Dageraad Brewing Wet-Hopped Blonde Belgian Strong Pale Ale at 7.5% ABV (C$6.92 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)
Appearance: hazy straw with a huge unwieldy fluffy white head, excellent retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: lemon zest, Belgian yeast funk, coriander and black pepper, pale grainy malt, earth. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-high carbonation, dry and slightly funky finish. (4/5)
I think this might be the best Dageraad I’ve had yet. Lots of Belgian character on the nose and the tongue, with a pleasant dry finish. Champagne-like body and carbonation, with very little indication of the relatively high ABV. The massive unwieldy head is like a brett infection, and I was going to say it doesn’t otherwise seem like it, but upon reflection, there are some brett-like flavours. Reminiscent of a De Ranke XX Bitter or a Jolly Pumpkin Calabaza Blanca. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
