9 Best Of What Is A Belgian Pale Ale Best Resolution Image. Belgian Pale Ale is very much an outlier among its Franco- Belgian or Belgian strong-ale cousins but it doesnt properly belong alongside APA or IPA either. These beers were inspired by British pale ales.
They range in color from amber to copper and their bitterness ranges from 20 to 30 IBU. Yet Id guess about half of the beers brewed in Belgium defy categorization completely falling into that fourteenth catch-all category Belgian Specialty Ale. The Belgian brewing scene is littered with Belgian Pales which were.
The style is characterized by low but noticeable hop bitterness flavor and aroma.
It is not unreasonable to argue that BPA shares as much or more with English bitter Czech Pilsner or Vienna lager as it does with saison witbier and goldendark strong ale. The term first appeared around 1703 for beers made from malts dried with high-carbon coke which resulted in a lighter colour than other beers popular at that timeDifferent brewing practices and hop levels have resulted in a range of tastes and strengths within the pale ale family. Traditionally the Belgian Pale Ales were malty and sweet but after WWII they became more bitter with a noticeable noble hop character that is often pilsner-like and lingers long into the aftertaste. Some examples have a British influence in the hop and yeast selection as well.