Another of Tony Traen’s beers – the Viven Imperial IPA. This was the first Viven beer I’d ever tried, about 6-7 years ago sitting in t‘Brugs Beertje (The Little Bruges Bear) in beautiful Bruges. (Coincidently, I’d thoroughly recommend it as a venue for such research!)
It was a Belgian IPA, but very different to most Belgian IPA’s I’d tried. These are generally quite reserved in hop character, tending much more to the earthy, grassy hops rather than the fruity, aromoatic hops we’ve come to expect from IPA’s.
After taking over the reigns of the brewery, brewer Tony declared ‘the idea to apply our Flemish brewing art to non-Flemish beers’. I think he achieved that with this beer.
The Viven Imperial IPA doesn’t shy away from using the typical hops, and in decent amounts. Simcoe and Tomahawk give a lovely citrus and peach fruitiness and assertive bitterness, which is then balanced by a caramel malt body heavy and strong enough to carry all the hops.
When this beer was first introduced at the 2009 Bruges Beer Festival, it was voted second best beer – beaten only by Westvleteren 12!
A big, juicy American style double IPA, dry-hopped with Amarillo
A Double IPA made for Boreft's, featuring hops from De Molen's own hop fields
This collaborative brew between De Molen and Omnipollo is an Imperial Pineapple IPA
A Belgian double IPA, with fourteen different hops added continuously during the brewing process
by Brouwerij Emelisse/Slot-Oostende
A cracking Double IPA, in the true West Coast US style
A double IPA from Struise, originally made for De Molen's Borefts beer festival as a tribute to De Molen Vuur & Vlam
A DIPA with 100% German Magnum hops, open fermented over pinecones and pine branches
This beer replaces the Double Rye IPA, loaded with Mosaic, Simcoe and Loral hops with a crisp malt body
The second variant of Kees' Double IPA, double dry hopped with Simcoe & Amarillo
A spicy Rye Imperial IPA, with generous additions of Citra, Simcoe and Cascade
A triple dry-hopped Imperial IPA, the 2020 single hop edition features Chinook hops
A collaborative West Coast Double IPA from L'Ermitage/Frontaal
A double dry-hopped hazy double IPA featuring Galaxy and Sabro hops
A Belgian Double IPA collaboration brew between Stewart Brewing (UK) and De Molen
The body of a Belgian triple style beer, hopped like an American Imperial IPA - the best of two brewing cultures in one beer.
Uiltje's hoppiest beer ever, with a big caramel malt body supporting more hops than you can throw a stick at
A collaboration between Uiltje and Bireol (Austria), this double IPA features seven types of hops, pilsner malt and wheat
A West Coast US style double IPA featuring Simcoe, Chinook, Citra, Amarillo and Columus hops
A traditional style Belgian dubbel from a little brewery in the village of Damme, just outside Bruges
A Belgian style IPA, taking a step back to an older style IPA recipe
A delicious English style porter, with the addition of a subtle smoked malt
