Andelot Cuvee Euphorique

Andelot's Cuvee Euphorique, Belgian Blonde, 6.5%

This is another find from Total Wine that we don't seem to have in stock locally - a Belgian beer I'd never heard of...and a blonde, one of my favorite styles. I was looking forward to this one.

It pours a beautiful golden orangey sunset color, with a modest head.
The nose is strong - apple, grape, ..very fruit juicy.
There's some fruit taste, but it's drier, some malt sweetness that gives way to a nice crisp finish.

The carbonation is lively - it's good stuff, a nice clean-tasting Belgian that's pretty refreshing.

I even dig the synthetic cork.

Moinette Blonde

Another tough day at work, another excuse for a world-class glass of Belgian beer. This time it's Brasserie Dupont's Moinette Blonde, a 8.5% abv ale in a 750ml corked bottle. Most people are pretty familiar with their Saison, but I thought I'd try the blonde, since it's definitely turning out to be one of my favorite styles.

This one fills up the glass with an enormous pillowy head that eventually punches down into nothing. The color is quite a bit lighter than in the picture- more hazy orange than brown.

The aroma is nothing short of wild. Lots of funky hay with some raisin and citrus. Sorta smells like it was made in a barn.

That untamed aroma makes the taste all the more surprising - there's some peppery hops up front, but that gives way to some alcohol phenols, coriander, pears...light sweetness underneath. The body is fairly light, and the finish is pretty dry. Going back to the glass, you're hit by that powerful nose again. This beer takes over your senses of smell and taste, and numbs the rest. Really top-notch and a must try.

Rufus and the Giant Peach Wheat

This is a very exclusive limited-production beer from the Hammer & Key Brewery in Palm Bay, FL (ok, so I made it).
It's approximately 6% abv, is a reddish golden color (lighter than the picture) with a nice frothy head.

The aroma has some nice yeast notes, faint peachiness - hinting of the sweetness to come.

The carbonation is pretty lively, and there's some wheat character, but very little peach flavor - just a little bit of initial sweetness, but a fairly dry finish.

It's pretty refreshing - not as much fruit character as I was expecting, but not bad as a wheat beer. It's not my finest creation, but pretty enjoyable.

Goliath

Goliath, a 9% offering from Brasserie des Geants in Ath, Belgium is brewed in the castle of Irchonwelz...according to the label. It also describes itself as a blonde, but I think it's actually considered a tripel.

It pours a nice hazy golden color with a pretty enormous head that dissipated slightly soon after. Inhaling deeply, I get lots of apple aroma - a bit of sweet cotton candy? The taste is crisp, initially sweet like honey, with a bit of spiciness...followed by a distinct grassiness that's quite pleasant. The finish is bone dry.

It's pretty nice, nothing too overpowering - very easy drinking, but not incredibly memorable.

I'm really trying to explore some blondes -but I don't think this is exactly what I was looking for.