Stone Brewing Company- Cali-Belgique: The Westcoast meets Eastern Europe
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 7:16PM | by Wes 
What would happen if you combined California and Belgium? Would it be super awesome, like hot surfer girls and delicious chocolates? OR would it be earthquakes and shitty waffles? Stone Brewing Company is attempting to answer this question with their “Cali-Belgie.” Stone claims this IPA is a hybrid between California and Belgium ales. I’m intrigued, let’s see if this hybrid is a keeper.
Cali-Belgie pours a hazy citrine with a slight, white-foam head. The scent is extremely floral. It has the same yeasty, sweet scent as Three Floyds Alpha King. There is also a grainy aroma that adds to the overall sweetness. Pretty appetizing in the overall appearance and aroma department I must say.
So according to the Stone website, this beer is simply Stone’s IPA but brewed with a specialty Belgian yeast. It’s pretty remarkable that this beer is only made with barley, malt, hops and yeast. It is even more incredible how much different this tastes compared to Stone’s IPA. Cali-Belgie is much sweeter and much yeastier than Stone IPA. It really clings to your palette long after each sip. This is definitely not a beer for everyone. It’s good but I’m not in any rush for another bottle. It will certainly please fans of Alpha King and other yeasty IPAs, however, Cali-Belgie is not going to please hop loving maniacs anytime soon. This is not the coolest combo of Cali and Belgium, that would be topless Baywatch and hash brownies. (Before I get any smart-ass comments, I did not spell the name of the beer wrong, it has two different labels. Read the web site.)
ABV: 6.9%
Consumed: Pint Glass
Verdict: Buy A Twelve Pack
