UPDATED: MAR 16, 2024 March 2024. Small brown bottle, unfiltered, from LCB. Best before 10 months ago. The brewers call it art, I call it messy. Each time I've had this beer it's been different. The malt character is different, and the hop character is different. This one says: 'With a blow of Citra, Cascade, Columbus'. No mention of the malt or the brewing time or temperature, as though these essentials were insignificant. I call that marketing not art. De Molen know that their customers like hops, and so they play around with them. In My Craft or Sullen Art. Anyway. I like this. I like yeast character and the fermentation which releases the yeast character. I like the chewy partly fermented malt. The brewery say this is a cross between a lager and an IPA, which suggests that this is a cold fermented beer with lots of hops - but it doesn't present that way, it presents as a quick, warm fermented malt, with a Czech lager level of hoping rather than an American IPA (which must be what they mean, rather than a UK level, such as Greene King IPA). The hops are an attractive floral citric dusting which gives balance to the bones and meat of this beer, which is the essential and magic marriage of malt and yeast. It's not bad you know. Forget the hops, enjoy the fucking beer. [3.5] March 2021 - Easing out of lockdown. Small brown bottle, unfiltered. This is a different experience from 2017. There is no carbonation, and the malt is bulkier with the hops more integrated and less girly. The malt actually tastes and feels unfermented, or at least under fermented. There's a good malty taste. I like this. Still a bit sludgy. But this is drinkable and attractive. Messy, but, hmmm, tasty. [3.4] Dec 2017. Day 21 of the Honest Brew Advent Calendar. 330ml bottle, unfiltered. It's OK, but I'm not keen on the tropical fruit hops. Nor the sludgy bitterness. Nor the lagerish malt. Nor the excessive carbonation. I shake and burn off the carbonation, and enjoy it a little more. But it's not really my thing. Malt is too thin, and hops are too tropical and girly. An odd cross between a low abv Belgian blonde and an APA. Nothing like a bitter. [2.5]

UPDATED: FEB 19, 2023 330ml bottle via Beer52, BB 1st May 2023. Poured into a vase shaped UK pint glass at home on 19th February 2023. I allowed the sediment to leave the bottle, so I got a cloudy old gold coloured body with a thin, speckled white head. Citrus leaning in a mostly malty aroma, taste also a blend of citrus fruitiness with burnt oranges to the fore alongside some sweet malty goodness. Went exceedingly well with a piece of aged Gruyere, bringing out the nuttiness of the said cheese superbly.

UPDATED: JAN 23, 2023 Decent hoppy aroma with a slight citrusy note. Decent hoppy taste with a nice bitter aftertaste. Enjoyable, smooth and easy drinking session ale

UPDATED: DEC 11, 2022 Bottle from my Beer52 calendar, pours amber-brown with a settling foam. Leafy hops and malty fruit on the nose, lightly estery and peachy. Malty-sweet, more peachy esters, juicy and yes, Belgiany...

UPDATED: NOV 18, 2022 No, you can't do that... you can't triple stamp a double stamp, you can't triple stamp a double stamp! Lloyd! Great beer.

UPDATED: SEP 4, 2022 Pours a hazy golden colour smells of orange citrus . A nice mouth feel with a lovely citrus aftertaste

UPDATED: AUG 19, 2022 J'ai l'impression qu'il y a quasiment autant de Op & Top qu'il y a de raters. Pour ma part c'est une recette en Citra, Cascade et Columbus présentant 4,5 % et 30 d'IBU que j'avais en ma possession. Et si aromatiquement, celle-ci est plutôt efficace, bien que pas extrêmement complexe, elle s'écroule complètement en arrière bouche et sur la longueur. D'accord, avec 4,5 %, il ne faut pas s'attendre à des miracles, mais de la part de De Molen, on s'attend à mieux car d'autres brasseries moins prestigieuses y arrivent. Le visuel est sur un blond orangé voilé avec une effervescence moyennement soutenue. Le nez est plutôt joli sur la mandarine, le pamplemousse, l'écorce d'orange, le miel et la mangue. L'attaque présente une bonne densité et une bonne présence mais avec un manque de vivacité. L'amertume est plutôt bien dosée et des arômes d'herbes, de pêche et de fraise apparaissent également. La deuxième bouche est toujours quelque peu mollassonne (à la fois par l'alcool et l'amertume) et plutôt plate mais restant sur des arômes plaisants. L'arrière bouche est un peu plus amère mais moins aromatique. La corpulence est limitée tout comme la longueur sur une final très , très court. Pas déplaisant, mais De Molen sait mieux faire.

UPDATED: AUG 13, 2022 Bottle, from Beer52. Hazy orange gold, thin but moderately lasting white head and gentle condition. Solid citrus in the nose with hints of orange and melon. Soft and yeasty sweet in the mouth with gentle lemony hop resin and a touch of chalky bitterness. Finish is yeasty with a drying bitterness lingering.

UPDATED: JUL 10, 2022 Bottle, Beer52, from a backlog. It was a very solid traditional pale with a balanced character and a decent hop bite, very drinkable.

UPDATED: JUN 25, 2022 Glas geprobeerd bij 'Brew @ the Zoo'. Het is een goudgeel licht troebel bier met matig schuim. Het aroma is hoppig. De smaak is fruitig, zoet en zacht hoppig.