Omnivore Atlanta

Baltic Porter
Zywiec Breweries PLC
Zywiec, POL
9.5% ABV

Ordinarily, I steer clear of Eastern European beers. Most of these imports are the ubiqitous European pale lager, or the uniquely bad Slavic version of American malt liquor–sickly sweet and corny, with a wallop to the head that leaves the word “hangover” imprinted on your cheek. This Heineken-owned brewery in Poland produces several such beers, mostly for the local market, but this huge Baltic porter is fairly widely available in the U.S. and really stands out from the crowd. Loaded with roasty toastiness, deep fruity notes, and an herbal, bitter edge, it is satisfyingly rich, with a kick like a Polish draft horse.

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Love at the Pub tells the story of the Brick Store

I am so glad Rocktober is over, because that means that it is Novembeer. Although I don’t expect Gov. Purdue to declare it officially, I am herewith designating this as the unofficial silly pun name for this month. Novembeer is when we all get together with our loved ones and give thanks for beer. It is also that time of the year when the breweries release their winter seasonals and holiday beers. It is a good month.

There is a lot to look forward to this Novembeer if you are a beer lover, including a new Taco Mac, the release of Love at the Pub, the story of the Brick Store Pub, a host of beer dinners and tastings, and a slew of new beer releases, both local and from beyond Georgia. Here are a few of the highlights of just the next two weeks!

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Brooklyn's Manhattan Project at Leon's Full Service

Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver is one of the industry’s staunchest defenders of traditional brewing styles. The brewery’s core offerings are straightforward versions of an American lager, a German pilsner, and an English IPA. His book, The Brewmaster’s Table, is a sophisticated look at Old World styles and their natural affinities for food. But while Oliver has been portrayed as something of a curmudgeon when compared to envelope-pushing brewers like Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione, his Brewmaster’s Reserve series has shown remarkable creativity. The latest offering in the series is a collaboration with cocktail expert and James Beard award winner David Wondrich, a strong ale brewed with rye malt, botanicals, and tart cherry that seeks to replicate the bittersweet balance of a classic Manhattan cocktail. (more…)

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Oompa Loompas at the Brick Store Pub

Hotoberfest, taking place in Glenwood Park in East Atlanta on Sat., Oct 3 from noon-7 p.m., promises “Earth. Beer. Music.” Which are three things I really like. Especially beer. No offense, Earth, but you just don’t taste as good with pizza. The event puts a new twist on the traditional beer tasting festival by having many of the vendors in a free ”World Market” area encircling the Glenwood Park pond, which will feature retail beer and food sales, artists, music on a solar-powered stage, and informational displays on sustainable and environmentally responsible products and services.

However, if beer is your focus, purchase a ticket to the Beer Tasting area for $30 in advance ($35 at the gate) and get unlimited sampling from almost 150 beers. Select your favorites and vote for the Best Brew, a people’s choice award presented to the top 3 picks. If you want to get really decadent, purchase a $50 ticket that will grant you access to the VIP tent where there will be over two dozen special beers, some brewed just for the occasion, such as an aged cask from Sweetwater, and special offerings from Twain’s, Atlanta Brewing Company, and Lagunitas. Oh yeah, and VIP bathrooms. Proceeds from Hotoberfest benefit Dialogue, Trees Atlanta, and Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. (more…)

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The Oktoberfest beers are arriving at a rapid pace, so its time to get warmed up on some strong, malty lagers, even if the warm weather does linger a bit longer in Georgia than it does in Germany. American craft brewers are releasing their fall seasonals as well, marking the beginning of the dark beer season.

If you want to find out what the fall seasonals are all about, sign up for the monthly beer tasting at The Porter Beer Bar that takes place Wed., Sept. 16, at 7:30, featuring pumpkin beers and Oktoberfests (also known as marzens or festbiers). Six samples will be served for $20. Call the bar at 404-223-0393 to reserve your spot. Speaking of the Porter Beer Bar, the little-gastropub-that-could is celebrating its first anniversary in Little Five Points, a significant landmark in that culinary Bermuda Triangle. They will be celebrating all day Sat., Sept. 12, with 30 special kegs and two casks. (more…)

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Weyerbacher Brewing Company
Easton, PA
6.0% ABV

More American craft brewers are attempting basic Belgian-style pale ales and that is a good thing.

Weyerbacher’s offering pours a hazy, almost cloudy, autumn gold and is apparently unfiltered. The rich, off-white head settles to a tight, solid cap of foam.

The straight up Belgian yeast aroma of overripe banana and melon skin fruit esters and a hint of spice is very promising. On the palate, the balance of sweet honey malts and tangy, bubblegum-y yeast is evident right out of the gate. Floral, lemony hops come in strong, with a surprising cilantro-like soapy bitterness. Any sweetness begins to yield to dry, crackery malts and tart apple. The bitterness in the finish lingers a bit long for my taste and is my only real complaint. Zotten has a nice rustic quality to it that is suggestive of a farmhouse ale or biere de garde. Terrific, weighty mouthfeel for a regular BPA without become heavy or cloying. A brisk carbonation helps in that regard, as does the dry finish.

A bit too bitter for the style perhaps, but pair it with some rich, creamy cheese, a baguette and some fig preserves and you have a great picnic.

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Raining beer: The rainwater catchment system at 5 Season Westside

I just heard the best news to come down the pike since Stone Brewing came to town. Even if Judge Magnuson pulls the plug on Atlanta’s Chatahoochee River water supply in 3 years, there will still be beer at 5 Seasons Westside.

The recently opened restaurant and brewery, which already fires its brewing kettles with used cooking oil from its kitchens, announced that it has installed a rainwater catchment system from RainHarvest Systems of Cumming that will provide all the water for their beer. The water is purified through 6 stages of filtration, followed by a dual-beam ultraviolet sterilization that results in water of superior quality to tap water. “The processed rainwater not only fulfills our commitment to environmentally responsible production, but it also tastes better than municipal water, which ultimately makes a smoother, better tasting beer,” says head brewer Crawford Moran. “We’re the only brewery in the world doing this.” (more…)

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Atlanta Brewing Company
Atlanta, GA
5.5% ABV

Atlanta Brewing Company has really been improving their product lately, and they should make a point of saying so. Lots of people have preconceived notions of their beer, and if you haven’t had one lately, they are worth revisiting.

Peachtree Pale Ale pours a hazy, burnished gold, with an off-white fluffy head that leaves some nice lacing. Citrusy and floral hops dominate the aroma, with some caramel malt in the background. The taste is hop-forward, with a strong grapefruit rind bitterness upfront from the Cascade hops, juicy citrus in the middle, and spicy dryness in the finish. A coarse graininess in the toasted malts and solid carbonation contribute to a moderately prickly mouthfeel. Medium bodied with a very faint caramel sweetness. There’s a borderline aspirin-like bitterness in the aftertaste. A bright pale ale that borders on an IPA, Peachtree Pale Ale is a fine session beer and well-suited to summer quaffing.

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While you have been lounging by the pool this summer, Terrapin Beer Company’s Spike Buckowski has been slaving over a hot brew kettle to bring you a slew of new brews. Side Project No. 7 is out now, an easy-drinking saison dubbed Maggie Farmhouse Ale. This 6.0% ABV Belgian-style pale ale has a soft palate and fairly light body from a wheat addition, with some white pepper spiciness to give it an edge. It’s a nice balance of dry, bready malts, a bit of green apple tartness, tangy yeast, and a clean hop bitterness in the finish. It would make a perfect complement to a light summer meal.

Terrapin is replacing the summer seasonal in its Monster Beer Tour, the All-American Imperial Pilsner, with Gamma Ray Wheatwine, a potent and tasty Side Project from last year that will join the regular rotation. The release was delayed somewhat, but word is that bottling will take place next week, and the beer will hit shelves near the end of the month or in early September. Wheatwines are a rare style, and we are lucky to have a damned good one brewed right here in Georgia on a regular basis. (more…)

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Looking to squeeze in one more beer-inspired road trip before the end of summer? Here are three events within a half-day drive in fun-to-visit cities.

Southern Brewers Festival

Cruise up to Chattanooga next weekend for the Southern Brewers Festival on Sat., Aug. 22. Now in its 15th year, the Southern Brewers Festival brings brewers from throughout the Southeast and beyond to the downtown Chattanooga waterfront for a full day of music, food, and of course, beer. Proceeds benefit Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block, a program that uses child-sized puppets to educate children about social differences and give them the skills to stay safe and healthy.

The participating brewers include all three of Georgia’s microbreweries, as well as a number of breweries and brewpubs from Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina. Among the participants that do not distribute in Georgia are Foothills Brewing of Winston-Salem, NC, Boulevard Brewing of Kansas City, MO, and Yazoo Brewing of Nashville, TN. (more…)

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Full Sail Brewing
Hood River, OR
5.6% ABV

This month’s beer picks will lean toward the lighter side of the spectrum to guide you through the dog days of summer.

Full Sail’s LTD series has included a bock and an amber ale, and the third offering is a German-style pilsner, perfect for summer quaffing. This is a simple concoction of two-row pale malts and Sterling hops that plays on, but does not copy, the classic German pilsner. It pours a clear gold with a frothy, off-white head that clings to the side of the glass. The aroma is full of earthy grain and floral hops with a hint of spice. Cereal graininess rides over the mildly soapy, grassy hops, but the finish is clean and satisfying. The body is medium-light, with a bit of slickness and a pleasant tingle of carbonation. Great right out of the bottle and reasonably priced, this is a fine choice for toting to a backyard barbeque or house party where tolerance for biting hop bitterness might be low.

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Sweetwater Brewing Company will be releasing its fall seasonal, Sweetwater Motorboat ESB on Aug. 7. The beer will be available in 6-packs and on draft. Introduced last fall, Motorboat was an unqualified success, winning a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival in the ESB category and selling out in about 6 weeks. Steve Farace of Sweetwater promises that there will be more to go around this year.

Never one to be constrained by style guidelines, Sweetwater brews Motorboat with a generous dose of hops, including a dry-hopping with Cascade, and loads it with toasted malt, making it more like an amber ale than a typical British bitter. This year’s version will follow the same path. “We’ve upped the ante a bit on the hop bill this year, but we’re not monkeying around with it, just improving it,” says Farace. ”With a beer like Motorboat it’s all about balance in a fall seasonal.”

One could say things are going swimmingly right now at Sweetwater. The Dank Tank series of specialty brews is getting settled in, with the next offering being a blueberry Belgian ale brewed with 750 pounds of organic, Georgia-raised blueberries and wheat and rye malts due out Aug. 20. The 8.5% beer will be called Big Ol’ Blue Balls, in true Sweetwater double-entendre fashion. The popular brewery “tours” on Wednesday through Friday have been expanded to include Saturday afternoon from 2:30-4:30 p.m. and special casks are now offered on Wednesday to take some pressure off the Friday evening gatherings. “The casks have really been going great,” says Farace. “It gives us a chance to experiment with our core beers, adding fruit, dry-hopping, or whatever we want to try.” (more…)

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Coney Island Lager will be the featured “Beer of the Month” at all Taco Mac locations in Georgia for the month of August. Every Thursday of the month, the first 100 patrons ordering Coney Island Lager will receive a signature Coney Island glass. To celebrate, Coney Island Craft Lagers is bringing MC and medical-oddities-poster-boy Donny Vomit to town next week for appearances at two Taco Mac locations, as well as performances at The Porter Beer Bar and The 5 Spot. Vomit (or should that be Mr. Vomit?) is the inspiration for Coney Island’s Human Blockhead Tough-as-Nails Lager, a 10% ABV nail to the sinuses that is dangerously smooth and drinkable. The Coney Island series features 6 off-kilter creations honoring that most American of entertainments, the Freak Show, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Coney Island USA, a non-profit dedicated to preserving lost forms of pop art and culture.

On Mon., Aug. 3, Donny Vomit will be at Taco Mac Perimeter at 5:30 p.m. and Taco Mac Metropolis in Midtown at 7 p.m. He will perform at the The Porter Beer Bar in Little Five Points at 9 p.m. the same night. The freak show continues on Tues., Aug 4 at The 5 Spot where Donny will host an evening of extraordinary feats, burlesque dancing from Blast Off Burlesque, and carnival-themed films and music. An art reception featuring local artists will kick off the evening at 7 p.m. All of the performances are free.

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Great Divide Brewing Company
Denver, CO
10.0% ABV

Great Divide celebrates its 15th year in business with a potent Double India Pale Ale aged on French and American oak to “round off the edges.” Indeed, it’s a very drinkable DIPA, with tons of malt complexity and vanilla essence to balance the aggressive hop bill.

Unlike typical over-the-top hop bombs, the initial nose carries significant fruity esters, along with brandy-like alcohol and vanilla. Floral hops, pineapple, and fresh wet pine needles round out the subtle (for a DIPA), inviting aroma. Toffee sweetness hits first in the taste, followed by a solid, resinous smack of hops. The malts, oak and citric bite of hops combine to create a whiskey sour-like quality, right down to the smoky, boozy warmth and cherry sweetness. Oaky dryness and vanilla hold onto the middle, with a pine and grapefruit rind hop bitterness rising in the finish. An alcohol burn lingers in the sinuses on the long fade.

Considering the strong elements contributed by the wood aging, the mouthfeel is somewhat raw and grainy and could be a bit softer and creamier. No doubt some further aging will help with that, as well as mellowing the burn. Medium-full and sticky, this is definitely a sipper, but balanced and enjoyable. I had no problem finishing a 22-oz bomber, leaving me warm and happy.

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Jonathan Baker (foreground) and Joel Iverson (right) tend to the kettle at a recent session of Monday Night Brewery

On a balmy Monday evening in a cozy neighborhood not far from the industrial-sized tanks of the Atlanta Brewing Company, three intrepid entrepreneurs are cooking a 10-gallon batch of Belgian Pale Ale using a pot atop a propane burner. Juggling hoses, fittings and timers, they trade barbs, avert crises and entertain guests, who mill about casually, asking questions and sipping previous nights’ brewings.

This is Monday Night Brewery, and it wouldn’t be all that different from any other homebrewing party, except that Jeff Heck, Joel Iverson, and Jonathan Baker have bigger ambitions that brewing backyard suds for their friends. The three partners are actually working toward brewing commercially, and the weekly brewing parties are just part of their master marketing plan. They have a striking logo, a slogan inspired by their brewing and beer-drinking philosophy (”Weekends Are Overrated”), and an honest-to-God business plan that has them on track to start selling their beer in 2010.

“I think every homebrewer thinks at some point, ‘What if I could do this commercially?’” says Baker, who serves as the company’s Marketing Guy and Director of Mind Control. “We were throwing the idea around, not taking it that seriously, but we figured, at least let’s explore it, so we started a blog, kind of put a stake in the ground. I think it became more real for us as time went on, and we started improving our beers and getting positive feedback from people. And we’ve gained a lot of experience brewing every week. Not many homebrewers brew that often.” (more…)

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Lagunitas Brewing Company
Petaluma, CA
7.3% ABV

Iconoclastic brewer Tony Magee and his crew don’t need much excuse to release a new beer, and their hop-forward wheat ale is the second to draw on the current economic crisis for inspiration. “So we are all on collective disability,” says the label. “That’s cool. Let’s put some ice on it and keep ourselves elevated for a while.” I couldn’t agree more. The brewery’s website says that this beer has a nice “wheaty-esque-ish-ness,” as if they were a bit embarassed to be releasing a wheat ale, considering their reputation for big, hoppy beers. They needn’t have worried, since this is not your typical pale wheat ale.

Sumpin’ Sumpin’ pours a glowing gold beer with excellent clarity. None of the unfiltered haziness or yeasty aroma often associated with wheat beers is present. Just fresh, piney, grapefruit-y hops and some cookie-like malts in the background. Hops dominate the taste, as well, with some tropical fruit notes. The wheat malt lightens the body a bit, but not to the point of being watery or thin. There is some breadiness mid-palate and a hint of yeasty tang, but mostly a firm, fruity sweetness carries the hop flavors aloft, and all else drops away. The mouthfeel is sticky, but soft, leading to a bone-dry finish. A modest bitterness lingers nicely, and the final impression is of a buttery white wine with some grainy tannins and palate-drying resins.

Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ might be a bit puckering and potent for swilling, but it nevertheless hides its alcohol well and is thankfully not overly sweet or bubble-gummy, making it a perfect summer sipper for hopheads. Another interesting concoction from Lagunitas.

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With all the new breweries that have come to Georgia in the last two to three years, the trip to the beer cooler at your local package store can be somewhat intimidating. Add to that the increased price of craft beers, and it can be difficult to plop down $8-10 on a 6-pack of an unknown quantity. That’s where beer tastings and beer dinners come in. For little or no money, you can sample new beers and get a sense of both the styles and brands that are worth your hard-earned money. There is no shortage of opportunities to sample beers in Atlanta. Here are a few regular or semi-regular tastings that are going on around town, along with a few upcoming beer dinners.

Hop City Craft Beer & Wine store hosts free beer tastings most every Wednesday at Octane Coffee Bar & Lounge across the street from their retail store. Magic Hat beers will be featured at this week’s tasting (July 15). In two weeks (July 29), sample beers from Sierra Nevada. Hop City has also teamed up with neighborhood caterer Figs & Honey, who operate Tiny Bistro, to host wine and beer events. Sign up for Hop City’s email list or become a fan on Facebook to get updates on the featured beers. (more…)

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Doppelbock, shmoppelbock: Shmaltz Rejewvenator 2009

Shmaltz Brewing Company
Saratoga Springs, NY
7.8% ABV

Rejewvenator is Shmaltz’ spring and summer seasonal, celebrating the barley harvest. This year’s incarnation is fermented with fresh-pressed date juice, honoring the fruit of the ancient date palm, a symbol of the Kingdom of Judea that was stamped on the ancient sheckel coin. According to Psalm 92:12, “The righteous shall flourish like the Date palm.” This is a righteous beer if I do say so. Two different Belgian ale yeasts were used, along with a lager yeast, imparting the the fruity esters of a Belgian dubbel as well as the clean, crisp fermentation of a German doppelbock.

Rejewvenator ‘09 pours a lovely cedar red with an inviting, slightly boozy aroma full of drunken plums, apricots, overripe bananas, and dates, natch. Generous hopping contributes some citrus rind and spruce as well. The taste is smooth and sweet up fron,t with brandied fruit flavors of candied dates, raisins, and figs, yielding to toffee and an ever-rising herbal hop and alcohol bite. Piney hops and anise settle on the palate with other tingly, almost prickly, spices. Hot alcohol lingers on the breath, which is a bit surprising for an under-8% beer. Banana and clove hang in the background, but this seems less like a doppelbock or a Belgian dubbel than an American-style barleywine or strong ale. It exhibits clean, crisp flavors throughout, with little residual graininess or earthiness in the malt profile.

Although the alcohol is a bit overbearing, Rejewvenator drinks like the celebratory ale that it is. The medium-full body and spot-on carbonation give it a festive character. I’m definitely going to save some for Christmas. Er, make that Hanukkah. L’Chaim!

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Have you ever wondered why cultures in hot climates load their cuisine with sweat-inducing spices? Scientists offer a number of plausible explanations, including the antimicrobial properties of peppers, the cooling effects of perspiration, and the stimulant qualities that counter heat-induced lethargy and loss of appetite.

It’s likely a combination of these things, but I think there’s a more visceral impulse involved, as well. It’s the same reason people jump into frozen lakes and pretend to be polar bears. Because doing the logical thing is boring. Sometimes you have to change up the game. So if those watery summer beers just aren’t doing it for you anymore, why not just do a 180? Which bring us to Festivus in July. Both Taco Mac and The Porter Beer Bar are celebrating the dead center of summer with big, malty winter beers. Brilliant. (more…)

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Black as soot: Pennichuck Feuer Wehrmann

Pennichuck Brewing Company
Milford, NH
5.0% ABV

One of several Pennichuck beers that pays tribute to firefighters (the name means “firefighter”), this one taking the form of a traditional German schwartzbier. Schwartzbier (”black beer”) is a dark, malty lager made with roasted malts. Although similar to British porters and stouts, schwartzbier is a bottom-fermented lager, making it cleaner and less bitter than its Anglican cousins. If someone tells you they don’t like dark beer, try this one on them.

Feuer Wehrmann pours nearly black, with a hint of light around the edges. The aroma is slightly smoky and sweet with some nice toffee notes. The taste is rich and roasty, with a nutty bite. Burnt caramel, chickory, carob, and herbal hops round out the flavor profile. Bitterness is low to moderate, both from the malt and hops. Smooth, almost creamy, mouthfeel, with a solid presence front to back. The dry, roasty finish holds the malty tastes well, with a bit more bitterness building over the session.

Beer like this makes it easy to see why Germans have such high per capita beer consumption. Great structure and drinkability make it perfect for pairing with rich foods, where it can contribute plenty of complementary flavor without leaving the palate oversaturated.

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Katy Love of the Dirty South Beer Club samples a saison

Once a month, about 15 members of the Dirty South Beer Club gather at a member’s abode, or perhaps a remote mountain cabin, and sample beers selected for a designated theme, share their opinions, and vote on their favorites. These are not professional beer judges or even card-carrying beer geeks, but rather a group of young, college-educated, aspiring bon vivants looking to expand their knowledge of beer while enjoying each others’ company.

The club (which has no affiliation to Dirty South Wine, the Atlanta-based wine blog) started last year, when a group of friends began to take a greater interest in the beer they were drinking and decided to get together on a regular basis for tastings and to learn more about beer. The group brought in some other friends by invitation in order to keep the meetings intimate. One of the founders, Katy Love, admits that when they started it was much more chaotic than informative. “We had way too many beers, and everyone got really drunk. We had no idea what we were doing.” The club has gradually added more structure, started taking notes, and conducts a simple yes/no/neutral vote on each beer. The comments tossed out during the tastings are refreshingly expressive (”wet dog,” “bong watery”) and honest (”this tastes like butt”). (more…)

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Although it’s less than a week after the start of summer, it seems like we’re deep into the heart of it now. No need to take off the party hats, except to wipe the sweat from your brow.

Taco Mac continues celebrating its 30th anniversary, as well as the beginning of summer, with the release last week of Red Brick Solstice Roggenbock from Atlanta Brewing Company. According to Taco Mac beverage manager Fred Crudder, it’s similar to the Helles Bock but with the addition of rye malt, which should add some spiciness and a grainy bite. Check your local outlet to see if it has Solstice on tap.

The Brick Store Pub’s 12th anniversary celebration continues this week, with special kegs each night, leading up to Saturday’s shindig featuring a new beer every hour and probably some silly behavior in the final hours. Be sure to ask your server for tap list updates if you go this week, since there are a number of excellent choices beyond the featured beer, including New Belgium La Folie and De Ranke Noir.

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A dozen years, hundreds of beers: The Brick Store Pub

As might be expected, the Brick Store Pub is giving you a present on their anniversary. Twenty-seven presents, in fact. In an attempt to outshine its 11th Anniversary celebration from last year that featured 11 special kegs over 11 days, this year the Brick Store will tap 14 kegs over the first 11 days (one a night, plus 2 on Fridays and Saturdays) starting with today’s 2006 Lagavulin barrel-aged J.W. Lees, and including limited, rare, and oak-aged beers from America’s best breweries (and a couple from Belgium, as well). But that’s only the warm up for Day 12, on Saturday, June 27, when a special treat will be tapped every hour from noon until midnight. That’s 13 kegs in all; sort of beer cake with 12 keg candles and one to grow on.

Among the offerings during the lead up are a 2006 Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster barrel-aged in a Jack Daniels cask for 9 months, aka Big Sloppy Monster (6/18); one of the first kegs of the new Duck-Rabbitor Doppelbock (6/21); Sweetwater Double IPA aged on first-run Bordeaux oak (6/23); a wooden cask of t’Smisje Kerst Belgian strong dark ale (6/20); and a firkin of Avery Maharaja (6/25). The run on the 27th includes no less than 5 kegs of Allagash Brewing Company’s top-notch Belgian-style ales (Interlude, Victor, Victoria, Hugh Malone, and the new Confluence), interspersed with three different Oskar Blues beers (Dale’s Pale Ale, Gordon, and 10 Fidy) aged in whiskey barrels from Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey distillers. Start toughening up your liver. (more…)

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Great Divide Belgica

Belgian-style India Pale Ale
Great Divide Brewing Company
Denver, CO
7.2% ABV

Inspired by American experiments with hops, Belgian breweries have been turning out highly hopped versions of thier classic pale ales. U.S. brewers have returned the compliment with homages to Belgian styles. Belgica pours a crystal clear, golden yellow with a modest head that leaves sheets of Belgian lace on the sides of the glass. The aroma is full of sweet clove from the Belgian yeasts and floral hops, along with some melon and sour fruit. Sweet-tart white grape character leads the flavor profile, with biscuity, almost crackery, pilsner malts in the center, and a slowly-building hop bitterness in the finish. The hops are a blend of American and European varieties, but unlike some domestic takes on the style, the American hops are not intrusive. Instead, Great Divide relies on traditional German hop qualities that provide a crisp, dry palate with a hint of lemony tartness and peppery spice. This is not an IPA with some Belgian candi sugar and yeast added to pump up its pedigree, but an authentic Belgian pale ale that is aggressively hopped. Make no mistake, there’s plenty of bitterness to balance the sweetness, but wine drinkers might find this to be a beer that makes them say, “This is beer? I thought I didn’t like beer.” Eminently drinkable, Belgica would pair beautifully with seafood, pungent cheeses, and creamy salads.

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