Harriet Brewing - West Side Belgian-Style IPA

Today Duns and I went on a journey to a new brewery, Harriet Brewing in Minneapolis.  Our buddy Mat sent us an article about the brewery earlier this week and told us to check it out.  I signed up for their email list and this morning I got an email saying they were selling growlers of their new flagship beer, a Belgian style IPA.  I was already intrigued by the style name since I've always been a fan of Belgian beers.  I was excited when Summit released their Belgian style golden ale so to hear another local brewery is not only brewing a Belgian ale but focusing their efforts on Belgian brewing, I was very excited.

We are going to write a full review of our visit to Harriet Brewing as a separate post since we felt it warranted more attention than just a single beer review.  So with this review, I am going to just stick to the beer itself.

The color is a cloudy bright orange.  A nice, eggshell foam holds sturdy as a small slug in the middle of my glass. The aroma is bold and complex.  The first thing you notice are those Belgian beer characteristics; bready, yeasty, fruity and fresh.  Intertwined into that are the hops from its IPA side.  Floral and citrusy are the initial aromas I am able to pick out.  Very inviting.  The flavor is just as complex.  The spiciness of the Belgian yeast is prominent and balanced with the citrus of the hops and sweetness of the malt.  The finish is mostly hops with a bit of sweetness.  Alcohol is hardly there.  We were told it comes in somewhere between 6.5-7% ABV.

Overall 5.5/6.0 - I was skeptical going into this.  Belgian beers are difficult to replicate since the yeast used provides a majority of the flavor.  However, Harriet Brewing nailed this beer on the hop-head.  All of the characteristics of a Belgian style are present and accentuated with a big pile of hops.  How can you complain about that?!  I am very happy Mat told me about this brewery.  They will be on my radar from here on out.

The artwork within the brewery is awesome!  Very bold and fresh, just like their beer.