Ale Asylum Bedlam! IPA

Brewed By: Ale Asylum in Madison, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Belgian IPA, 7.5% 
Reported IBUs: ?

Friday was the release of Half Acre's Galactic Double Daisy Cutter. Apparently there was a line of people out the door. That's just cray-cray. Anyway, since I missed that Midwest Shelf Turd, I grabbed today's beer to fill that aching hole in my soul. About Ale Asylum: 

Ale Asylum is a brewery based out of Madison, Wisconsin. The brewery was founded in 2006, and brews unfiltered and natural beer using only water, malt, hops, and yeast. For more information about the brewery, check out their Facebook page or their Website. 

The Bedlam! IPA is a Belgian IPA of sorts. This is described as, "A chaotic blend of Citra hops and Belgian-style yeast give this Belgian IPA aromas of summer fruit with a bright hop presence and a plush finish." This one is available year round on tap and in 6-packs throughout Wisconsin and Illinois. Punching in at 7.5%, this should be delicious. 

Ale Asylum Bedlam! IPA

The Bedlam pours into a deep, hazy, unfiltered orange body, and kicks up two to three fingers of amber/orange-tinted head. The head is fluffy and sustaining, and it leaves lots of lacing on the edges; like an IPA should. In bright light this is a juicy orange color, with rising carbonation and a wispy head hanging around. You can't beat the appearance here, so it's a shame that how a beer looks means little to nothing at all.

The aroma here is massively citrus-forward, with huge Citra blasts of tangerine, orange, grass, and pine. Along with the blasts of citrus are tons of spicy and funky Belgian notes. I'm getting yeast, clove, pepper, barnyard, and some light non-Brett band-aid funk. It smells funky, but it also smells big and hoppy, and clean and refreshing.

The taste is a nice follow through of the nose, with huge citrus and orange notes backed up by phenolic, fruity, and spicy Belgian yeast. There's melon notes, grass, apricot, light pineapple and tropical fruit, big tangerine, orange, tons of peppery spice, and lots of Belgian fruitiness. The barnyard in the aroma comes through a bit in the finish, and the finish is grassy, peppery, and clean. 

There is an elegant simplicity to this beer, but it's also pretty bold and refreshing. Citra hops can do wonderful things to a beer. You don't get the 7.5% here, and this is clean and refreshing and drinkable. You probably want to pace yourself with this, but you could drink two or three of these in a sitting, easy. With a medium-light mouthfeel, this has tons of carbonation and hop bitterness to smooth things out. Palate depth is okay, and complexity is okay as well. This would otherwise be average for the style if not for the huge blast of citrus you get. Up front is an assault of peppery oranges, tangerine, melon, grass, apricot, light pineapple hints; the mids hit some biscuit and more tropical fruits, mixed with some Belgian funk and grass/hay; the back end dials up the grass, lingering cracker/biscuit as it warms, and a dry, spicy, hoppy finish. It's refreshing and impressionable. 

Rating: Above-Average

I'd put this on the same level as the Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, so a Strong Above-Average. This isn't a game changer, and it's not mind blowing. But it's a really, really solid Belgian IPA that goes above average by using the Citra hop to its full potential. There's a lot of bold, refreshing citrus on display here...making this one of the most refreshing and enjoyable Belgian IPAs I have come across. This is the perfect beer to drink on warm Summer days, and this would pair well with white fish, grilled chicken, fruit salads, heavy "patio food" like loaded baked potato salad and brats, and anything lightly spicy. This beer isn't very bitter, so the fruity hops and low bitterness suggest NOT pairing this beer with spicy foods. Go with the sweeter and lighter pairings. I'd pick this up again: recommended. 

Random Thought: I went to a wine tasting even on Saturday at Union Station with over 200 wines (or something, whatever). It was a blast, especially since I'm not really a wine drinker. I was able to sample quite a few wines...but sadly I didn't learn too much. I still prefer a nice Cab, and I love wines that have spent time in oak. An oaky white gets me going. Anyway, we started drinking around 1:30pm, and followed the wine tasting up with dinner. At dinner I order two beers, alcoholic that I am. Needless to say, by 8pm I was ready to sleep, and by 12midnight I was feeling the full-on effects of my day of drinking. I had a nifty headache and mild disorientation. I guess you'd call it a hangover, but it wasn't morning. And thank goodness for that, as I was able to pop an Advil, drink some water, and jump back into bed. I woke up feeling like a champion, and here we are. I'm sure my run tomorrow will make me pay. Woo.