Week 3 of 52
Flat Earth Belgian Pale Ale
January 14th thru January 20th
Brewer's Description
Flat Earth Belgian-style Pale Ale is inspired by beers like Orval, Fat Tire and Rare Vos. It is made with imported Belgian malt and a Belgian yeast strain. Our Belgian pale ale has a sweet malt aroma with traces of orange, plum and pear. Its complex malt backbone of biscuit and hints of toast compliment the spiciness of the yeast.
Our Belgian-style ale is brewed to be enjoyed with a variety of foods, but try it with some steamed mussels, pizza, a rack of lamb, or even a char-grilled steak. Enjoy!
SRM - 14, ABV - 5.2%, IBU - 21
Overall Rating based on 50 reviews
3.67 of 5 stars
Brewery Information
Flat Earth Brewing Company
Saint Paul, Minnesota
flatearthbrewing.com
Interesting Fact
Brewer Jeff Williamson explains how he went from driving ambulance, to teaching special education, to brewing. Read more
Photography
Courtesy of Erin Reichelt. View more on her flickr set.
Eric says Eh.
January 14th, 2008
I had a realization after my first sip of this Belgian Pale Ale: I’m not a fan of the style. I had one a month or so ago and was surprised that I didn’t really like it, blaming in on the brewery being relatively new and still working the kinks out. But then I had the newest offering from Brau Brothers Brewing, the Frame Straightener, also a Belgian Pale, and my reaction was the same: eh. It did get a little better towards the end of the bottle, after my palate had warmed, or maybe because I knew I had a Furious waiting for me.
That being said, I suppose it’s a pretty good representative of the style. The Belgian yeast comes through the mellow hops, and isn’t overwhelmed by the malts. And I guess that’s what I miss. I prefer a little more sugar in my Belgians, a little more comlexity, an ABV closer to eight or nine percent. Sure, you could have 2 or 3 of the FE Pale Ales, but after one, I was ready for something a little more interesting.
Jan 15th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Don’t let any Brau Brothers influence anything. Just a personal note I suppose. Try a few more breweries before writing Belgians off - maybe try La Fin Du Mond, you might be pleasantly surprised!
Jan 16th, 2008 at 12:59 am
I wasn’t all that crazy about Frame Straightener.
You’ve got to really try the true Begians before you write off the style, or the great American interpreters like Ommegang or Allegash.
cheers,
al
Jan 16th, 2008 at 8:09 am
By style I meant the Belgian Pale Ale, not all Belgians, god forbid! The Straightener and the FE are very similar, as is the Fat Tire. Maybe this is a coincident and they all call themselves “Pale Ales,” but whatever, I guess I just don’t like them. Ommegang and Allegash are regulars in my Fridge, as are Duvel, Chimay, Koenings hoeven, Kwak, etc. I have a Triple and a Saison brewing right now, so I can say with a fair amount of confidence that the FE and Straightener are hardly representative of Belgian ales!
Jan 20th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Why shouldn’t the Brau Brothers influence anything? Dustin’s been making some solid beers for quite some time?
I like Frame Straightener and Flat Earth Belgian Pale Ale… much better than Fat Tire. I’d put them both on or near the level of Ommegang Rare Vos, without the fancy glassware.