64 oz growler sourced at Charleston Beer Exchange, Charleston, SC, USA.
Pour is a very pale, slightly hazed macro lager, yellowish color. Looks like a slightly watered down Duvel and lacks the large, fluffy head and retention and lace that one would expect to find in that classic.
Nose has a massive pear ester character. Absolutely HUGE! We still get the esters in the taste, but it is less pear based and more of a general alcoholic solvent. Some light, white pepper and spice, but not as large as some of the other reviews suggested.
If you like your BSPA’s fruity then this is going to blow you away. If you prefer a more restrained fruit note with more pepper and spices with a drier character, then this is not going to work very well for you. This is a sweeter BSPA than most, and in that respect it certainly makes its own way.
I like Brooklyn and I love this style, I also like sweet beers but this is just a touch too over-the-top for me in terms of fruit. I’d like a drier note in my Belgian Strong Pales.