I know this is a blanket statement, but I’m going to say it anyway:
I don’t like Belgian style beers.
Their flavor profiles almost always contain some element of what tastes, to me, like bananas. I don’t like banana-flavored anything, and beer is certainly no exception. I’ve unlovingly referred to any kind of Belgian beer as “banana beers” for many years. Including that one time I went to Belgium with a beer-loving travel companion… and I drank Stella the whole time (the SHAME!).
“Banana Beers” include Belgian, white, wit, tripel, abbey, the German “weissbier” (which means white beer), and others. I have happily avoided all of the above for quite some time, until a most unexpected beer broke into the scene and had a party on my palate.
Avery Brewing Co.’s Liliko’i Kepolo
Beer Profile: 5.4% ABV, Hoegaarden yeast (Belgian alert!), Sterling/Hersbrucker/Bravo hops
There is nothing not Belgian about Avery Brewing’s Liliko’i Kepolo. It is the exact recipe of their traditional witbier (Belgian white ale) called White Rascal, with passionfruit puree added for some fruity island flair. Liliko’i Kepolo means “Passionfruit Devil” in Hawaiian. Everything but the passionfruit would normally have me running for the doors.
So how did I even come to try it?
To my credit, even though I “don’t like” Belgian beers (or certain foods, etc.), I will still often try them, just in case one wants to prove itself different and worthy of my approval (this has the potential to be life-changing and I highly recommend it).
On my first day in Boulder, CO, a friend and I wandered into a restaurant downtown just to see their beer list. The barkeep got a hop in his step and started pouring us samples and teaching us about the fine Colorado-brewed ales. (Twist my arm!). Since it’s rude not to accept gifts, I tasted the “Belgian beer” he poured me, even though I “knew” I wasn’t going to like it.
The sip of golden sunshine took over my mouth (and my entire face) with spicy, citrusy fireworks, and as soon as it was gone, my taste buds begged for more.
I stared, wide-eyed, at my friend. I had no idea what had just happened. I pinched myself.
It tasted like a passionfruit sour beer, not like a traditional “banana beer,” and since I’m also starting to explore the world of sours, fascination and intrigue completely won me over. This discovery was like a two for one bullseye.
An hour later, I was at Avery Brewing Co spending my very own dollars to PURCHASE one of these Belgian beers from the source.
This is unprecedented.
Intrigue is Key
In my original quest to appreciate craft beer, I found one flavor that intrigued me enough to nudge the door open until I was ready to swing it wide and march through, and I’m following the same strategy now with both Belgians and sours.
While I’m not necessarily a convert yet (“IPAs forever!”), I do recognize this baby step as a HUGE leap in my book, down the path of possibly (maybe? slightly?) starting to enjoy Belgian beers.
There, I said it.
And the fact that my first written beer profile is about a Belgian ale blows my mind. Life, indeed, is full of surprises.
Okay my fellow beer aficionados, your turn! I’m curious, have any particular beers changed the course of your intrigue/interest in the craft? What were they and where can we find them?
