Spinnakers Über Blonde Strong Belgian Style Ale

Brewed by Spinnakers Brewpub
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Victoria, Canada

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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This was bought a few months ago so it may not be a fair representation of how the beer is now, but it’s mildly sour. Other than that it’s an ok representation of a Belgian strong, though extremely simple, hardly any phenols, mainly esters, hazy orangish yellow, a lot more sweetness and less hops in the flavour than others have been saying.

650ml bottle pours a cloudy golden color with a finger of white head that settles quite quickly leaveing only a few spots of lacing. Aroma is cereal grains with some light fruits and grassy hops. Taste is malty sweet with some light fruitiness and a grassy hop bitterness. Light to medium bodied with some decent carbonation and alcohol is well hidden. The hops just did not quite blend well with this brew or I would have scored it higher.

650 ml bottle. Pours a clear gold with no head. Aroma of yeast and coriander with some floral notes. Flavors of coriander and ginger with a lingering bubblegum aftertaste.

Bottle split with mcberko. Pours clear copper orange with no head at all - surprisingly. Aroma of Belgian yeast, some sweetness, apples, perhaps orange peel. Flavour the same as aroma but with a spicy coriander taste also. Balanced sweetness with the hops, but not overly complex. Still nice to drink though.

650mL bottle, split with Matts_Property, pours a flat golden with an almost non-existent head (unusual for the style). Aroma of sweet apples, sugar cane, bubblegum and yeast. Flavour is quite yeasty, with coriander, apples, pear, bubblegum and candied sugar. Sort of a vanilla and marshmallow-like finish. Palate is a little thin and lacking robustness. Solid, though unremarkable.

650ml bottle from Brewery Creek in Vancouver. Pours a clear, light amber/medium gold with barely lasting off white head. Aroma is subtle with bubblegum, coriander and some yeast. Taste is quite similar but with a more assertive coriander note, some citrus, marshmallow and vanilla. Finish has a slight woodiness to it, yeast and cereal malt. Alcohol very well hidden. It’s pretty good for style but not outstanding.

(650ml bottle) Purchased at Hillside Liquor Store in Saanich, B.C., for $6.80. Pours a solid amber body, mildly carbonated with a white head that settles to the rim of the glass. There is a coriander and mild tinny tonic water to the aroma, that transfers to the taste. Some orange, marshmallow, coriander and orange sprigs. Very light, vanilla and palatable. So smooth and easy to drink that you’d never guess this is 8.2% alcohol. Nice.