Belching Beaver Brewery (great name for a brewery I know) is located in Vista, California and has developed a reputation for their adventurous offerings…what they might miss in composition, they more than make up for in clever names. Last night I was in Whole Foods and I grabbed a bottle of their Great Lei Pineapple Colada IPA and a bottle of their Honey Ale to split with a friend.
Belching Beaver Great Lei Pineapple Colada IPA
I let my friend pick and pour the beer so I didn’t have any idea of what I had been served until after finishing it. I found the beer to be very hoppy, slightly bitter and sweet on the finish. It was a decent IPA offering, but the sweet finish was odd. Other than the citrus notes from the hops, I didn’t pick up pineapple or coconut for that matter. In fact I thought I was drinking the Honey Ale, because the sweetness was so detached from any pineapple notes.
All in all, I give this beer fairly middling marks, with the name being the most pleasant thing about it. Full disclosure, I am not an IPA fan and didn’t see it on the label when I threw it in the cart. I finished the beer, it was decent enough, but I wasn’t thirsty for another. I didn’t this beer to be particularly sessionable, I think you could have two at most before the sweetness would get to be too much. This would probably be good with Thai or Vietnamese food, something that has a little heat to it.
6.5% ABV 55 IBUs
RECOMMENDATION (3/5): It’s worth picking up a bottle, but I won’t say it is a must have.
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