Episode Notes

Episode 55: The Bruery’s Mischief Hoppy Belgian Style Ale

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time of the week again where we pick a bottle from that massive craft brew aisle hoping to find a hidden treasure.

This week we’re going to take a look at Mischief Hoppy Belgian Style Ale from the Bruery in Placentia CA. Are we about to get into trouble with this one? Let’s find out!

The front of the impressive-looking bottle that houses Mischief bears the Great American Beer Festival medal stamp. This beer was in fact the 2016 Gold Medalist for the American Belgian Style Ale. I don’t know about you, but that sets up all kinds of great expectations for me. The beer pours with a dark cloudy golden core and a bit of what I could almost describe as a halo on the outside. It’s definitely a looker. Smelling Mischief brings out fruity and bright notes but no discernible malt or hop aromas.

But what about the taste? Well, it tastes a lot like it smells. I get the impression of dried apricot with a noticeable balancing bitterness around the edges. Maybe there’s even just a hint of pear in there, but it’s delicate and elusive. There’s some spice in there as well as you would expect from a Belgian, but the primary flavors are all coming from the lovely dried fruit.

Now this is an excellent example of a style that is admittedly not my favorite. I don’t have anything against Belgians, they’re just never the first thing that I grab when I go to the store looking for a drinking beer. That being said, this is an excellent beer that is extremely well put together from a flavor and balance standpoint and I would have no hesitation recommending it to fans of the style or the Belgian-curious. And even if it’s not your cup of tea, the 8.5% ABV will make it worth the experiment.

Well that’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as I take a look at Altbier German Amber Ale by Altamont Beer Works in Livermore, CA. Are the folks over there challenging the norm with this one? We’ll find out next week! Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes.

Don’t forget to let me know what you’re drinking and what you’re thinking about the show. Tweet me @2minutebeer with the number two or drop me an email at [email protected]. And if you’re listening to the show on your favorite podcast app, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and leave a review to help other people find the show. You can also support us with a small donation on our Patreon—there’s a link in the show notes. That’s all for now, but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

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Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

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