In developing this Belgian-style Pale Ale we could not arrive at a single yeast strain that conveyed the flavors we wanted. We were striving for some Belgian funkiness without being too funky. At last our mad Brewmaster Derek decided to brew the beer in two batches with two yeast strains and blend them post fermentation. Voilà, he had nailed it.The rye malt adds subtle spicy malt tones, aromatic for breadiness/ maltiness, and the Cara20 for sweetness and color. Sterling hops are derived from Saaz and Cascade hops and have a spiciness with subtle orange/ grapefruit tones. Liberty hops have a German Noble hop flavor and aroma (earthy, spearmint-like). The first yeast gives it a nice clean flavor with subtle aromas of pear/apple and honey, but not much Belgian character. The second yeast emphasizes the Belgian character, with more spiciness from the phenols. They are fermented separately to ensure consistent amounts of yeast cultures in subsequent brews, and then blended during filtration.