1244. Penumbral IPA
Jadyn and I had dinner at the CBC on October 13th. I passed up pumpkin beers to try this one. From the website:
CBC inaugurates it’s new Tabula Rasa specialty beer series with Penumbral I.P.A., an almost black Belgian India Pale Ale. The Tabula Rasa (blank slate) series will celebrate outside-the-box creative brewing as informed by ancient history, poetry, philosophy, conceptual art, and rock ‘n’ roll music. Releases will be irregular but inspired.
A penumbra is a partial shadow, as in an eclipse, between regions of complete shadow and complete illumination. Penumbral I.P.A.’s depth of color sends you into the shadows only to be illuminated by bright floral hop notes in the nose and on the palate, balanced by spice and earth notes from our house Belgian yeast. Some of you may find yourselves confused by the apparent contradictions of this beer. Belgian brewers had made nearly black beers for centuries, but they’re not known for super hoppy brews and only recently have “Belgian stouts” appeared. Leave it to American craft brewing ingenuity to combine Belgian character with an I.P.A., and then paint it black.
Amarillo and Glacier hops provide fruit and floral notes while a backbone of Belgian pale and aromatic malted barley is augmented by German CaraFa, a specialty malt which provides color without excessive roastiness. Blend in a little Belgian funkiness and your palate will plunge into the shadows of this dark-but-brilliant beer.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.8%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 3.9
Penumbral IPA pours a cloudy, dark brown that almost looks black. It's topped by a creamy, light-brown head that fades quickly, but leaves good lace. The aroma is surprisingly malty. There are strong notes of caramel and chocolate, notes of roasted grains, and grassy hops.
A caramel malty sweetness upfront is undercut by the roasted malt flavors in the backbone. The sweetness mellows towards the center with a roasted dryness appearing. The finish is roasted malts and a mild, hoppy bitterness. This beer is crisp with a mild dryness in the finish.
Having not seen the description of the beer, this is not what I was expecting. I thought it was a pretty interesting take on a Belgian IPA.
Labels: Belgian IPA
Jadyn and I stopped at the CBC for beers one Friday evening in July.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.15
Aces high pours a hazed amber color, and is topped by an off-white head that fades to a film, leaving sheets of lace. The aroma is malty with notes of caramel, banana, peppery hops, and a bit of grassiness
It's initially sweet with caramel flavors, bready notes, and a mildly fruity center. The finish has a spicy, herbal, and grassy hop bitterness Aces High is medium-to-light-bodied, and has prickly carbonation.
I thought that this beer was briskly bitter with nice hop flavors.
Labels: Belgian IPA
Scott, a friend from Texas, was in town the weekend of November 8th, so we met at the CBC for dinner and drinks. There were two new beers on tap so I had one of each.
915. The Audacity of Hops
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 5.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 4.7
I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about Belgian IPAs. I love the concept, and I've enjoyed most of the Belgian IPAs that I've tried. However, most of the examples that I've had seem to be more like a heavily hopped Belgian Strong Pale Ale/Tripel rather than an IPA with a Belgian flavor profile. The characteristic Belgian flavors still seem to dominate. The hops are evident, but aren't the focus, nothing about them really makes me think IPA.
The Audacity of Hops is what I've wanted in a Belgian IPA. Lots of hop flavor with the Belgian characteristics providing the balancing backbone of the beer. The hops seem like the focus rather than an afterthought. You may disagree, but this is what I think a Belgian IPA should be
The Audacity of Hops pours a deeply cloudy golden. Topped by a thick white head that thins to a film leaving sheets of lace. The aroma says IPA more than Belgian. The citric and resiny hop aromas are most evident, with a bit of underlying Belgian yeast fruitiness.
The malts start sweet with bready and caramel notes. The center is fruity, with notes of banana. The finish has a yeasty and peppery kick. The hops are noticeable throughout, but really become strong in the finish with nice resiny and herbal hop flavors that linger in the aftertaste along with a pleasing bitterness. Medium-bodied, with a bit of oiliness from the hops, and a good amount of carbonation without being overdone.
Hoppy, but balanced well. Crisp and drinkable. Like I said, this is what a Belgian IPA should be.
916. Spinal Pumpkin
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 11.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.0
This is a "Pumpkin Barleywine" brewed with eleven varietals of heirloom pumpkins, as well as spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Beer Advocate lists this as a Pumpkin Ale, but I'm going to go with the base style.
Pours a hazy, amber brown with a thin, wispy head that fades to a few stray bubbles. Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin. Strong aromas of pumpkin flesh with a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to complement.
Sweet pumpkin upfront, caramel malts in the center, with a finish of cinnamon and nutmeg complemented by a mild bitterness. Full-bodied and smooth with a mild carbonation.
The alcohol is so well hidden. The beer is a tad sweet but a light, lingering bitterness goes a long way for balance.
915. The Audacity of Hops
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 5.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.5 | Drinkability: 4.5
Overall: 4.7
I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about Belgian IPAs. I love the concept, and I've enjoyed most of the Belgian IPAs that I've tried. However, most of the examples that I've had seem to be more like a heavily hopped Belgian Strong Pale Ale/Tripel rather than an IPA with a Belgian flavor profile. The characteristic Belgian flavors still seem to dominate. The hops are evident, but aren't the focus, nothing about them really makes me think IPA.
The Audacity of Hops is what I've wanted in a Belgian IPA. Lots of hop flavor with the Belgian characteristics providing the balancing backbone of the beer. The hops seem like the focus rather than an afterthought. You may disagree, but this is what I think a Belgian IPA should be
The Audacity of Hops pours a deeply cloudy golden. Topped by a thick white head that thins to a film leaving sheets of lace. The aroma says IPA more than Belgian. The citric and resiny hop aromas are most evident, with a bit of underlying Belgian yeast fruitiness.
The malts start sweet with bready and caramel notes. The center is fruity, with notes of banana. The finish has a yeasty and peppery kick. The hops are noticeable throughout, but really become strong in the finish with nice resiny and herbal hop flavors that linger in the aftertaste along with a pleasing bitterness. Medium-bodied, with a bit of oiliness from the hops, and a good amount of carbonation without being overdone.
Hoppy, but balanced well. Crisp and drinkable. Like I said, this is what a Belgian IPA should be.
916. Spinal Pumpkin
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 11.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: 4.0 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.0 | Mouthfeel: 4.0 | Drinkability: 4.0
Overall: 4.0
This is a "Pumpkin Barleywine" brewed with eleven varietals of heirloom pumpkins, as well as spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Beer Advocate lists this as a Pumpkin Ale, but I'm going to go with the base style.
Pours a hazy, amber brown with a thin, wispy head that fades to a few stray bubbles. Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin. Strong aromas of pumpkin flesh with a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to complement.
Sweet pumpkin upfront, caramel malts in the center, with a finish of cinnamon and nutmeg complemented by a mild bitterness. Full-bodied and smooth with a mild carbonation.
The alcohol is so well hidden. The beer is a tad sweet but a light, lingering bitterness goes a long way for balance.
Labels: American Barleywine, Belgian IPA, Cambridge Brewing Company
881-890. The Return of the Belgian Beer Fest: Part 2
Published by Unknown on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 9:30 AM.
These are the second set of 10 new beers that I had at the Belgian Beer Fest. A good portion of them seem to be rare or one-off beers given that they're not in the BA database. I think this is a sign of a good beer fest, that brewers are willing to bring their small batch, one-off beers to a fest, or better yet, to brew them for a fest. It helps keep the variety high and the offerings interesting.
881. The Tap Honing Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Tap / Haverhill Brewery, Inc
Alcohol: 6.80%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy, straw golden. Topped by a sudsy head. Honey is definitely present in the aroma with a bit of a resiny character. The sweetness of the honey mingles well with a nice tart fruitiness from the yeast. I thought this was an excellent honey ale, and was one of my favorite beers from the fest.
882. L'esprit de l'escalier
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Tap / Haverhill Brewery, Inc
Alcohol: 6.80%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy golden-copper, and is topped by a thin white head. Grassy, grainy, light fruit and citrus in the aroma. Toasty malts upfront with some honey-like sweetness. The finish has a peppery spice, and a light bitterness in the aftertaste.
883. Samuel Adams Blonde Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 10.20%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a lightly hazed, golden. Topped by an off-white head. The aroma and taste are both peppery with notes of apple fruitiness.
884. Samuel Adams Knee Deep Kriek
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed reddish-copper with a pinkish head. Cherries in the aroma. Light cherry flavors upfront move into a tart finish. Not a lot of depth.
885. Dernière Volonté
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy, straw golden, topped by a thin white head. Bready, with notes of caramel and honey in the aroma, and perhaps a hint of medicinal phenols. Light sweetness upfront moves into a medicinal character. Very tasty.
886. Stone Cali-Belgique
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 6.90%
Style: Belgian IPA
Pours a lightly-hazed golden. Topped by a thin, white head. Strong aroma of a Belgian ale, banana and other fruitiness. There's also a good bit of hops in the aroma. There is a sweet Belgian fruitiness upfront for a fleeting moment, before it's crushed by a wall of hops. Hoppy, definitely my preference for a Belgian IPA, but lacks balance.
887. Orphan Annie
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Port Brewing Company/The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Wild Ale
Pours a hazed, reddish brown. The head is a wispy beige ring. The aroma is woody with cherry fruitiness. Lightly sweet cherry flavors upfront move into an awesome cherry tartness. Dry finish. This was another favorite from the fest.
888. Avril
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dupont
Alcohol: 3.50%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
I'm calling this one a Belgian Pale Ale rather than a Saison, which is what BA has it listed as. I think a BPA is closer in style.
Pours a lightly cloudy, straw golden. Topped by a thin, white head. The aroma is surprisingly strong for a table beer, nice grassy and grainy malts and a bit of banana fruitiness. Lightly grainy malt upfront with light fruit and light peppery spice. Pretty mild.
889. Unibroue 17
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Unibroue
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy brown. Toppe by a thick, light brown head. The aroma seemed a bit hoppy and chocolatey. Lightly bready malts upfront, roasty with notes of chocolate and a peppery finish.
890. Les Deux Brasseurs
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Proefbrouwerij
Alcohol: 8.50%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
This beer is a collaboration between De Proef and Allagash.
Pours a cloudy, straw golden. The aroma seems to be characteristic Brettanomyces, with some acidic hints. Lightly sour upfront moving through to a medicinal, funky finish with a light bitterness.
881. The Tap Honing Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Tap / Haverhill Brewery, Inc
Alcohol: 6.80%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy, straw golden. Topped by a sudsy head. Honey is definitely present in the aroma with a bit of a resiny character. The sweetness of the honey mingles well with a nice tart fruitiness from the yeast. I thought this was an excellent honey ale, and was one of my favorite beers from the fest.
882. L'esprit de l'escalier
Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Tap / Haverhill Brewery, Inc
Alcohol: 6.80%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy golden-copper, and is topped by a thin white head. Grassy, grainy, light fruit and citrus in the aroma. Toasty malts upfront with some honey-like sweetness. The finish has a peppery spice, and a light bitterness in the aftertaste.
883. Samuel Adams Blonde Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 10.20%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a lightly hazed, golden. Topped by an off-white head. The aroma and taste are both peppery with notes of apple fruitiness.
884. Samuel Adams Knee Deep Kriek
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed reddish-copper with a pinkish head. Cherries in the aroma. Light cherry flavors upfront move into a tart finish. Not a lot of depth.
885. Dernière Volonté
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy, straw golden, topped by a thin white head. Bready, with notes of caramel and honey in the aroma, and perhaps a hint of medicinal phenols. Light sweetness upfront moves into a medicinal character. Very tasty.
886. Stone Cali-Belgique
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 6.90%
Style: Belgian IPA
Pours a lightly-hazed golden. Topped by a thin, white head. Strong aroma of a Belgian ale, banana and other fruitiness. There's also a good bit of hops in the aroma. There is a sweet Belgian fruitiness upfront for a fleeting moment, before it's crushed by a wall of hops. Hoppy, definitely my preference for a Belgian IPA, but lacks balance.
887. Orphan Annie
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Port Brewing Company/The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Wild Ale
Pours a hazed, reddish brown. The head is a wispy beige ring. The aroma is woody with cherry fruitiness. Lightly sweet cherry flavors upfront move into an awesome cherry tartness. Dry finish. This was another favorite from the fest.
888. Avril
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dupont
Alcohol: 3.50%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
I'm calling this one a Belgian Pale Ale rather than a Saison, which is what BA has it listed as. I think a BPA is closer in style.
Pours a lightly cloudy, straw golden. Topped by a thin, white head. The aroma is surprisingly strong for a table beer, nice grassy and grainy malts and a bit of banana fruitiness. Lightly grainy malt upfront with light fruit and light peppery spice. Pretty mild.
889. Unibroue 17
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Unibroue
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy brown. Toppe by a thick, light brown head. The aroma seemed a bit hoppy and chocolatey. Lightly bready malts upfront, roasty with notes of chocolate and a peppery finish.
890. Les Deux Brasseurs
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Proefbrouwerij
Alcohol: 8.50%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
This beer is a collaboration between De Proef and Allagash.
Pours a cloudy, straw golden. The aroma seems to be characteristic Brettanomyces, with some acidic hints. Lightly sour upfront moving through to a medicinal, funky finish with a light bitterness.
Labels: American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Belgian IPA, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Fruit Lambic, Saison
I apologize for the tardiness of this post. Over a month and a half late, I'm beginning to feel like Ward.
Jadyn and I went to the afternoon session of Beer Advocate's Belgian Beer Fest on the 27th of October. We arrived early enough to be within a half-block of the doors. This year's fest seemed less crowded than last year's. The middle row of booths was removed and replaced with seating. Overall I think this was an improvement, there's still more than enough variety and it's far less crowded.
As with other fests the notes are more general, abbreviated and are probably to be trusted less as the fest progresses.
715. Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: ?
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours an opaque black, with a foamy brown head. Aroma is roasty with dark fruit and chocolate. Sweet, stoutish roastiness, dark fruit, chocolate, with a roasty bitterness in the finish.
716. The Lost Abbey Mother Pucker
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Port Brewing Company/The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: ?
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
This is an apricot lambic-style beer. Pours a hazy straw color with a wispy white head. The aroma is strong apricots with a funky aroma underneath. Sour, but has a nice sweet-apricot flavor. Mild earthiness in the finish. Nice and dry. One of my favorites from the fest.
717. Brooklyn Abbey Singel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy straw. Fizzy white head. Aroma is fruity: bananas, clove, Belgian yeast. Crisp maltiness, followed by characteristic Belgian yeast fruitiness, and a peppery graininess in the finish.
718. Bam Noire
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Alcohol: 4.30%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clearish brown, topped by a beige head. The aroma is predominantly Brett, with a light fruitiness underneath. The flavor is predominantly Brettanomyces with a roasty finish. An odd combination, but interesting.
719. Cantillon Lambic Aged in Cognac Casks
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Year: March 2005
Alcohol: 5.00%
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
A rare Cantillon, I had to try it. Looks much like the Gueuze, hazy straw colored with a faint head. The aroma is smooth, with the cognac making the funkiness less powerful. The beer is still sour, but is smoothed out nicely by the cognac flavors. This was tasty, but I still prefer the bright sourness and earthy funkiness of the original.
720. Ommegang Abbey Tripel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: ?
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy, light-golden with a wispy white head. The aroma is fruity with bananas predominating, also notes of grain and more substantial malt (caramel maybe). Sweet malts and the banana heavy Belgian yeast profile. The finish is peppery with a light bitterness.
721. Black Jacob
Beer Stats:
Brewery: American Flatbread Burlington Hearth
Alcohol: 5.50%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a brown color, topped by a beige film. The aroma is yeasty, grainy and roasty. Toasty, dark fruit, with a roasty finish. I like Saisons with a little bit of earty/funky flavors that I felt that this one was lacking.
722. Dogfish Head Red & White
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy red with a very light, pink, foamy film. Aroma is fruity, yeasty, Witbier characters seem muted. Malty upfront, moves into a fruity center with a citric bite and a peppery finish.
723. De Ranke Père Noël
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy, light amber. White film of a head. Mellowed hop aroma with a hint of fruitiness. Light bready sweetness upfront, moves through a fruity center before a pleasantly hoppy finish.
724. Kasteel Rouge
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a light red with a fizzy pink head. Cherry smell with only a little bit of tartness. Sweet cherry flavors throughout with minimal tartness. I remember being unimpressed.
725. Smuttynose Brett & I
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
A beer brewed with Brettanomyces, I had to try it. Pours a hazy golden, topped by a smooth, filmy head that leaves sheets of lace. The aroma is characteristic Brettanomyces with some nice medicinal characters. Toasty upfront, clean, light sweetness in the center, and an herbal, bitter finish with a hint of Brett.
726. Lost Abbey Veritas 002
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Port Brewing Company/The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: ?
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Hazy brown, beige ring lines the glass. The aroma is earth raspberries and tart medicinals. Lightly sweet raspberries, earthy and malty.
727. Dogfish Head Fluckey's Fest
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
From the website
728. Infusco
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Rock Art Brewery
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Dark brown with a faint, beige ring of a head, can see floating aggregates. The aroma is sweet, candi sugar with a light phenolic touch. Sweet, chocolatey, lightly sharp medicinal finish.
729. Sixpoint Belgian Rye-PA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 7.70%
Style: Belgian IPA
Pours a hazy amber. Topped by a sudsy beige head. Aroma is peppery spice with a touch of sweetness. Toasty upfront with a sweet center. The finish is spicy and hoppy.
730. Ølfabrikken Abbey Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ølfabrikken
Alcohol: 8.50%
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy brown with floating particles. The aroma is of sweet, dark fruit. High carbonation upfront, sweet caramel malts, apricot fruitiness. Sweet, but very nice.
731. Urthel Vlaemse Bock
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Leyerth Brouwerijen
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, brown amber with a sudsy beige head that leaves sheets of lace. The aroma is very malty: butterscotch, caramel, dark fruit. Lightly sweet upfront (flavors the same as the aromas). The finish is lightly grainy and bitter.
732. Nøgne Ø Saison
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Nøgne Ø - det kompromissløse bryggeri
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy straw-golden topped by a white sudsy head. Funky aroma with tart citrus. Bready, citrus, funky and bitter. I liked this one, it's hard to find a saison with a good amount of funk to it.
733. Troublette
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Caracole
Alcohol: 5.00%
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy straw color. The aroma is soda like with lots of citrus and fruit. Carbonation is high, grainy, citrus, banana, fairly sweet.
734. Weyerbacher Quad
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 12.20%
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy amber with a beige head. Lightly fruity aroma with some nice malts. Very smooth, malty with some nice dark fruit.
735. Gouden Carolus Ambrio
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Het Anker
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed amber with a fuzzy, beige head. The aroma is a nice mix of malty and fruity. Sweet upfront, nice maltiness with some hints of fruit. Lightly bitter finish. Moderately carbonated.
736. Malheur Brut Noir
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Landtsheer
Alcohol: 12.00%
Style: Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut
Pours a hazy brown with a light brown head. Aroma is tart with a bit of roastiness. Sweet throughout, finish is fruity.
737. Sixpoint Belgian IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Belgian IPA
Hazy golden. Sweet fruity aroma, citrus and banana. Sweet banana fruitiness. Light, citric, hop bitterness in the finish.
738. Harpoon Munich Dark Barrel Age: The Funk
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale
Pours a clear brown with a hint of amber. The aroma is sour and Brett-like. Light flavors at the onset, but moves into a nice fruity sourness. The finish is dry.
739. Harpoon Quad
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol:?
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy amber with a beige head. Aroma is malty and fruity with a hint of bananas. Flavor is Belgian yeast fruitiness, banana, alcoholic spice, peppery.
Jadyn and I went to the afternoon session of Beer Advocate's Belgian Beer Fest on the 27th of October. We arrived early enough to be within a half-block of the doors. This year's fest seemed less crowded than last year's. The middle row of booths was removed and replaced with seating. Overall I think this was an improvement, there's still more than enough variety and it's far less crowded.
As with other fests the notes are more general, abbreviated and are probably to be trusted less as the fest progresses.
715. Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: ?
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours an opaque black, with a foamy brown head. Aroma is roasty with dark fruit and chocolate. Sweet, stoutish roastiness, dark fruit, chocolate, with a roasty bitterness in the finish.
716. The Lost Abbey Mother Pucker
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Port Brewing Company/The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: ?
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
This is an apricot lambic-style beer. Pours a hazy straw color with a wispy white head. The aroma is strong apricots with a funky aroma underneath. Sour, but has a nice sweet-apricot flavor. Mild earthiness in the finish. Nice and dry. One of my favorites from the fest.
717. Brooklyn Abbey Singel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy straw. Fizzy white head. Aroma is fruity: bananas, clove, Belgian yeast. Crisp maltiness, followed by characteristic Belgian yeast fruitiness, and a peppery graininess in the finish.
718. Bam Noire
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Alcohol: 4.30%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clearish brown, topped by a beige head. The aroma is predominantly Brett, with a light fruitiness underneath. The flavor is predominantly Brettanomyces with a roasty finish. An odd combination, but interesting.
719. Cantillon Lambic Aged in Cognac Casks
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Year: March 2005
Alcohol: 5.00%
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
A rare Cantillon, I had to try it. Looks much like the Gueuze, hazy straw colored with a faint head. The aroma is smooth, with the cognac making the funkiness less powerful. The beer is still sour, but is smoothed out nicely by the cognac flavors. This was tasty, but I still prefer the bright sourness and earthy funkiness of the original.
720. Ommegang Abbey Tripel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: ?
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy, light-golden with a wispy white head. The aroma is fruity with bananas predominating, also notes of grain and more substantial malt (caramel maybe). Sweet malts and the banana heavy Belgian yeast profile. The finish is peppery with a light bitterness.
721. Black Jacob
Beer Stats:
Brewery: American Flatbread Burlington Hearth
Alcohol: 5.50%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a brown color, topped by a beige film. The aroma is yeasty, grainy and roasty. Toasty, dark fruit, with a roasty finish. I like Saisons with a little bit of earty/funky flavors that I felt that this one was lacking.
722. Dogfish Head Red & White
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy red with a very light, pink, foamy film. Aroma is fruity, yeasty, Witbier characters seem muted. Malty upfront, moves into a fruity center with a citric bite and a peppery finish.
723. De Ranke Père Noël
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy, light amber. White film of a head. Mellowed hop aroma with a hint of fruitiness. Light bready sweetness upfront, moves through a fruity center before a pleasantly hoppy finish.
724. Kasteel Rouge
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a light red with a fizzy pink head. Cherry smell with only a little bit of tartness. Sweet cherry flavors throughout with minimal tartness. I remember being unimpressed.
725. Smuttynose Brett & I
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
A beer brewed with Brettanomyces, I had to try it. Pours a hazy golden, topped by a smooth, filmy head that leaves sheets of lace. The aroma is characteristic Brettanomyces with some nice medicinal characters. Toasty upfront, clean, light sweetness in the center, and an herbal, bitter finish with a hint of Brett.
726. Lost Abbey Veritas 002
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Port Brewing Company/The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: ?
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Hazy brown, beige ring lines the glass. The aroma is earth raspberries and tart medicinals. Lightly sweet raspberries, earthy and malty.
727. Dogfish Head Fluckey's Fest
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide
From the website
"Admiral Fluckey's Lager was brewed with 51% Pilsner malt and 49% Chardonnay grapes, then fermented with Champagne yeast. It islow (~15 IBU’s) on the bitterness scale, a bit sweet, about 7-8% abv, with the slight acididity of a champagne. Admiral Fluckey was the first commander of the USS Dogfish (submarine) and just passed away on July 2, 2007."Pours a hazy, straw color with a white head that thins to a film. Light, clean graininess in the aroma. Fruity, you can taste the grapes. Moves through to a lightly grainy finish.
728. Infusco
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Rock Art Brewery
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Dark brown with a faint, beige ring of a head, can see floating aggregates. The aroma is sweet, candi sugar with a light phenolic touch. Sweet, chocolatey, lightly sharp medicinal finish.
729. Sixpoint Belgian Rye-PA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 7.70%
Style: Belgian IPA
Pours a hazy amber. Topped by a sudsy beige head. Aroma is peppery spice with a touch of sweetness. Toasty upfront with a sweet center. The finish is spicy and hoppy.
730. Ølfabrikken Abbey Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ølfabrikken
Alcohol: 8.50%
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a cloudy brown with floating particles. The aroma is of sweet, dark fruit. High carbonation upfront, sweet caramel malts, apricot fruitiness. Sweet, but very nice.
731. Urthel Vlaemse Bock
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Leyerth Brouwerijen
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, brown amber with a sudsy beige head that leaves sheets of lace. The aroma is very malty: butterscotch, caramel, dark fruit. Lightly sweet upfront (flavors the same as the aromas). The finish is lightly grainy and bitter.
732. Nøgne Ø Saison
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Nøgne Ø - det kompromissløse bryggeri
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy straw-golden topped by a white sudsy head. Funky aroma with tart citrus. Bready, citrus, funky and bitter. I liked this one, it's hard to find a saison with a good amount of funk to it.
733. Troublette
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Caracole
Alcohol: 5.00%
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a very cloudy straw color. The aroma is soda like with lots of citrus and fruit. Carbonation is high, grainy, citrus, banana, fairly sweet.
734. Weyerbacher Quad
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 12.20%
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy amber with a beige head. Lightly fruity aroma with some nice malts. Very smooth, malty with some nice dark fruit.
735. Gouden Carolus Ambrio
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Het Anker
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed amber with a fuzzy, beige head. The aroma is a nice mix of malty and fruity. Sweet upfront, nice maltiness with some hints of fruit. Lightly bitter finish. Moderately carbonated.
736. Malheur Brut Noir
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Landtsheer
Alcohol: 12.00%
Style: Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut
Pours a hazy brown with a light brown head. Aroma is tart with a bit of roastiness. Sweet throughout, finish is fruity.
737. Sixpoint Belgian IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Belgian IPA
Hazy golden. Sweet fruity aroma, citrus and banana. Sweet banana fruitiness. Light, citric, hop bitterness in the finish.
738. Harpoon Munich Dark Barrel Age: The Funk
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale
Pours a clear brown with a hint of amber. The aroma is sour and Brett-like. Light flavors at the onset, but moves into a nice fruity sourness. The finish is dry.
739. Harpoon Quad
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Alcohol:?
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy amber with a beige head. Aroma is malty and fruity with a hint of bananas. Flavor is Belgian yeast fruitiness, banana, alcoholic spice, peppery.
Labels: Beer Fests, Belgian IPA, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Bière de Champagne, Dubbel, Fruit Lambic, Fruit/Vegetable Beer, Saison, Tripel, Unblended Lambic, Witbier
To celebrate a successful (and very positive) thesis committee meeting Jadyn and I went to The Publick House on Wednesday. I tried the Fried Stoemp, fried mashed potatoes, this time. I'd been eying them the last few trips, but I always opted for some of their other Belgian styled dishes. They were excellent, soft and creamy inside and nicely seasoned. Jadyn had the veggie burger. After dinner we had a Gouda cheese board and a couple more beers each.
Round One
Thom: Allagash Hugh Malone
Jadyn: La Chouffe
Round Two
Thom: De Ranke XX Bitter
Jadyn: Westmalle Tripel
Round Three
Thom: Cantillon Kriek
Jadyn: Don De Dieu
698. Allagash Hugh Malone
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance (4.0): Pours a very nice, hazy reddish-copper. It's topped by a dense off-white head that fades to a film, leaving a little bit of patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Very fruity and malty. Light cherries, and perhaps a light note of honeydew melon. There's a peppery spiciness and a light resiny hoppiness. The hops are noticable, but overpowered by the Belgian yeast aromatics.
Taste (4.5): Lightly sweet fruitiness upfront, that's met by a spiciness contributed by the carbonation. There's a tart, cherry sourness that remains prominent. The finish is a mild, but persistent, aged, hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): High carbonation, medium-bodied, and smooth with an effervescent feel on the tongue.
Drinkability (4.0): Very tasty and flavorful, it falls on the sweet side, but never seems cloying.
Overall (4.2): This beer isn't the hoppiest Belgian IPA that I've had, nor is it particularly hoppy. The hops are noticeable, but are dominated by the fruity characteristics. Despite this, I'm giving the beer high marks because it's very enjoyable even though the name may be a misnomer.
Round One
Thom: Allagash Hugh Malone
Jadyn: La Chouffe
Round Two
Thom: De Ranke XX Bitter
Jadyn: Westmalle Tripel
Round Three
Thom: Cantillon Kriek
Jadyn: Don De Dieu
698. Allagash Hugh Malone
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance (4.0): Pours a very nice, hazy reddish-copper. It's topped by a dense off-white head that fades to a film, leaving a little bit of patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Very fruity and malty. Light cherries, and perhaps a light note of honeydew melon. There's a peppery spiciness and a light resiny hoppiness. The hops are noticable, but overpowered by the Belgian yeast aromatics.
Taste (4.5): Lightly sweet fruitiness upfront, that's met by a spiciness contributed by the carbonation. There's a tart, cherry sourness that remains prominent. The finish is a mild, but persistent, aged, hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): High carbonation, medium-bodied, and smooth with an effervescent feel on the tongue.
Drinkability (4.0): Very tasty and flavorful, it falls on the sweet side, but never seems cloying.
Overall (4.2): This beer isn't the hoppiest Belgian IPA that I've had, nor is it particularly hoppy. The hops are noticeable, but are dominated by the fruity characteristics. Despite this, I'm giving the beer high marks because it's very enjoyable even though the name may be a misnomer.
Labels: Belgian IPA, The Publick House
Day Eight, Brussels: Poechenellekelder, Delirium Café, Packing
Published by Unknown on Tuesday, December 19, 2006 at 7:22 PM.
Having arrived in Brussels we checked in to the hostel. The first thing I did was shave, then we decided to head out for dinner and beer. Our first stop was Poechenellekelder where we had a dinner of croque monsieurs and a round.
572. Urthel Hop-It
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Leyerth Brouwerijen
Alcohol: 9.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance (4.5): Pours a cloudy golden with a thick, four-finger head that fades to an irregular film leaving heavy lace.
Smell (4.0): Fruity with peppery spice, alcohol and light hops.
Taste (4.0): Sweet fruits upfront, there are some cherry notes. The finish is peppery before moving into a significant hop bitterness that has a nice interplay with some lemony tartness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): High carbonation, light to medium-bodied.
Drinkability (4.0): Good hoppiness to provide balance.
Overall (4.1)
573. Barbãr Winter Bok
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Lefèbvre SA
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a hazy brown with a beige head that thins to a ring leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Dark fruit, spices and an almost evergreen aroma.
Taste (3.5): Sweet fruit and maltiness upfront. The finish is spicy with a light bitterness. A little too sweet.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Easy to drink, despite sweetness.
Overall (3.65)
After finishing dinner and our beers at Poechenellekelder we went to Delirium Café for a few more rounds. The bar was pretty crowded, but we were able to find seats at the bar.
574. Gentse Tripel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a cloudy golden-amber with a white head that thins to a persistent film leaving no lace.
Smell (3.5): Cherries and caramel. Odd aromas for a tripel, but it smells nice.
Taste (4.0): Some tartness and toasty malts upfront. There's an almost a honey sweetness before the finish, which is peppery, grainy and lightly bitter.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, high carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Quite nice, not too sweet.
Overall (3.8)
575. Abbaye De Rocs Blond
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs s.a.
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.0): Pours a very light blond color with a white head that thins to a ring leaving little lace.
Smell (3.0): Sweet maltiness with some tart fruit (maybe sour apple). Very light.
Taste (3.0): Sweet and fruity throughout. There's some light tart apples, light pepper and light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light to medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Not terribly flavorful.
Overall (3.1)
After the first round we each had an Orval. My bottle was from September 2006 and David's was from July 2006. The Brettanomyces aroma and flavors were much more evident in David's bottle. Just two months had made a huge difference in flavor and aroma.
576. Saison De Pipaix
The bartender said he hadn't seen this one, and that he'd have to look. He brought back a dusty bottle with a best by date of August 2003.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie à Vapeur
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy orange-amber (though our first pours were crystal-clear). It's topped by a thick, off-white head that thins to a film leaving heavy lace.
Smell (4.0): Sourish almost lambic-like hints, cherry fruitiness and some light maltiness that's hard to place.
Taste (4.5): Sour cherries with some light medicinals, some Brett character and a mild bitterness. Nice tartness
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, low carbonation, with a mild dryness.
Drinkability (4.0): Quite drinkable and interesting.
Overall (4.2): Even though the best by date had long since passed this beer had aged quite well.
577. Het Kapittel Dubbel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Eecke N.V.
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy ruby-brown with a brown head that fades to a quarter-inch layer leaving little lace.
Smell (3.5): Light, but notes of caramel malts and dark fruit.
Taste (3.5): Sweet upfront with raisins and brown sugar. The finish is lightly peppery with hints of roastiness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Full-bodied, moderate carbonation, and light warming alcohol.
Drinkability (3.5): A little too sweet.
Overall (3.65)
578. Het Kapittel Pater
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Eecke N.V.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy amber-brown with an off-white head that fades to a quarter-inch layer leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Caramel maltiness, with an intriguing smoky character.
Taste (3.5): Caramel sweetness, light pepper, toasty malts with a neutral finish.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Too sweet.
Overall (3.75)
We still needed to pack, so we left Delirium Café and started the walk back to our hostel. Across the alleyway from the bar is the Janneken Pis, the female counterpart of the Manneken Pis.
Janneken Pis
I still needed to buy chocolate for the lab so decided to stop at a chocolate shop on the way back to the hostel. The Manneken Pis themed chocolatier was eliminated because of sheer kitsch, as evidenced by the photo below. We ended up stopping at Corne Port Royal where I dropped 25 € on a box of chocolates, 2 milk chocolate bars and two 77% cocoa bars. The lab was very pleased.
Kitsch
We got back to the hostel and packed. We had two six-packs of Westvleteren to pack as well as a 750 mL bottle of Cantillon St. Lamvinus, an 11.2 oz bottle of Duvel Gefilterd and an 11.2 oz bottle of Verboden Vrucht. The Westvleteren and the Cantillon were highest priority. We put David's clothes in my bag, and put the beer in David's small duffle. We wrapped each bottle of Westvleteren in socks and then newspaper and placed them back in the six-pack holders. We wrapped the Cantillon in a shirt. We padded the bag heavily with paper and then put the beers in. We left the Verboden Vrucht and decided to drink the Duvel Gefilterd.
579. Duvel Gefilterd
I did this blind and side-by-side with a normal Duvel, which we bought from the hostel bar.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Bottle, 25 cL
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance:
Duvel: Hazy golden with a huge white head.
Gefilterd: Clear golden with a huge white head.
Smell:
Duvel: Bananas, pepper and some graininess.
Gefilterd: Bananas, pepper and some graininess, but much fruitier than the standard Duvel.
Taste:
Duvel: Fruity, but less so than the Gefilterd. It is more peppery, more grainy and more bitter than the Gefilterd.
Gefilterd: Fruity, mostly bananas with peppery spice in the finish, alcoholic warmth with a little bit of burning. Sweeter and fruitier than the Duvel.
Mouthfeel:
Duvel: High carbonation, light-bodied.
Gefilterd: High carbonation, light-bodied.
572. Urthel Hop-It
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Leyerth Brouwerijen
Alcohol: 9.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance (4.5): Pours a cloudy golden with a thick, four-finger head that fades to an irregular film leaving heavy lace.
Smell (4.0): Fruity with peppery spice, alcohol and light hops.
Taste (4.0): Sweet fruits upfront, there are some cherry notes. The finish is peppery before moving into a significant hop bitterness that has a nice interplay with some lemony tartness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): High carbonation, light to medium-bodied.
Drinkability (4.0): Good hoppiness to provide balance.
Overall (4.1)
573. Barbãr Winter Bok
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Lefèbvre SA
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a hazy brown with a beige head that thins to a ring leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Dark fruit, spices and an almost evergreen aroma.
Taste (3.5): Sweet fruit and maltiness upfront. The finish is spicy with a light bitterness. A little too sweet.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Easy to drink, despite sweetness.
Overall (3.65)
After finishing dinner and our beers at Poechenellekelder we went to Delirium Café for a few more rounds. The bar was pretty crowded, but we were able to find seats at the bar.
574. Gentse Tripel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a cloudy golden-amber with a white head that thins to a persistent film leaving no lace.
Smell (3.5): Cherries and caramel. Odd aromas for a tripel, but it smells nice.
Taste (4.0): Some tartness and toasty malts upfront. There's an almost a honey sweetness before the finish, which is peppery, grainy and lightly bitter.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, high carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Quite nice, not too sweet.
Overall (3.8)
575. Abbaye De Rocs Blond
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs s.a.
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.0): Pours a very light blond color with a white head that thins to a ring leaving little lace.
Smell (3.0): Sweet maltiness with some tart fruit (maybe sour apple). Very light.
Taste (3.0): Sweet and fruity throughout. There's some light tart apples, light pepper and light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light to medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Not terribly flavorful.
Overall (3.1)
After the first round we each had an Orval. My bottle was from September 2006 and David's was from July 2006. The Brettanomyces aroma and flavors were much more evident in David's bottle. Just two months had made a huge difference in flavor and aroma.
576. Saison De Pipaix
The bartender said he hadn't seen this one, and that he'd have to look. He brought back a dusty bottle with a best by date of August 2003.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie à Vapeur
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy orange-amber (though our first pours were crystal-clear). It's topped by a thick, off-white head that thins to a film leaving heavy lace.
Smell (4.0): Sourish almost lambic-like hints, cherry fruitiness and some light maltiness that's hard to place.
Taste (4.5): Sour cherries with some light medicinals, some Brett character and a mild bitterness. Nice tartness
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, low carbonation, with a mild dryness.
Drinkability (4.0): Quite drinkable and interesting.
Overall (4.2): Even though the best by date had long since passed this beer had aged quite well.
577. Het Kapittel Dubbel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Eecke N.V.
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy ruby-brown with a brown head that fades to a quarter-inch layer leaving little lace.
Smell (3.5): Light, but notes of caramel malts and dark fruit.
Taste (3.5): Sweet upfront with raisins and brown sugar. The finish is lightly peppery with hints of roastiness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Full-bodied, moderate carbonation, and light warming alcohol.
Drinkability (3.5): A little too sweet.
Overall (3.65)
578. Het Kapittel Pater
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Eecke N.V.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy amber-brown with an off-white head that fades to a quarter-inch layer leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Caramel maltiness, with an intriguing smoky character.
Taste (3.5): Caramel sweetness, light pepper, toasty malts with a neutral finish.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Too sweet.
Overall (3.75)
We still needed to pack, so we left Delirium Café and started the walk back to our hostel. Across the alleyway from the bar is the Janneken Pis, the female counterpart of the Manneken Pis.
Janneken Pis
I still needed to buy chocolate for the lab so decided to stop at a chocolate shop on the way back to the hostel. The Manneken Pis themed chocolatier was eliminated because of sheer kitsch, as evidenced by the photo below. We ended up stopping at Corne Port Royal where I dropped 25 € on a box of chocolates, 2 milk chocolate bars and two 77% cocoa bars. The lab was very pleased.
Kitsch
We got back to the hostel and packed. We had two six-packs of Westvleteren to pack as well as a 750 mL bottle of Cantillon St. Lamvinus, an 11.2 oz bottle of Duvel Gefilterd and an 11.2 oz bottle of Verboden Vrucht. The Westvleteren and the Cantillon were highest priority. We put David's clothes in my bag, and put the beer in David's small duffle. We wrapped each bottle of Westvleteren in socks and then newspaper and placed them back in the six-pack holders. We wrapped the Cantillon in a shirt. We padded the bag heavily with paper and then put the beers in. We left the Verboden Vrucht and decided to drink the Duvel Gefilterd.
579. Duvel Gefilterd
I did this blind and side-by-side with a normal Duvel, which we bought from the hostel bar.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Bottle, 25 cL
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance:
Duvel: Hazy golden with a huge white head.
Gefilterd: Clear golden with a huge white head.
Smell:
Duvel: Bananas, pepper and some graininess.
Gefilterd: Bananas, pepper and some graininess, but much fruitier than the standard Duvel.
Taste:
Duvel: Fruity, but less so than the Gefilterd. It is more peppery, more grainy and more bitter than the Gefilterd.
Gefilterd: Fruity, mostly bananas with peppery spice in the finish, alcoholic warmth with a little bit of burning. Sweeter and fruitier than the Duvel.
Mouthfeel:
Duvel: High carbonation, light-bodied.
Gefilterd: High carbonation, light-bodied.
Labels: Belgian Dark Ale, Belgian IPA, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Belgium 2006, Dubbel, Saison, Travel, Tripel
Day Five, Ghent: Departure/Arrival, Aba-Jour, Gravensteen
Published by Unknown on Monday, December 11, 2006 at 9:46 PM.
We woke up, had the standard hostel breakfast and checked out. We were told that there was a labor slowdown on train service, but decided to continue on to Ghent. We went to Antwerpen Centraal and easily got on the next train to Ghent.
We arrived in Ghent and took the Number 1 Tram from the station to the area near our hostel. We checked in and took some of the free maps of Ghent. David spent five minutes trying to match up locations on two different maps becoming increasingly frustrated. One was a map of Ghent, the other was a map of Brugge.
We had decided on Aba-Jour, based on a positive description of the food in The Good Beer Guide. The bar was centered on the left wall as you entered. There were small tables filling most of the floor space. We sat towards the back at a table by the large windows that overlook the canal. Queen was playing on the stereo our entire visit. We were eating lunch fairly late so there were only a few other patrons there. Our waiter was very friendly and was more than happy to make beer and food recommendations. We also had a nice conversation about beer, the waiter was pretty interested in how Westvleteren acquired such a sought after status in America, he was also interested in American beers. He recommended Popperings Hommel Bier, which was nicely hoppy. He also recommended a beef stew made with Rodenbach and Westmalle that came with a small salad and a bowl of fries. The stew was excellent, as were the fries, which were served in a huge bowl with a nice flavored mayo for dipping. David asked for ketchup in the following exchange:
David: I know I'm a horrible American...
Waiter: No, no...
David: ...but could I get some ketchup?
Waiter: (jokingly) Yes, you are a horrible American.
The beer list was short, around 60, but the quality was pretty good. There was a nice selection of trappists, including all three Westvleteren beers. There was a nice lambic selection that included mostly authentic lambics. We had a great lunch and two rounds, before heading out.
533. Poperings Hommel Bier
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Eecke N.V.
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance (4.5): Pours a hazy golden with an orange tint. A thick, white head slowly fades leaving sheets of lace.
Smell (4.5): Fruity with hints of bananas and light citrus with peppery spice to match. Swirling brings out aromas of grassy hops.
Taste (4.0): Fruity and sweet with some citric tartness upfront, which is met by a peppery bite in the center. The finish has a moderate hoppy bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light to medium-bodied, highly carbonated with a bit of oiliness from the hops.
Drinkability (4.5): A fine beer, nice balance bewteen "Belgian" flavors and hoppiness.
Overall (4.25)
534. Villers Oud Vieille
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Huyghe
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy brown with a thick brown head that fades to a patchy layer leaving no lace.
Smell (3.5): Very sweet smelling. Notes of raisins, caramel, toffee and alcohol.
Taste (3.5): Sweet with raisins, toffee and caramel. The peppery finish serves to provide some balance.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, with high carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Pretty easy to drink.
Overall (3.65)
535. Girardin Kriek 1882
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Girardin
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a hazy red-orange with a sudsy, pink head that fades to a thin film.
Smell (3.0): Has the acidic, cherry and funky aromas expected, but there's an odd buttery aroma as well.
Taste (3.5): Acidic tartness with some sweet cherries. The finish is tart with light funkiness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, low carbonation, dry finish.
Drinkability (4.5): Balanced with good, but subdued lambic characters.
Overall (3.75)
536. Hoegaarden Grand Cru
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij van Hoegaarden
Alcohol: 8.70%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy golden-amber. A thickish, off-white head thins to a film with a prominent ring. Leaves no lace.
Smell (4.5): Coriander, banana, orange, cloves, pepper and yeast.
Taste (4.0): Sweet and fruity upfront, strong flavors of banana with mild berry notes. Coriander spice and citric tartness emerge in the center and fade into a finish with light residual sweetness and mild bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Pretty drinkable.
Overall (4.1)
After lunch we walked to Gravensteen, a castle in Ghent that was built in 1180. The name means "castle of the count" in Dutch. The castle tour was nice, especially since it seemed like you could visit most of the castle. There was in in depth exhibit on crime, punishment and torture. David wants to be reminded that if he ever gets a time machine he should not go back to medieval Ghent and commit a crime.
One of the canals in Ghent
Gravensteen
Gravensteen
A stairwell inside
A view of the canal from the castle
Ghent from the top
Presumably an archer would have been here.
A canal
The guillotine
Inside
More castle
Even more castle
The basement area
The ruins of the kitchen
This was a stable before it was a prison.
We arrived in Ghent and took the Number 1 Tram from the station to the area near our hostel. We checked in and took some of the free maps of Ghent. David spent five minutes trying to match up locations on two different maps becoming increasingly frustrated. One was a map of Ghent, the other was a map of Brugge.
We had decided on Aba-Jour, based on a positive description of the food in The Good Beer Guide. The bar was centered on the left wall as you entered. There were small tables filling most of the floor space. We sat towards the back at a table by the large windows that overlook the canal. Queen was playing on the stereo our entire visit. We were eating lunch fairly late so there were only a few other patrons there. Our waiter was very friendly and was more than happy to make beer and food recommendations. We also had a nice conversation about beer, the waiter was pretty interested in how Westvleteren acquired such a sought after status in America, he was also interested in American beers. He recommended Popperings Hommel Bier, which was nicely hoppy. He also recommended a beef stew made with Rodenbach and Westmalle that came with a small salad and a bowl of fries. The stew was excellent, as were the fries, which were served in a huge bowl with a nice flavored mayo for dipping. David asked for ketchup in the following exchange:
David: I know I'm a horrible American...
Waiter: No, no...
David: ...but could I get some ketchup?
Waiter: (jokingly) Yes, you are a horrible American.
The beer list was short, around 60, but the quality was pretty good. There was a nice selection of trappists, including all three Westvleteren beers. There was a nice lambic selection that included mostly authentic lambics. We had a great lunch and two rounds, before heading out.
533. Poperings Hommel Bier
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Eecke N.V.
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance (4.5): Pours a hazy golden with an orange tint. A thick, white head slowly fades leaving sheets of lace.
Smell (4.5): Fruity with hints of bananas and light citrus with peppery spice to match. Swirling brings out aromas of grassy hops.
Taste (4.0): Fruity and sweet with some citric tartness upfront, which is met by a peppery bite in the center. The finish has a moderate hoppy bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light to medium-bodied, highly carbonated with a bit of oiliness from the hops.
Drinkability (4.5): A fine beer, nice balance bewteen "Belgian" flavors and hoppiness.
Overall (4.25)
534. Villers Oud Vieille
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Huyghe
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy brown with a thick brown head that fades to a patchy layer leaving no lace.
Smell (3.5): Very sweet smelling. Notes of raisins, caramel, toffee and alcohol.
Taste (3.5): Sweet with raisins, toffee and caramel. The peppery finish serves to provide some balance.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, with high carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Pretty easy to drink.
Overall (3.65)
535. Girardin Kriek 1882
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Girardin
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a hazy red-orange with a sudsy, pink head that fades to a thin film.
Smell (3.0): Has the acidic, cherry and funky aromas expected, but there's an odd buttery aroma as well.
Taste (3.5): Acidic tartness with some sweet cherries. The finish is tart with light funkiness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, low carbonation, dry finish.
Drinkability (4.5): Balanced with good, but subdued lambic characters.
Overall (3.75)
536. Hoegaarden Grand Cru
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij van Hoegaarden
Alcohol: 8.70%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy golden-amber. A thickish, off-white head thins to a film with a prominent ring. Leaves no lace.
Smell (4.5): Coriander, banana, orange, cloves, pepper and yeast.
Taste (4.0): Sweet and fruity upfront, strong flavors of banana with mild berry notes. Coriander spice and citric tartness emerge in the center and fade into a finish with light residual sweetness and mild bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Pretty drinkable.
Overall (4.1)
After lunch we walked to Gravensteen, a castle in Ghent that was built in 1180. The name means "castle of the count" in Dutch. The castle tour was nice, especially since it seemed like you could visit most of the castle. There was in in depth exhibit on crime, punishment and torture. David wants to be reminded that if he ever gets a time machine he should not go back to medieval Ghent and commit a crime.
One of the canals in Ghent
Gravensteen
Gravensteen
A stairwell inside
A view of the canal from the castle
Ghent from the top
Presumably an archer would have been here.
A canal
The guillotine
Inside
More castle
Even more castle
The basement area
The ruins of the kitchen
This was a stable before it was a prison.
Labels: Belgian IPA, Belgium 2006, Dubbel, Fruit Lambic, Lambic, Sour Beer, Travel, Witbier
Day Three, Antwerp: Dinner, Paters Vaetje, Waagstuk
Published by Unknown on Saturday, December 09, 2006 at 12:24 AM.
After leaving Oud Arsenaal, we decided to go to Eethuisje de Stoemppot, a restaurant that was recommended by one of our guidebooks. The specialty was listed as Flemish cuisine, which sounded more appealing than "Brussels Specialties." David ordered a chicken and mushroom pie with spinach, which turned out to be chicken and mushrooms in cream sauce. I ordered sausage with mashed potatoes, which came with a dizzying array of mustards. We each had a Duvel with dinner. The sausage was very good, as were the potatoes. During the middle of the meal the alarm clock that we had purchased in the hostel in Brussels went off. Neither of us realized what it was and the waitress was walking around the restaurant trying to find the source. She ended up realizing it was coming from our bag before we did.
After dinner we walked back to the cathedral to go to Paters Vaetje (Monk's Tomb), which was located a mere 10 paces away. There were two levels. On the lower level there were benches and tables against the wall, where we sat, as well as some tables at the front and back. There were stained glass windows above the bar, as well as various beer signs. Oddly, they played a Death Cab for Cutie song while we were there. We ran into the German guys again, and ended up talking to them for awhile.
Distance from the bar to the cathedral.
521. Piraat
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 10.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy, dark golden, with a white head that fades to a thin film, leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Caramel and toffee maltiness, light fruitiness, a bit vinuous with evident alcohol.
Taste (3.5): Sweet upfront, with berry fruitiness. The finish is peppery with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, and very strong alcoholic warming.
Drinkability (3.5): The alcohol is pretty strong in this one.
Overall (3.7)
522. Moeder Overste
Moeder Overste means Mother Superior in Dutch/Flemish.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Lefèbvre SA
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a cloudy brownish golden. Topped by a thick, dense, white head with good retention, leaving patchy lace. Seems a bit dark for a tripel.
Smell (3.0): Fruity, with some berry aromas as well as a light floral quality. No detectable spiciness or alcohol.
Taste (3.0): Sweet berry fruitiness that fades into a neutral center with light spice and bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light to medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Too sweet.
Overall (3.2)
For the next round we went with two De Koninck beers that I haven't seen in the US. We got a scratch card with the Winter Koninck. If we saw a glass we would have won a free De Koninck, but we came up empty handed on that one.
523. Winter Koninck
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Koninck NV
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear, dark ruby-brown with a beige head that fades to a thin film, leaving sheets of lace.
Smell (3.0): Lightly malty, light dark fruit. Pretty clean overall, though what is evident is pleasant.
Taste (3.5): Light sugary sweetness throughout. Some light fruitiness, with some good spiciness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low-carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Quite drinkable for a winter beer.
Overall (3.6)
524. De Koninck Tripel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Koninck NV
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a clear orange-copper. The head fades to a thin film, leaving small patches of lace.
Smell (3.0): Very light fruitiness, light graininess and alcohol.
Taste (3.5): Mostly sweet, with some notes of bananas. The finish is lightly spicy.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.5): Sweet and pleasant.
Overall (3.5)
David
Thom
After leaving Paters Vaetje, we went to 't Waagstuk to finish out the night. I seem to remember the bar being hard to find, but I may be mistaken. It had a tiled floor interior, with wooden tables and chairs, various beer items on the walls and an array of ceramic mugs hung from hooks on the ceiling. We had all three Westvleteren beers while we were there. We also had a nice conversation with the bartender, who was very friendly. He made some recommendations of beer bars and beers to try in Brugge and Gent. We talked about beer in America and I recommended he seek out some Ommegang. Later David challenged him to a tricep contest. He stopped before David. David claimed victory, but the bartender claimed to have work to do.
The tricep contest
12, 8, Blonde
525. Westvleteren 12
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren
Alcohol: 10.20%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (5.0): Pours a hazy, dark ruby-brown. A one-inch, beige head fades to a very persistent, thin layer, leaving thick lace.
Smell (4.5): Fairly light overall, but nice. Raisins and other dark fruit, light roastiness, with a light graininess. Alcohol is also evident, but is mild.
Taste (4.5): Very nice. Lots of dark fruit like raisins and dates. It's sweet but is balanced well by a peppery and alcoholic bite. The finish has nice bitterness to balance.
Mouthfeel (5.0): Full-bodied, low carbonation with alcoholic warming in the finish.
Drinkability (5.0): Sweet, but very well balanced.
Overall (4.7): This is a great beer. It might not be the best in the world, but it certainly is fantastic.
After dinner we walked back to the cathedral to go to Paters Vaetje (Monk's Tomb), which was located a mere 10 paces away. There were two levels. On the lower level there were benches and tables against the wall, where we sat, as well as some tables at the front and back. There were stained glass windows above the bar, as well as various beer signs. Oddly, they played a Death Cab for Cutie song while we were there. We ran into the German guys again, and ended up talking to them for awhile.
Distance from the bar to the cathedral.
521. Piraat
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 10.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian IPA
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy, dark golden, with a white head that fades to a thin film, leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Caramel and toffee maltiness, light fruitiness, a bit vinuous with evident alcohol.
Taste (3.5): Sweet upfront, with berry fruitiness. The finish is peppery with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, and very strong alcoholic warming.
Drinkability (3.5): The alcohol is pretty strong in this one.
Overall (3.7)
522. Moeder Overste
Moeder Overste means Mother Superior in Dutch/Flemish.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Lefèbvre SA
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a cloudy brownish golden. Topped by a thick, dense, white head with good retention, leaving patchy lace. Seems a bit dark for a tripel.
Smell (3.0): Fruity, with some berry aromas as well as a light floral quality. No detectable spiciness or alcohol.
Taste (3.0): Sweet berry fruitiness that fades into a neutral center with light spice and bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light to medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Too sweet.
Overall (3.2)
For the next round we went with two De Koninck beers that I haven't seen in the US. We got a scratch card with the Winter Koninck. If we saw a glass we would have won a free De Koninck, but we came up empty handed on that one.
523. Winter Koninck
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Koninck NV
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear, dark ruby-brown with a beige head that fades to a thin film, leaving sheets of lace.
Smell (3.0): Lightly malty, light dark fruit. Pretty clean overall, though what is evident is pleasant.
Taste (3.5): Light sugary sweetness throughout. Some light fruitiness, with some good spiciness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low-carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Quite drinkable for a winter beer.
Overall (3.6)
524. De Koninck Tripel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Koninck NV
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a clear orange-copper. The head fades to a thin film, leaving small patches of lace.
Smell (3.0): Very light fruitiness, light graininess and alcohol.
Taste (3.5): Mostly sweet, with some notes of bananas. The finish is lightly spicy.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.5): Sweet and pleasant.
Overall (3.5)
David
Thom
After leaving Paters Vaetje, we went to 't Waagstuk to finish out the night. I seem to remember the bar being hard to find, but I may be mistaken. It had a tiled floor interior, with wooden tables and chairs, various beer items on the walls and an array of ceramic mugs hung from hooks on the ceiling. We had all three Westvleteren beers while we were there. We also had a nice conversation with the bartender, who was very friendly. He made some recommendations of beer bars and beers to try in Brugge and Gent. We talked about beer in America and I recommended he seek out some Ommegang. Later David challenged him to a tricep contest. He stopped before David. David claimed victory, but the bartender claimed to have work to do.
The tricep contest
12, 8, Blonde
525. Westvleteren 12
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren
Alcohol: 10.20%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz
Style: Quadrupel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (5.0): Pours a hazy, dark ruby-brown. A one-inch, beige head fades to a very persistent, thin layer, leaving thick lace.
Smell (4.5): Fairly light overall, but nice. Raisins and other dark fruit, light roastiness, with a light graininess. Alcohol is also evident, but is mild.
Taste (4.5): Very nice. Lots of dark fruit like raisins and dates. It's sweet but is balanced well by a peppery and alcoholic bite. The finish has nice bitterness to balance.
Mouthfeel (5.0): Full-bodied, low carbonation with alcoholic warming in the finish.
Drinkability (5.0): Sweet, but very well balanced.
Overall (4.7): This is a great beer. It might not be the best in the world, but it certainly is fantastic.
Labels: Belgian Dark Ale, Belgian IPA, Belgium 2006, Quadrupel, Trappist, Travel, Tripel
