Urthel Hop-It
Style: Blonde Belgian Style India Pale Ale
Style: Blonde Belgian Style India Pale Ale
Alcohol Content: 9.5%
From: Ruiselede, West Flanders, Belguim
Purchased From: Bruges, Belguim
Hildegard (Odette) Overmeire began brewing in 2000 alongside
her husband Bas van Ostaden. The cheeky chap that appears on their bottles is
called Urthel and his adventures in the fantasized world of the Erthel legends.
Urthel beers are brewed in the Koningshoeven
brewery in Ruiselede, West Flanders. Whilst in Bruges this October, I saw
a number of Urthel beers on sale. Seeing as I could not bring them all back, I decided
to go for Hop-It, a blonde Belgian Style India Pale Ale with a whopping 9.5%
ABV. From memory, this will be the second strongest beer I have ever tried. Let’s
hope that I survive to tell the tale.
Colour: This drink pours a bright, straw yellow topped with a bubbly white head. Be careful not to pour this drink too quickly, as the foam will rise out of the glass.
Aroma: Big upfront notes of freshly cut straw will present themselves straight away. These playfully mix with warming coriander notes, that will sting your nostrils with every sip. Rather unfortunately, these aroma completely die away after just a few minutes in the glass.
Body: Very similar to the Duvel and the Alken-Maes Judas i reviewed earlier this year, this is a drink of two halves. The first, is a light, heavily carbonated drink that has a similar mouthfeel to Champagne. The second could not be any more different. A sticky, almost BBQ sauce like sensation will coat your throat on every sip. A very strange sensation that's for sure.
Taste: Wooo! The alcohol will hit you straight away and can be extremely overpowering to the uninitiated. After picking myself off the floor, i braved another sip. Strong notes of crisp hay and grass are present on the palate. If you swill the drink around your mouth, a sticky, sweet lavender honey porridge can be tasted. Perfect for those cold winter nights! As the drink naturally warms, the ale will assume these sticky characteristics in the glass. For me, it needs a little bit more to make it not just another heavily hopped Belgian IPA. Alken-Maes' Judas, is a much better example of this style.
Colour: This drink pours a bright, straw yellow topped with a bubbly white head. Be careful not to pour this drink too quickly, as the foam will rise out of the glass.
Aroma: Big upfront notes of freshly cut straw will present themselves straight away. These playfully mix with warming coriander notes, that will sting your nostrils with every sip. Rather unfortunately, these aroma completely die away after just a few minutes in the glass.
Body: Very similar to the Duvel and the Alken-Maes Judas i reviewed earlier this year, this is a drink of two halves. The first, is a light, heavily carbonated drink that has a similar mouthfeel to Champagne. The second could not be any more different. A sticky, almost BBQ sauce like sensation will coat your throat on every sip. A very strange sensation that's for sure.
Taste: Wooo! The alcohol will hit you straight away and can be extremely overpowering to the uninitiated. After picking myself off the floor, i braved another sip. Strong notes of crisp hay and grass are present on the palate. If you swill the drink around your mouth, a sticky, sweet lavender honey porridge can be tasted. Perfect for those cold winter nights! As the drink naturally warms, the ale will assume these sticky characteristics in the glass. For me, it needs a little bit more to make it not just another heavily hopped Belgian IPA. Alken-Maes' Judas, is a much better example of this style.
Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/ommegang-hennepin.html
For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery
For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery
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