Ovila Belgian Golden Beer Review

For my second post I am doing another beer review as I've recently snatched up some good beers and I'm feeling ambitious. In the future, I plan on doing reviews of places including bars and stores as well as doing in-depth style descriptions and maybe even a rundown of renowned beer drinking regions. But for now, beer reviews are the order of the day.

The beer in my glass tonight is Ovila's Belgian Golden. I will again be using my Libbey Poco Grande glass, as it is my go-to in most situations. Ovila's Belgian Golden is the brand new and fourth effort produced under the Ovila name by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Sierra Nevada is based in Chico, CA and is one of the titans of the craft brewing world. They can no longer use the term "microbrewery" and must instead use the broader term "craft." Sierra Nevada is proof that bigger isn't necessarily a bad thing. Since their founding in 1980, they have been pioneers in the industry. They were making beer at a time when the entire craft beer community was, essentially, them and Fritz Maytag's Anchor Brewing Co. in San Francisco. The ubiquitous Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is their flagship and is available pretty much everywhere. Many a beer geek has started their love of beer with Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale. The brewery has built a strong reputation on making quality, affordable, and perhaps most importantly available beers. Just as Lost Abbey is a departure for Port Brewing, Ovila is something of a change of course for Sierra Nevada. Founder Ken Grossman's brewery is known for producing sturdy, reliable beers that mostly derive from classically English styles. Prior to Ovila, they had never really dabbled in Belgian beer. As a nod to the traditional Trappist breweries of Belgium, Sierra Nevada has partnered with the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux in California. This line of beers, which also includes the Dubbel, Saison, and Quad, are all traditionally brewed Belgian styles fermented with the all important Belgian yeast strains. If this wasn't cool enough, a portion of the proceeds from these beers will be put toward rebuilding the Santa Maria de Ovila chapter house on the monastery grounds. I've had all three of the previous Ovila efforts and if their quality is any indication of the bottle I'm about to open, then I'm in for a good time.

This beer seems to be one of many inspired by the Belgian beer Duvel, a true classic of the beer world and a beverage that you should seek out sooner rather than later. I'm not joking. Duvel helped to create the style that would come to be known as Belgian Strong Golden Ale. The name is indicative of what you can expect from the style. Expect high carbonation, plenty of fruity and yeasty flavors, and dangerously well hidden levels of alcohol. The Ovila Belgian Golden, like Duvel, is a healthy 8.5% abv. The story goes that Duvel (Flemish for "devil") got its name when one of the brewers tasted the beer for the first time and said, "The devil's in that beer." It is this deceptive alcohol that has garnered the style a devilish but much loved reputation.

The beer is tastefully bottled in a 750ml bottle wrapped in a classy pseudo-vintage white label, sealed with a cork and a cage and finished by a paper strip that adorns the cork and warns the would-be drinker that contents are under pressure.As I am wont to do, I start this beer off by making a hearty pour down the center of my upright glass. The pour gives way to a bright, sparkling golden beer crested by a very healthy snow white head. The plentiful foam backs off after a minute and settles into about a quarter inch of persistent, evenly distributed foam. The beer itself is pretty low on the SRM scale, perhaps a hair or two darker than a pilsner. Clarity is moderate. Appearance: 13/15

Initial whiffs remind me of both a bakery and a garden; dough, yeast, and biscuit notes intermingle nicely with delicate touches of pear, apple, maybe a little peach. Just the sort of scent I would expect to find at a quaint Belgian farmer's market, where the nuances of the fruit harvest and the inviting aromas of a bakery are married by the merchants peddling their wares. Still, this smells pretty textbook for the style. Textbook isn't always a bad thing, but I find myself still looking for this beer's signature. No worries; it's early yet. Nose: 21/25

My hearty mouthfuls of this beer show me more complexity than I found in the nose. Joining the ranks are great flavors of black pepper and spice, a hint of grass, and just a trace of mustiness. These flavors jump out at me because I am a saison lover. This beer insists on reminding me, rather impatiently, that it is in fact a Belgian Strong Golden Ale. Those strong estery fruit and alcohol flavors that are more apparent in a BSGA's bigger cousin, the Tripel, dance around in the background, demanding that I pay attention to them like a recalcitrant child. They do a good job, as the complexity and depth here belie the beer's utter drinkability. Palate: 49/50

The mouthfeel is spot on for what I would expect from the style. Slick, goes down easy. Moderate body that drinks like a lightweight. Mouthfeel: 9/10

OVERALL: 92/100
Another winner for Ken Grossman and company. Would not hesitate to buy it again and strongly recommend it, especially to white wine drinkers looking for a change of pace. Its complexity makes it a perfect companion to cheeses, fish, chicken, salads, all manner of things. While it doesn't break the mold and blow my socks off, it remains a finely tuned and very well crafted beer. If we measure beer by whether or not the brewer achieved what they were aiming for (as I often do), then I think we must conclude that this beer is a rousing success. Cheers!