Littlest big ale on the agenda
Well three Belgians in a row is quite the change of pace. This recipe is similar to some earlier brews yet the expected flavors are very different so it should be a showcase for how yeast strains impact the end result. The base malt was 9# of pilsner along with 6 oz each of wheat malt and aromatic malt. As with other pils beers it boiled for 90 minutes and the hop addition was 1.25 oz Hallertauer at 60. We also added 1.25# of cane sugar to boost the alcohol and dry the finish. Where this one parts ways with previous pilsner plus hallertauer recipes is with WLP500 Trappist Ale yeast. The OG was 1.068 and FG was a nice dry 1.006. That checks in at a boozy 8.2% ABV. I guess it is the Belgian Strong category but the weakest of the set isn’t exactly weak.
This “blonde” is pushing the boundaries of orange and sports a spicy aroma promising lots of yeast based tastes. The initial flavor is surprisingly mild with light fruit flavor and hints of bitter. However, as it finishes the spice notes leap to the forefront. Rather than simply being dry the finish is all yeasty citruspepperbelgium (I like that better than “not banana/clove”). The hefty dose of alcohol is nearly undetectable; I don’t get any harshness or heat at all. This would be a phenomenal year-round style – it’s light and spicy enough to be refreshing but also complex and warming enough for a winter evening.