Dageraad Brewing Best of All Possible Worlds Belgian IPA at 6.5% ABV (C$8.91 at Collective, 650 ml, packaged on 8-Aug-2019, acquired 22-Sep-2019, reviewed 28-Sep-2019)
Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with a massive and growing rocky white head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: funky Belgian yeast esters, biscuity malt, citrus, tropical fruit, pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light funk. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, dry moderate bitter mildly funky finish. (4/5)
The head, while not quite explosive, is still pretty uncontrollable, even with a very long pour, so it starts off looking pretty Belgian. I’m not clear on what they mean by “biotransformed” here, since any juiciness lags a long way behind a fairly typical Belgian ester profile. Not that I’m complaining, since I actually enjoy a Belgian ester profile, but this isn’t a huge departure from any number of Belgian Saisons or IPAs I’ve had. There is some uncharacteristic citrus in the middle, but the finish also ends up with a largely typically Belgian mild barnyard funk. A bit different, sure, but not radically so. In short, while this may or may not be the best of all possible worlds, I’m confident in saying this is not the best of all possible IPAs – but it’s not bad, either. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
