Belt’s Beer Garden: So Dope!

Just 25 miles north of Miami, Florida sits Dania Beach. In the heart of the city you can find三儿子酝酿, a father-son owned brewery with a “passion for the unconventional”. They originally began brewing back in 2011 and moved into a brewhouse in 2013…but it wasn’t until 2019 that their taproom finally opened.

It’s rare to see their beers outside of the Sunshine State so when my buddy went down to Florida, they were nice enough to bring a four-pack back with them. Today I have a double dry-hopped IPA called Dopealicious. It is their most popular beer by far…having more check-ins on Untappd than their next two beers combined!

Dopealicious is brewed and dry-hopped with copious amounts of Citra and Mosaic hops (you can’t go wrong with that combination!) and features a solid 7.2% ABV. Four 16-ounce cans do cost a bit more, with a price of about $20 per four pack.

Pouring a murky golden orange color, Dopealicious was topped by two full fingers of fluffy eggshell white head. The foam was quick to subside and, after a few minutes, all that remained was a few floating clouds clumped around the edges of the glass. There was a decent amount of lacing that created a nice webbing down the sides.

The aroma is dank and hoppy with some cereal-like grains backing it up. Tropical fruits lead the way, with juicy pineapple and sweet papaya being most prevalent. There is also a pithy grapefruit and orange peel quality. Flaked wheat and oats add some breadiness to the beer but sit underneath the big hop characteristics.

Each sip begins with a flash of carbonation that quickly rushes across, preparing the taste buds. Initially the beer is very sweet and subtle. Up front there is a blend of super juicy fruit flavors but none really stand out up front as they battle for supremacy.

Finally after a few moments, the papaya and orange flavors climb to the forefront with a slightly acidic pineapple falling into the background. In addition to those, honeydew melon and mango add in some extra juicy qualities.

On the backend the hops add a bitter twinge and some dankness while the grist qualities remain almost entirely hidden. There is a slight nip from the 7.2% ABV but it is still quite smooth and crushable.

The finish is insanely clean. No dryness, no bitter twinge, no sticky resin…it simply vanishes. And that made Dopealicious incredibly sessionable and made my pint disappear very, very quickly.

This was a great hazy and juicy IPA. A four-pack might not be enough…needs to be sold by the case!