Belgian IPAs are a relatively new style depending on your perspective. The concept is basically this; hop forward ales brewed in a similar manner to a strong Belgian blonde or golden ale. If effect, some Belgian brewers are hopping-up their beers so that they can capitalize on the booming market for hoppy, bitter beers.
The bright side to all this is that another strong source of humulone is available to “numb your tongue and put your tonsils on hold” (dare you to find that quote).
I’m not a huge fan of Gouden Carolus beers. The Cuvee Van De Keizer is fair enough. So my expectations were pretty mild when I cracked the Hopsinjoor. But I was happy; big sturdy head with great lacing, a pungent European hop aroma and a very nice bitterness. Not so exceptional when it comes to the more subtle of hop flavors, there is a bit of floral essence in there but not enough.
Chouffe on the other hand is a brewer that I have enjoyed on occasion. I like their Bok best of all. I had also heard quite a bit about the Houblon. Now I’m not saying I was disappointed but….it was OK. Lacing was great but just like the Hopsinjoor, this beer lacked a certain something; a WOW factor.
I think the modern American IPA trend is really just about that WOW factor. Its not just the bitterness, its something more. If you don’t get some complexity from the hops then the effort is just a miss in terms of IPAs. The same is true for many North American offerings and their imitators. Don’t get me wrong I’m a huge fan of mouth drying bitterness, but it has to come with some killer flavors to be a success.
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