Chalice Belgian IPA

Chalice Belgian IPA comes from Long Bay Brewery in Rothsay, New Brunswick. I picked up a 355mL bottle based on the excellent label featuring a tonsured monk grasping a jeweled grail. It’s a 6.5% alcohol brew with relatively low levels of bitterness at just 25 IBUs. Brewed using Belgian yeast and with grains of paradise, the beer is a hazy, pale gold potion that pours with a lot of carbonation and lusty white head.

With a spicy, yeast-driven aroma, Chalice has the profile of a Belgian ale and its flavour backs up that assessment, with warm, yeast notes and a sizable spice presence. That said, there aren’t the subtle fruit esters that make a Belgian-style ale really click. The bitterness is modest to the point of timidity, but certainly provides some balance. Overall, it was a nice beer that could be great with a bit more fine tuning.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.