“I don’t like Belgian beers.” Or at least that’s what people will tell you. The reality is that I love Belgian beers, but it’s an easy style to overdo in terms of the complexity of the recipe and flavor profile. “Complex” doesn’t have to mean “loud,” though, and this week we’ll look at what might be the least-Belgian of the Belgian styles: the Belgian Pale Ale.
Style
Belgian Pale Ale (BPA) is a significant departure from its abbey beer cousins and is much less driven by esters, phenols, and alcohols. Instead, BPA relies more on its grist to carry the flavor, with the other characteristics (hops and fermentation character) transitioning from leads to supporting roles. They still matter, of course—and the fruit esters are, in my mind, what really make this beer—but rather than acting as the full orchestra, they are more like a really solid quartet.
When properly balanced, this beer should be a showcase of bread, toast, biscuit, and caramel. It is (ironically) not pale, but rather, a nice, rich amber, with some examples settling solidly into the red range. It can also be more bitter than most other Belgian styles, though even a “bitter” Belgian beer isn’t going to come across that way, thanks to the muted level of perceived bitterness from the grist and the esters (which, in addition to being fruity, seem sweet to most palates). This is a great entry-level Belgian beer for those who are a little overwhelmed by the more common Dubbels and Tripels out there, and it’s the style I recommend when people tell me they “don’t like Belgians” (and here I assume they mean the beers, not the people…).