Stone Cali-Belgique IPA

I never really had many Stone Brewing beers before I started my little hobby here. I had always seen the bottles with that bastardly little demon/gargoyle holding a beer. I had been warned that the beer had a kick, which was evident when I had the Arrogant Bastard Pale Ale at Murphy's in Prescott. Imagine my surprise when I was presented a bottle of the Stone Cali-Belgique IPA by a great guy, Mr. Trimmer. As expected, this was a fine, fine brew.

Like the Arrogant Bastard Pale Ale, this is a bold, hoppy beer. The color is perfect - a nice gold that is characteristic for an IPA. The beer provides that crisp, bitter hop taste, but it's definitely not overwhelming. Tina is not a fan of IPA and she thought this beer was tasty, so that's a good sign (at least in my book!) What is unique about this beer is the use of Belgium yeast, which infuses a unique flavor in the beer. While the Cali-Belgique IPA is in all aspects an IPA, that yeast changes the flavor ever-so-slightly to have it stand out as not just another IPA.

Just FYI if you go look for this beer, you'll probably notice that the bottle says either "Cali-Belgique" or "Cali-Belgie". Apparently, the Belgiums speak either French or Dutch and depending on where the yeast was harvested it from, depends on what "Belgium" translates to. So, 1/2 of the bottles will say Belgique and the other half say "Belgie". Same beer, different translation.

If you are a fan of IPAs, you'll want to try this beer. If you like Stone Brewing beers, you'll want to try this beer. If you like beer - TRY THIS BEER!