As I’ve mentioned in the last few posts, I’m in Columbia, MO for my fraternity’s annual golf tournament. After stops at 44 Stone for a couple beers, and Booches for more beer and burgers, my friend Joe and I met up with our friend Bill who lives in Columbia. The rest of the crowd went to Harpo’s, and instead, we headed to Flat Branch Pub & Brewing for a few more beers. According to the menu:

“A great beer for the summer weather. Our version is a rich golden color and light hopping makes this a refreshing and easy drinking brew. Fermentation was achieved with an authentic Belgian yeast strain that produces slight fruit and peppery notes along with a light phenolic flavor. The malt sweetness compliments the yeast flavors making for a well balanced brew.”

Location: On tap and served in an imperial pint glass at Flat Branch Pub & Brewing in Columbia, MO.

Numbers: 5.5% ABV, 13 IBUs

Appearance & Aroma: The beer was very clear and it was dark golden in color with some reddish hues. It had a thin, bright white head on it, which fell fairly quickly to just a light ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass. The aroma was mostly sweet and fruity with some hints of caramel malts.

Taste & Feel: The body was light-medium and the mouthfeel was crisp. The flavors up front followed the aroma and were sweet and fruity. The flavors got event stronger in the middle and were joined by hints of peppery Belgian spiciness. The finish was sweet with not noticeable hop bitterness, leaving a bit of residual sweetness in the aftertaste.

Food Pairing: While I didn’t have this dish while I was there this time, I think this beer would go great with the “Chokes ‘n Cheese” appetizer on the menu at Flatbranch. The cheesy and salty dip would get knocked down instantly with one sip of this sweet and fruity brew. The pairing of the two would be a wonderful back and forth, flavorful battle of salty and sweet.

Overall Impression: This beer seemed to have a good amount of residual sweetness which carried through the nose and flavor. While the sweetness was there, it was light and crisp enough to be pretty drinkable. Overall, it was a decent beer, with a little bit too much sweetness for me.

My Rating:

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