Stone Cali-Belgique IPA (Cali-België)

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Escondido, California USA

In short: A hoppy beer of some kind with a focus on candied fruits flavours. Interesting.
How: Bottle 22oz. Consumed fresh one month after purchase.
The look: Clear golden body topped by a very small off-white head
In long: A nice hoppy nose with dried oranges, citrus fruits, orange peels. I often describe beers as tasting like dried fruits but with this one this statement is truer than ever. Really tastes like those little square of dried oranges, dried citrus & dried pineapples that I buy in mix-bags at the grocery store. Really well balanced. Some green dry grass. Mild bitterness and medium dryness finish. The beer didn’t feel much Belgian to me but there was something “special” about it. Ah, the Cali-Belgique, this magical land where the monks that brew barrel aged imperial stouts are girls with big boobs.

Bottle. Light to moderate aromas of light bread, grain and roasted for the malt, moderate spruce and tangerine for the hops, light yeast note of soap, and hint of wood and melon. Head is small, fizzy, white with some lacing and is mostly diminishing. Color is sparkling clear amber. Flavor starts lightly to moderately sweet and lightly acidic, then finishes moderately acidic and lightly bitter. Palate is on the light side of medium, oily, with a lively carbonation and a dry finish. A pretty good IPA, a nice palate and great fruity smells.

Pours a cloudy golden hue with a pillowy bright-white head of foam that leaves some slowly melting specks of lace in the glass. Interesting aromas of piney and fruity hops, spices, red apples, pepper, and a slightly dirty yeast smell. Lots of dry & toasty malt, tangy orchard fruit, a healthy helping of spicy/peppery hops and more of that dirty yeast Spicy and peppery. Rather dry and prickly, even as it warms.

Pint – Eastside Club Tavern - Olympia, WA
Aroma: IPA aroma with slight Belgian yeast coming out.
Appearance: Amber in color, clear, with a thin head.
Flavor: Nice IPA flavors with some Belgian like qualities.
Palate: Dry IPA finish, with a Good Mouthfeel.
Overall: This was a nice beer had ore IPA than Belgian so I can understand the name . It was interesting to say the least.

IPA différente, par son goût de houblon doux et non tranchant. Plutôt fruitée avec des notes de pèches et de poires. Très désaltérante.

Pretty good, but give me a regular old IPA. Nose is all hops, awesome. Tastes sour to start, bitter to finish. I’d rather have my begians sweet and my stone, stone.

22oz brown glass pry-top. Enjoy by 7.14.09 etched around base. Appearance: Pours crystal clear with 1 finger of off-white sudsy head. Lots of staying power and leaves nice lacing. Nose: Split between fruity aromas from the yeast and citrus aromas from the hops. The dusty/pine quality gives the hops a slight edge over the yeast. Palate: The Belgian yeast strain plays a more important role on the palate. Lots of black pepper, seared grapefruit, toasted malt, and something brooding that reminds me of charcoal-grilled steaks. Hops pull up on the finish, coming back strong with grapefruit and pine, and drying. Notes: A really unique beer that captures both styles really well. Probably best when fresh. Thanks Michael for getting this beer into Vermont!

Bottle: clear amber pour with light off white diminidhing medium head. Smells lare IPA light with a sour note. Flavor is the same, weak IPA with a sour belgium ale flavor. Medium body. Overall: not to bad at all and fairly smooth, this just not my favorite flavor for beer, but I would definitely drink another.