Beer Camp: Sierra Nevada - Russian River Brewing - Yvan the Great

This is, after some delay, beer #3 from our Beer Camp box.  This beer is the Sierra Nevada - Russian River Brewing collaboration on a Belgian golden ale.  

1419. Sierra Nevada / Russian River Brewing - Yvan the Great: A golden ale typically has a very light color with spicy, yeasty notes.  It's one of our favorite styles. This version starts in very much that vein.  Poured into a tulip. Pours a very pale yellow, half finger head which quickly dissipates which does leave some lacing. Aroma is full of clove, wheat, honey, yeast - maybe a touch of ash underneath? Very traditional belgian aroma profile. Taste - while the aroma is typical belgian golden, the taste is similar in ways, but very different in others. There’s a lot of hop note - sappy, resin, pine fills the mouth mid-way through. Initially you get a bit of that belgian golden ale note, then it goes to the the sappy/pine flavor. There’s a residual, long-lasting finish of pine/resin. Almost a little hot on the finish. Not a huge fan of this - probably because I really like a very traditional golden. This isn’t bad, just different which I think is the whole point of these Beer Camp ales.