Karma - Belgian Style Pale Ale

Tasted in the evening on Monday night after a humorous talk with Kevin, our land lord. Thanks to my roommate Josh Schipp for getting a six pack of this a couple weeks ago from the Rock Island Hy-vee.

Appearance: Coppered Amber with a thin white soapy ring in place of a head. A whitish film sets in the center. Microbubbled carbonation rises in a thinned  line. I found it strange such a Belgian style beer could maintain such a clarity.

Aroma: Some fruit is present (apricots and plums) along side a biscuity malt bill. Belgian yeast presented in a bit of a phenolicy fashion and a tapered hop profile. Perhaps even some grape-like compexity and tartness. Otherwise, there really isn't much to the aroma.

Taste: Foretaste starts of a basic pale malt dimension only to emerge with a fruity/tannic release, reminiscent of pears, plums and cherries...whichever direction one would like to take and hone in on. Nevertheless the malt emerges again to encourage a bouquet of appealing flavors in which even I have difficulty putting a description to. Nutty, citrus, pepper, and even orange could take a reasonable description. In fact, however, as the beer warms, more of a tangerine and orange flavor develops. My guess, Coriander. Palate cleans out after several seconds leaving not very much to an aftertaste, aside for a dry feeling
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a very fine carbonation that only tickles the tongue, nothing harsh. The finish is textured. dry while a stickiness remains on the lips. Pretty crisp and refreshing.
Overall Impression: Interesting. I liked it a lot more the longer I took to think about what I was getting. Multi-layered complexity that can easily be overlooked and called insufficient if the time isn't taken to think about it. Nevertheless, I think Belgian, yet it was too clean and filtered. Worth a try, but not for my tastes.


79/100