Troubadour Magma Special Edition 2012 Sorachi Ace

Brouwerij The Musketeers
Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Ursel, Belgium

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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Bottle, bb 31 aug 2015
Hazy amber color with large head, persistent. Light aroma, some flowers, a bit metallic. Good body structure; there is some malt flavor, little residual sweetness, some spicy yeast; quite strong bitterness, some chicory, and remarkable absence of sorachi ace characteristics.
Pretentious (or old?).

Hazy dark amber, off white head. Aroma and taste are a nice combination of fruits (pineapple, lichee, mango) and some caramel and raisins. Full body, nice carbo.

a slight lethery aroma, with notes of apples. clear red apperance, with yeast sedements in the buttom. fine white head slight sweet, slight salty, with a bitter aftertaste. average carbonation, oily texture.

Tasted on tap at the Bridge in a sampler glass. It poured a nice hazy amber colour with orangish-beige foam, lasting with lots of lace. Malty, subtle fruit and caramel notes, somewhat bready but still "digestive." Not terribly bitter, but the Sorachi Ace hops were more prominent in the flavour and aroma. Lemons, flowers, honey, earth, slightly soapy but not in a bad way. Super smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Light body, medium-high carbonation. Crisp, dry finish. Very well-balanced. Delicious.

6th October 2012
Very hazy amber beer, massive pale cream coloured head. Palate is light and slightly soft but has sharp carbonation. Mild malt cream, a little aniseed. Mild lemon-cream from the Sorachi Ace hops, quite subdued. Finishes soft with mild bubblegum esters. This is disappointingly drab when compared to the base Magma but it’s an all right beer.

(750ml bottle) Pours a clear burnt orange body with a moderate off-white head. Aroma of musty wet leaves, grass, florals, nuts, marzipan, and Play-Doh. Flavor of citrus, yeast, caramel, florals, and grass with a dry finish.

Cloudy orange pour, massive head. Sweet aroma, honey and yeast. Taste of tangerine, lemon, wheat, caramel, yeast, biscuit. Fairly bitter. Fuller body. If it were possible, would love to try this fresh.

Bouteille de 750 ml obtenue via Importations Privées Bièropholie. Arôme: Odeur d’houblons herbacés avec une pointe de citron. Apparence: La couleur est orangée-ambrée avec une moyenne densité de bulle. Présence d’un large col mousseux et d’une large dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’agrumes avec une pointe d’épices. Moyenne durée de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement onctueuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’épices en arrière goût. (Rating #4776)

My Bottom Line:
This appropriately fluffy Belgian Strong Ale juxtaposes bubblegum, flowers, toasted malts and hop resins in a profile which could be better defined.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A tower of foam sits atop the hazy amber glow.
-High levels of big bubbles wash away every sip effortlessly.
-The aroma is coarse and not engaging at all, especially for what is supposed to be a single-hop showcase.
-The hops aren’t bright enough; is this beer too old already?
-Straight yeast flavors get in the way of hops and malt.
-This is not nearly as good as their Westkust Imperial Black IPA.

Bottle.

Bottle. Orange amber color. Malt, peach and soft grassy hops in the aroma. Medium to full bodied, slightly alcoholic. Clear hop character with grassy hops, peach and pineapple. Sweet, but a nice beer.