonation. Well balanced. Quite strong pale malt with marmalade orange hop. Light minerals. Dry finish. Decent and tastes authentically old fashioned!

25cl bottle. Pours a light brown with a small eggshell head. Nose : Caramel and malts. Some little cherry. Sip : Almost oily body with a nice carbonation. Sweet and malty with small bitter hops ending. Decent pale ale no more no less.

Bottled, 250ml at Clichy’s Tavern, Paris. Amber with white head. Quite different from the current Bass available in the UK, this is quite malty sweet, fruity with hints of toffee caramel. I don’t get hops at all, not bittering ones anyway. Still a decent beer which is the biggest difference because the British version isn’t anymore.

Bottle, from Noel Cuveliers, Abele. Copper, nice sticky butter colored head. Candy/farmy hop aroma and a touch of torrified grain. Soft dill and nettle bitterness, sweet grainy malt. A bit of hay in the finish. Light to medium palate, maybe a little on the sticky side, but not cloyingly so. This was a fun find. Not so much in that I had huge expectations for it, but as a curiosity of global brewing shenanigans. And really, it’s actually quite a decent beer. Might be better than the bottled UK-brewed version.