I just opened a box of beer samples sent to me by the inspired lunatics at San Diego’s Stone Brewing, including a new beer called Stone Cali-Belgique IPA.
Quick, someone tell Charlie Papazian! We need to add a new style to the Brewers Association’s roster…
It would seem it already exists:
http://www.beertown.org/education/pdf/BA_Beer_Style_2009.pdf
American-Belgo-Style Pale Ales
These beers must portray the unique characters imparted by yeasts typically used in fruity and big Belgian-Style ales – These beers are not traditional Belgian styles which are already defined. They are unique beers unto themselves. Notes of banana, berry, apple, sometimes coriander spice-like and/or smoky-phenolic characters should be portrayed with balance of hops and malt character when fermented with such yeast. Color falls in the blonde to amber range. Esters should be at medium to high levels. Diacetyl should not be evident. Chill haze may be evident. Sulfur-like yeast character should be absent. Beers should be presented without yeast if bottled fermented.
Original Gravity (ºPlato) 1.050-1.099 (12.5-23.5 ºPlato) Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato) 1.008-1.014 (2-3.5 ºPlato)
Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 3.5-10% (4.4- 12.4%) Bitterness (IBU) 30-100 Color SRM (EBC) 5- 15 (10-30 EBC)
You can’t make this stuff up.
Okay, Stan, but that’s American-Belgo Style, rather than California-Belgo Style.
Serves me right for trying to make fun of something that is already a parody of itself.