Review: The Bruery-Mischief

The Bruery is one of the most popular and rapidly growing breweries right now. After only opening in 2008 they have already created a great reputation for themselves. Until recently, I haven't even been able to track down any of their brews. When I saw Mischief sitting on the shelf I had to pounce on it. Although it isn't one of their rare or hard to find beers, my anticipation for this is sky high. It's a Belgian strong pale ale that weighs in at 8.5% ABV. The label describes it as a "golden and hoppy" beer. I can't say that I've ever had a hoppy Belgian pale so I'm excited to see what this is like.

The Bruery-Mischief

I'm not sure why, but the label is really hard to see, but just trust me that it's a bottle of Mischief.

Presentation: 750ml bottle into a tulip. Being an 8.5% brew I didn't really want to drink the entire bottle so I shared part of it with the girlfriend. There's no way she could pass on an offer to share a hoppy beer.

Appearance: It has a hazy straw color. An incredibly delicate poured yielded an enormous white head.

The head retention and lacing is simply ridiculous with this. The head retention beats any beer that I've ever seen or had. There was a bulbous lump that stuck around for quite some time.

Aroma: Grassy hops, spice, coriander, lemon, yeast, and herbal elements. It's not a dominating or complex aroma, but it is certainly pleasant. The hop character in this definitely makes for an interesting take on

this Belgian style.

Taste: This is wonderful. The entire bouquet of the aroma comes through the tongue flawlessly. The way the herbal and citrus elements work together is great and the yeast character is perfect. Add the bit of hop bitterness that it has and you've got one damn good beer. Even at 8.5%, the alcohol is very well hidden.

Mouthfeel: Somewhere between light and medium body with tons of carbonation that bite the tongue. Finishes very dry.

Overall: This beats the high expectations that I had for this beer. This is by far one of the best American takes on a Belgian strong pale ale. I was somewhat worried about the hoppiness of this beer, but there was only a minimal amount. It really complimented the rest of the bouquet. I will certainly be revisiting this beer.

5/5

- Jeff