Name – Raging Bitch Belgian Style IPA
Country – United States
Type – Belgian IPA
Appearance – Poured a very clear amber color with a big foamy white head that left some lacing on the glass.
Smell – Belgian yeast dominates the nose but grapefruit type hops come through.
Taste – Grapefruit hops and the Belgian yeast were really what I picked up the most. It was very crisp and refreshing
Only my second Belgian styled IPA and both have been American made. If anyone wants to offer me the names of some real Belgian IPAs I would appreciate it. But this was good. It reminded me of Stone’s Cali-Belgique quite a deal. I would have to imagine that if I was given them blindly I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. So I guess with so much similarities I have to give it a similar grade.
Overall Grade – B+
12 Comments
I had this one this past weekend. It wasn’t horrible, but there was a poignant rubber/burnt rubber. I am going to write a review this week.
I recently brewed my own Belgian IPA, and hands down, it kicks FD’s rear.
Have you had Chouffe’s BIPA?
January 11, 2010 at 1:24 pmOdd, maybe you got a bad bottle but I didn’t get anything like that.
The only thing I have had of Chouffe’s was their Christmas ale and I enjoyed that. I guess I’ll have to have more from them.
January 11, 2010 at 5:44 pmI’m not saying it was bad…I’d give a b- or a C+ at the lowest…I’m just saying it didn’t live up to the hype I saw on twitter/blogs. I drank all six, and the flavor was true throughout. I don’t find rubber flavor offensive, in fact, I have found it common at times in certain Belgian beers, it was just pretty up front in this one.
January 11, 2010 at 8:21 pmHey Mike and Nate.
I was ready for a disappointment from this beer too, mostly because of the mega-hype. But I was actually completely impressed and believe this beer lived up to all the chatter.
The grapefruit and citrus and pine and creaminess. Well, basically everything.
Anyway, everyone’s different.
Talk to you soon.
January 12, 2010 at 8:49 amIm still waiting on Dos to finish his review of this, we had it on New Years Eve, and I thought that it was really good, prb cause it was different. I didnt get rubber in it at all though. Thats odd. Ill grab another to see though.
I also expected a let down from this beer, as most super hyped beers tend to fall flat. This stood up to the challenge though.
January 13, 2010 at 12:20 pmI have yet to notice it on the shelves yet, but I am hoping to visit the brewery when we go to Baltimore in March. Seems like it is worth a try . . . thank for the review.
January 18, 2010 at 10:07 amIt is definitely worth the try Lucas. There aren’t many Belgian style IPAs out there in the market so anytime you can try something a little different is good. I hope they have it when you visit.
January 18, 2010 at 11:42 amI really, really enjoyed this one. Still a relative noob to the craft beer game, some beers get lost in the haze of my memory but I believe this one will stand out. I liked it much better than the Cali-Belgique you brought up in the review. I only bought one Raging Bitch to taste but I have to go back for more. The aromas alone were fantastic.
January 22, 2010 at 12:27 am@Joel – Did you get to have this on tap at the Coffee District?
January 22, 2010 at 2:01 pmNo, I only had Cigar City Maduro (tap) and Left Hand Fade to Black (bottle) there. I wanted to try the Raging Bitch there but had a bottle waiting for me at home, so I figured I’d get the hard-to-find stuff instead.
January 22, 2010 at 2:13 pmI really have to try to get in there to have some Maduro before it’s out.
January 22, 2010 at 4:42 pmAndrew expected it to last another week and a half – that was 6 days ago. Hurry!
January 22, 2010 at 4:48 pm