De Ranke Hopharvest 2012

Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke Type: Belgian IPA

Alcohol: 6%

Country: Belgium

Pours a cloudy opaque light orange color with a huge over two finger head that leaving a ton of lacing. This is my first Belgian IPA so the smell immediately threw me. Much different then IPAs I am used too this one you smell more of a malt and funk type. Kind of like hay and freshly mown grass with a little bit of hops and sweetness in the nose. The taste is also way different then I am used too. The taste is very light up front, more like a saison or a very light beer. The malt really comes through malt I am used too. Then the hops hit in, a big bitter hit in the end that tastes of grass and lemon peel. It is a unique taste for an IPA, I think even if you did not tell me it was Belgian I could pick it out from the unique yeast flavor and lightness of it in general. I actually liked this beer a lot and would really like to get more into Belgian style IPAs.