Hop Ruiter brewed by Scheldebrouwerij - Belgium - Imported by Vanberg & DeWulf                    

Hop Ruiter combines Belgian appreciation for aromatic esters with the American love of hops. But unlike American IPAs and Belgian IPA wannabees, Hop Ruiter celebrates the finesse Belgians bring to using hops. Three different varieties (none American) are used; two in the boil and one in dry hopping.

The combination of type and technique gives Hop Ruiter a tannic almost oaky hop acidity reminiscent of good white wines. If you’re expecting American piney, resiny hops that fur your tongue, Hop Ruiter will disappoint. But if you want to enjoy noble hop aroma and fine bitterness that perfectly marries with malt sweetness to make an exceptionally smooth, full-flavored beer, Hop Ruiter will delight.

    
Beer Review by Beer Advocate
Two light fingers of white froth top a mostly clear (or is it slightly hazy?) golden yellow body. Decorative lacing on the smaller-size tulip. The nose is full of wonderful spices--pepper, ginger, a touch of nutmeg--and plenty of fruit--grapefruit, pear, and apple.

Big, fruity taste that mixes sweet and sour. Sour apple and sweet pear, with some grapefruit and lemon peel, all coated in spices. There is less pepper in the taste than the smell, to me, which is not a bad quality about it. Rather, it is a way to say that, for as rubust as the spices were in the smell, the taste is a bit fruitier, but the spices complement the sweet-sour fruit very nicely. Pepper, ginger, a bit of cinnamon; this is fantastic BSPA.

Nicely effervescent, but not too pronounced, really in check texture. This has so impressed me, this Hop Ruiter. It is well hopped but really a tremendous, flavor-packed, spicy beer that could easily be a rollicking Tripel. A revelation; superb.