Bedlam - Ale Asylum

    Bedlam is a Belgian India Pale Ale brewed by Ale Asylum in Madison, Wisconsin. The inclusion of Belgian yeast with the common IPA ingredients makes for an interesting take on a classic style. Bedlam has the honor of being Ale Asylum's summer seasonal.

    Bedlam pours a hazy copper with a one-finger, off-white head.

    The IPA smells very much like citrus and tropical fruits. Papaya, mango, apricot, and lemon are all present in the beer's aroma. There is also a funky sweetness to the ale's scent which I find enticing. There is a slight bit of the smell of Belgian yeast to the ale, but not as much as I would have expected.

    Bedlam has a medium body with a medium amount of carbonation. The ale has a somewhat high alcohol content at 7.5% ABV. There is no alcohol character to the beer, however.

Looks peaceful enough to me...

    The Belgian IPA first hits your tongue with a citrusy bitterness from the hops, followed by sweet flavors of the malts and tropical fruits. There is also a slight bit of the Belgian yeast's flavor, though it blends extremely well with the other IPA flavors.

     I don't really see why the beer is named Bedlam. While the Belgian flavors definitely change the IPA's character, the mix is actually quite pleasant. Nothing is overpowering in the beer, though the name seems to suggest otherwise. I read on Ale Asylum's website that Bedlam was an experiment by the brewmaster, and that he was only going to make one batch if he found that it wasn't to his liking. I can only assume that the crew over at Ale Asylum were so overjoyed at the beer's great taste that they began to riot and extreme chaos ensued.

    I really feel that Bedlam is a unique ale. The mix of styles works extremely well and makes for a Belgian style that I can really get behind. I suppose that the somewhat fruity character of Belgian yeast should be an obvious partner to the tropical fruit and citrus flavors provided by hops, but I was definitely skeptical at first. The beer also gets points for using the Diablo 2 video game font on the label.

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