I've finally finished posting everything from our Belgium trip. Everything has the Belgium 2006 tag. I've listed the posts below in chronological order.
Brussels
Brussels
Day One: Flight; Grand Place; Manneken PisAntwerp
Day One: Brasserie Cantillon
Day One: Delirium Café
Day One: Dinner, Moeder Lambic
Day Two: Poechenellekelder, Mort Subite, Ploegmans
Day Two: Warm Water, Delirium Café, Absinthe
Day Three: Arrival in Antwerp, De Berenbak, Sightseeing, Oud ArsenaalGhent
Day Three: Dinner, Paters Vaetje, Waagstuk
Day Four: Lunch and Sightseeing, Kulminator, Dinner, Elfde Gebod
Day Five: Departure/Arrival, Aba-Jour, GravensteenBrugge
Day Five: De Hopduvel
Day Five: Deus, Trollekelder, Waterhuis aan de Bierkant
Day Six: Sightseeing, Lunch, Brouwerij De Halve MaanWest Flanders
Day Six: Kelk, De Garre
Day Six: Brugs Beertje, Dickie's
Day Seven: Kortrijk, Ieper, Poperinge, Paix, Ter PosterieBrussels
Day Seven: Kortrijk, Boulevard
Day Eight: Westvleteren
Day Eight: Poechenellekelder, Delirium Café, PackingNew York
Day Nine: Flight, New York CityThere are few general observations about Belgium that I have.
1. I've been cheated out of knowing more than one language becuase I've grown up in the US. Almost everyone in Belgium spoke at least two to three languages. According to the bartender at Moeder Lambic they start teaching English in schools at around age 10 or 12.Stories that I didn't include in the main post.
2. Belgians are crazy drivers. We were constantly being passed at high speeds when we had rented the car, and we were speeding somewhat.
3. Belgian restrooms are strange. There's often a single door for men and women that opens into a room with a sink, that room has doors for men and women, but it also often contains a urinal.
1. An aspiring DJ in Antwerp helped us determine the best Tram stop for us, which also happened to be his stop. When we got off he waited until the very last minute before he went down into the subway to say "By the way, your president is an asshole."We've decided to go on beer trips to Germany, The UK and The Czech Republic at some point in the future. I think we've decided on The Czech Republic as our next stop.
2. We were getting cash from an ATM in Antwerp, Ghent or Brugge (David?) when a guy came up to us and started speaking in Dutch. When I said we only speak English he then said "Do you have a joint to spare."
Labels: Belgium 2006, Travel
Our flight left Brussels at around 10:00 on Sunday morning and arrived in New York at around noon. We woke up at around 6 AM, got ready and left before 7 AM. We made the mistake of walking from our hostel to Bruxelles-Nord, about a mile, which was painful with the two heavy bags. We took the express train to the airport, and were chastised by the guy who punched our tickets for sitting in the first-class section when we only had second-class tickets.
We checked in and had the bag with the beer labeled fragile. We went to the duty free shop so David could buy a book, and then went through security. We had breakfast and coffee at Coffee Corner near our gate. David later picked up a deck of Manneken Pis playing cards.
The flight was uneventful. We played Sudoku, mocked the Sky Mall catalog, read and played War with the cards. When the plane landed our oxygen masks fell down, not the entire plane's, just ours. The customs agent who I talked through was a pretty easy going guy with a thick New York accent. He asked what kind of beer I had. I told him it was brewed by monks. "Is it dark?" "Yeah." "Is it strong?" "Yeah" "Alright! Drink in moderation, and don't drive."
We made it back to David's apartment, dropped off our bags, and then went to Kitchenette for a late brunch. We stopped by Columbia Deli & Market and picked up a bottle of Southampton IPA, which we drank while watching South Park. Afterwards we went to see Casino Royale and then called it an early night.
580. Southampton IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Southampton Publick House
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a hazy orange with a flufyy, off-white head that persists, leaving thick lace.
Smell (4.0): Some caramel maltiness with nice grassy, herbal and citric hop aromas.
Taste (4.5): Toasty malts, with some light sweetness, followed by a nice resiny and herbal hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, with oiliness from the hops.
Drinkability (4.0): Not too sweet, with a nice strong hop presence.
Overall (4.3)
We checked in and had the bag with the beer labeled fragile. We went to the duty free shop so David could buy a book, and then went through security. We had breakfast and coffee at Coffee Corner near our gate. David later picked up a deck of Manneken Pis playing cards.
The flight was uneventful. We played Sudoku, mocked the Sky Mall catalog, read and played War with the cards. When the plane landed our oxygen masks fell down, not the entire plane's, just ours. The customs agent who I talked through was a pretty easy going guy with a thick New York accent. He asked what kind of beer I had. I told him it was brewed by monks. "Is it dark?" "Yeah." "Is it strong?" "Yeah" "Alright! Drink in moderation, and don't drive."
We made it back to David's apartment, dropped off our bags, and then went to Kitchenette for a late brunch. We stopped by Columbia Deli & Market and picked up a bottle of Southampton IPA, which we drank while watching South Park. Afterwards we went to see Casino Royale and then called it an early night.
580. Southampton IPA
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Southampton Publick House
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle, 22 oz.
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a hazy orange with a flufyy, off-white head that persists, leaving thick lace.
Smell (4.0): Some caramel maltiness with nice grassy, herbal and citric hop aromas.
Taste (4.5): Toasty malts, with some light sweetness, followed by a nice resiny and herbal hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, with oiliness from the hops.
Drinkability (4.0): Not too sweet, with a nice strong hop presence.
Overall (4.3)
Labels: American IPA, Belgium 2006, Travel
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 Eight, Westvleteren: Westvleteren
Published by Unknown on Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 11:23 AM.
We had to return the car by noon on Saturday. We figured we'd have plenty of time to drive to Westvleteren, buy beer and return to Ieper to return the car. We had planned on arriving at the abbey's café at 10 AM, when it opened, which would give us ample time to return the car before noon. Estimating an hour drive from Kortrijk, we planned to leave the hotel at 9 AM. After waking up and having breakfast, which was essentially identical to a hostel breakfast, we were on the road by around 9:15.
We took A19 from Kortrijk to Ieper and then got onto N8, which we again couldn't seem to follow due to abysmal signage. We were eventually able to successfully navigate to N321 using our map, but the fuel light came on so we had to drive to Poperinge to get gas. After getting fuel we headed back towards the abbey on N321, and arrived by 10:30. I purchased four Westvleteren 12 and two Westvleteren Blond, and David purchased 3 and 3. We would have stayed for a beer, but we needed to return the car. I would have taken some pictures, but we were feeling a little rushed.
We drove through Poperinge to Ieper where we had some difficulty navigating to the train station. Eventually we found it and dropped off our bags in a luggage locker. From the station it was an easy drive to the dealership, where we arrived only to find that the manager who could unlock the safe and give David his credit card wasn't there. He arrived promptly and we walked from the dealership back to the city center.
Belgian drivers are crazy. We were probably the slowest moving vehicle on any of the roads, and we were usually speeding. Cars would constantly pass us, seemingly going dangerously fast.
Having neglected to bring a razor, I was suffering from having not shaved the entire trip. We stopped at a grocery store and purchased some disposables and shaving cream. This lead to a joke about shaving on the train back to Brussels, which eventually led to the idea that someone shaving, with razor and shaving cream, on the subway in NYC would pretty much be ignored.
We had a lunch of pasta bolognese at In't Stadhuis before returning to Brussels via train.
We took A19 from Kortrijk to Ieper and then got onto N8, which we again couldn't seem to follow due to abysmal signage. We were eventually able to successfully navigate to N321 using our map, but the fuel light came on so we had to drive to Poperinge to get gas. After getting fuel we headed back towards the abbey on N321, and arrived by 10:30. I purchased four Westvleteren 12 and two Westvleteren Blond, and David purchased 3 and 3. We would have stayed for a beer, but we needed to return the car. I would have taken some pictures, but we were feeling a little rushed.
We drove through Poperinge to Ieper where we had some difficulty navigating to the train station. Eventually we found it and dropped off our bags in a luggage locker. From the station it was an easy drive to the dealership, where we arrived only to find that the manager who could unlock the safe and give David his credit card wasn't there. He arrived promptly and we walked from the dealership back to the city center.
Belgian drivers are crazy. We were probably the slowest moving vehicle on any of the roads, and we were usually speeding. Cars would constantly pass us, seemingly going dangerously fast.
Having neglected to bring a razor, I was suffering from having not shaved the entire trip. We stopped at a grocery store and purchased some disposables and shaving cream. This lead to a joke about shaving on the train back to Brussels, which eventually led to the idea that someone shaving, with razor and shaving cream, on the subway in NYC would pretty much be ignored.
We had a lunch of pasta bolognese at In't Stadhuis before returning to Brussels via train.
Labels: Belgium 2006, Trappist, Travel
We returned to the hotel in Kortrijk and headed to a bar called Boulevard. The inside reminded me of a house, there was a distinct front room filled with tables. The waitress, who wore a bright red hat, took us through the menu and was very friendly. I was impressed at how easily she moved through the packed bar carrying a tray. It was crowded so we ended up having the first round standing. The waitress eventually found us a spot at a large table where a young couple was sitting. We talked with them until they had to leave. I don't remember the context, but the guy said, "The Germans also made mistakes."
David's careful examination of a bottle of Cantillon caught the eye of the couple at the next table, they were probably late 50s or early 60s. They invited us over and bought us a round, we chose Rodenbach. We talked for a while, but language was a little bit more of an issue. Somehow the topic turned to WWI or WWII and the guy said "Without the Americans we would all be Germans." The quote isn't exact because his construction of the statement wasn't exact.
We also had a great plate of snacks that included cheese, sausage with mustard, cornichons, yellow cocktail onions and pine nuts. In addition to the new beers listed below, we had a bottle of Cantillon Broucsella Grand Cru, which was brought out in a champagne bucket, and the Rodenbachs that were purchased for us.
569. Moinette Blond
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dupont sprl
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy golden with a thick, white head that fades to a persistent, quarter-inch layer leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Bananas, pepper and graininess.
Taste (4.0): Well attenuated, there are notes of fruit that lack the accompanying sweetness. Pepper in the finish gives way to grainy flavors as well as some light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Very nice and not too sweet.
Overall (4.0)
570. Urchon
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Des Géants
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy brown with a thick, brown head that fades to a quarter-inch layer leaving patchy but light lace.
Smell (4.0): Raisins. caramel, toffee and some light cherry aromas.
Taste (4.0): Malty, like the smell there are raisins, caramel and toffee. There are also some toasted malt flavors. The finish has a light spiciness and a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Quite nice.
Overall (4.0)
571. De Ranke Guldenberg
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden with a white, whipped-cream head that fades to a thin film leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Light fruitiness and some peppery spice.
Taste (4.0): On the sweet side, but it balances out. Fruity with a significant peppery spice. A sour apple tartness emerges in the finish with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied with high carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Very drinkable.
Overall (4.0)
David's careful examination of a bottle of Cantillon caught the eye of the couple at the next table, they were probably late 50s or early 60s. They invited us over and bought us a round, we chose Rodenbach. We talked for a while, but language was a little bit more of an issue. Somehow the topic turned to WWI or WWII and the guy said "Without the Americans we would all be Germans." The quote isn't exact because his construction of the statement wasn't exact.
We also had a great plate of snacks that included cheese, sausage with mustard, cornichons, yellow cocktail onions and pine nuts. In addition to the new beers listed below, we had a bottle of Cantillon Broucsella Grand Cru, which was brought out in a champagne bucket, and the Rodenbachs that were purchased for us.
569. Moinette Blond
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dupont sprl
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy golden with a thick, white head that fades to a persistent, quarter-inch layer leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Bananas, pepper and graininess.
Taste (4.0): Well attenuated, there are notes of fruit that lack the accompanying sweetness. Pepper in the finish gives way to grainy flavors as well as some light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Very nice and not too sweet.
Overall (4.0)
570. Urchon
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Des Géants
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy brown with a thick, brown head that fades to a quarter-inch layer leaving patchy but light lace.
Smell (4.0): Raisins. caramel, toffee and some light cherry aromas.
Taste (4.0): Malty, like the smell there are raisins, caramel and toffee. There are also some toasted malt flavors. The finish has a light spiciness and a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Quite nice.
Overall (4.0)
571. De Ranke Guldenberg
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden with a white, whipped-cream head that fades to a thin film leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Light fruitiness and some peppery spice.
Taste (4.0): On the sweet side, but it balances out. Fruity with a significant peppery spice. A sour apple tartness emerges in the finish with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied with high carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Very drinkable.
Overall (4.0)
Labels: Belgian Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Belgium 2006, Travel, Tripel
Day Seven, West Flanders: Kortrijk, Ieper, Poperinge, Paix, Ter Posterie
Published by Unknown on at 2:06 AM.
We had breakfast at the hostel in Brugge and then caught the train to Kortrijk. We walked around the city and saw what there was to see, which was essentially just the Stadhuis. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant called "Pomodoro, Pomodoro," where David had an alleged slice of pizza and I had salmon ravioli.
Having exhausted the tourism opportunities in Kortrijk, we decided to take to train to Ieper, rent a car and drive to some of the WWI grave sites in the surrounding countryside. The rental place was a Ford dealership on the edge of town. We were able to rent a Ford KA without any problems, though the guy thought it was weird that we just wanted it for one day. We stopped for gas (petrol!) and purchased a road atlas of Belgium. The picture below isn't the car we drove, but it gives you an idea of how small the car was.
The tiny Ford KA
We drove to various WWI cemeteries around Ieper including the German Cemetery.
WWI cemetery
WWI cemetery
WWI cemetery
WWI cemetery
A monument to Canadian soldiers
German cemetery
German cemetery
After driving to the cemeteries, which where wholly depressing, we decided to drive to Abdij St. Sixtus to see if In De Vrede, the brewery café, was open. We tried to take N8 to Westvleteren, but due to abysmal signage, we were unable to follow the road. We ended up getting lost and taking a circuitous route. Finding the abbey on the back roads was difficult as well. We eventually found it, but the café is closed on Fridays so we weren't able to get anything.
We then drove into Poperinge for dinner. The plan was to eat at Paix, which was listed in the Good Beer Guide, but the food was a little too haught. Instead we stopped at a Belgian fast food palce. I ordered a burger and fries (with mayo) and a can of Hoegaarden, and David ordered a chicken kabob with fries (with ketchup). The burger was okay, but the fries were good. As we were leaving the fast food place we saw the guy we rented the car from in line, though he didn't notice us.
We then went to Paix for a round before heading to Ieper.
565. Queue De Charrue Brune
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Vanuxeem
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a clear ruby with a thin brown head that fades to a sudsy film.
Smell (3.5): Notes of cherries with some medicinal phenols.
Taste (3.5): Cherry sweetness with a flash of tartness and a medicinal finish. Too sweet overall.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, low carbonation, a bit syrupy.
Drinkability (3.5): Too sweet and syrupy, but otherwise not bad.
Overall (3.5)
566. Queue De Charrue Blonde
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Vanuxeem
Alcohol: 9.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy golden with a thick, white head that fades to a persistent quarter-inch layer leaving patchy lace.
Smell (3.5): Grainy with some pepper and light citrus.
Taste (4.0): Subdued fruity sweetness upfront with a peppery and grainy finish with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (3.5): High carbonation, light-bodied with a grainy dryness.
Drinkability (4.0): Good, sweet and spicy.
Overall (3.85)
After leaving Paix we headed to Ieper and went to Ter Posterie for a round. We were the only people in the bar aside from a large group of British people who asked if I was writing a thesis on beer, and later called us tickers under their breath.
567. Yperman
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Leroy
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a lightly hazy amber-golden with a thin off-white head that persists as a thin layer.
Smell (3.5): Light fruit, sugar and peppery spice.
Taste (3.5): Light sweetness, fruit and toasty malts upfront. The finish is peppery with some mild bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation, lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (4.0): Decently drinkable. Not too sweet.
Overall (3.7)
568. Kuurnse Witte
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Bavik
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden with a thick, ecru head that fades to a thin film leaving heavy lace.
Smell (3.5): Sweet and fruity with bananas, tart orange, some sweet malt, pepper and coriander.
Taste (3.5): Sweet bananas, some orangey tartness, with a light spiciness and a light graininess in the finish.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation, dry graininess and warming alcohol.
Drinkability (3.5): Too sweet.
Overall (3.65)
Having exhausted the tourism opportunities in Kortrijk, we decided to take to train to Ieper, rent a car and drive to some of the WWI grave sites in the surrounding countryside. The rental place was a Ford dealership on the edge of town. We were able to rent a Ford KA without any problems, though the guy thought it was weird that we just wanted it for one day. We stopped for gas (petrol!) and purchased a road atlas of Belgium. The picture below isn't the car we drove, but it gives you an idea of how small the car was.
The tiny Ford KA
We drove to various WWI cemeteries around Ieper including the German Cemetery.
WWI cemetery
WWI cemetery
WWI cemetery
WWI cemetery
A monument to Canadian soldiers
German cemetery
German cemetery
After driving to the cemeteries, which where wholly depressing, we decided to drive to Abdij St. Sixtus to see if In De Vrede, the brewery café, was open. We tried to take N8 to Westvleteren, but due to abysmal signage, we were unable to follow the road. We ended up getting lost and taking a circuitous route. Finding the abbey on the back roads was difficult as well. We eventually found it, but the café is closed on Fridays so we weren't able to get anything.
We then drove into Poperinge for dinner. The plan was to eat at Paix, which was listed in the Good Beer Guide, but the food was a little too haught. Instead we stopped at a Belgian fast food palce. I ordered a burger and fries (with mayo) and a can of Hoegaarden, and David ordered a chicken kabob with fries (with ketchup). The burger was okay, but the fries were good. As we were leaving the fast food place we saw the guy we rented the car from in line, though he didn't notice us.
We then went to Paix for a round before heading to Ieper.
565. Queue De Charrue Brune
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Vanuxeem
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a clear ruby with a thin brown head that fades to a sudsy film.
Smell (3.5): Notes of cherries with some medicinal phenols.
Taste (3.5): Cherry sweetness with a flash of tartness and a medicinal finish. Too sweet overall.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, low carbonation, a bit syrupy.
Drinkability (3.5): Too sweet and syrupy, but otherwise not bad.
Overall (3.5)
566. Queue De Charrue Blonde
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Vanuxeem
Alcohol: 9.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy golden with a thick, white head that fades to a persistent quarter-inch layer leaving patchy lace.
Smell (3.5): Grainy with some pepper and light citrus.
Taste (4.0): Subdued fruity sweetness upfront with a peppery and grainy finish with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (3.5): High carbonation, light-bodied with a grainy dryness.
Drinkability (4.0): Good, sweet and spicy.
Overall (3.85)
After leaving Paix we headed to Ieper and went to Ter Posterie for a round. We were the only people in the bar aside from a large group of British people who asked if I was writing a thesis on beer, and later called us tickers under their breath.
567. Yperman
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Leroy
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a lightly hazy amber-golden with a thin off-white head that persists as a thin layer.
Smell (3.5): Light fruit, sugar and peppery spice.
Taste (3.5): Light sweetness, fruit and toasty malts upfront. The finish is peppery with some mild bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation, lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (4.0): Decently drinkable. Not too sweet.
Overall (3.7)
568. Kuurnse Witte
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Bavik
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden with a thick, ecru head that fades to a thin film leaving heavy lace.
Smell (3.5): Sweet and fruity with bananas, tart orange, some sweet malt, pepper and coriander.
Taste (3.5): Sweet bananas, some orangey tartness, with a light spiciness and a light graininess in the finish.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation, dry graininess and warming alcohol.
Drinkability (3.5): Too sweet.
Overall (3.65)
Labels: Belgian Dark Ale, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Belgium 2006, Travel, Witbier
We arrived at Brugs Beertje, which means "The Little Bruges Bear." It's a small two room bar with a nice shabby atmosphere. The walls are covered with beer signs, a picture of which is on the cover of The Good Beer Guide. We sat in the front room at a table near the German guys who we had seen earlier in the day. As the guide says, there's a"virtual guarantee of meeting like-minded beer travelers from everywhere." The beer list was extensive with a lot of quality beers by solid breweries. Having skipped dinner we ordered a snack plate, which had sausage, pâté, cheese and garnishes. I'm now convinced that plates like this are the perfect bar snack.
We ended up socializing at this bar much more than at other bars that we'd been to. Perhaps it was the alcohol taking effect. Whatever the reason, it was a great time.
The Germans:
We spent quite awhile talking to the German guys who we'd run into three times already. The conversation was mostly about politics and the EU. At one point David said "Right now Americans think they can destroy everything." To which one of them replied, "Yeah, there was a time when the Germans thought we could destroy everything too." Not knowing if this was a joke or not David and I remained silent until they started laughing themselves. They eventually moved on to Dickie's, where we would run into them later.
The Brewer and Wife:
A British couple came in who we also talked with. He was the Brewer for Green Jack in the UK. They were ostensibly there on vacation, but his wife seemed to think that on this trip he had managed to bring work into it by the virtue of being at a bar talking about beer. He said his brewery was near St. Peters, and that all of "the boys that work at St. Peters drink my beer because St. Peters is shite." We mostly talked beer. He couldn't say enough good things about American hops.
Bob and Shelagh:
Bob and Shelagh were a couple from the UK, Edinburgh if I remember correctly. David was practicing coaster flips when Bob asked him to try it left handed. A task at which David failed miserably. Bob wrote the following in my book:
Bob and David
Bob and I
David and Bob
We eventually decided to head to Dickie's to finish out the night.
559. N'Ice Chouffe
Where I got it and serving details.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie d'Achouffe
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy brown-amber with a thick, brown head that thins to a film leaving good lace.
Smell (4.0): Sweet, notes of caramel, cherries and raisins with light pepper on swirling.
Taste (4.0): Sweet and fruity malts: light cherries and raisins. There's lots of pepper in the finish with some nice roasted flavors.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, lightly dry.
Drinkability (4.0): Good drinkability for a strong winter beer.
Overall (4.0)
560. Watou Tripel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy amber with a thick white head that retains well leaving patchy lace as the glass is emptied.
Smell (4.0): Mixed fruit aromas, bananas and sour apples. There's also some honey sweetness.
Taste (4.0): Banana, berry and sour apple fruitiness. The finish is peppery with a moderat hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.5): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, dry finish.
Drinkability (4.5): Very drinkable.
Overall (4.1)
561. Het Kapittel Abt
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Eecke N.V.
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a cloudy golden with a thick, white head that remains as a persistent half-inch layer leaving heavy lace.
Smell (4.0): Fruity, mostly sour apples with a leafy hop aroma
Taste (3.5): Some fruity sweetness, some tartness, moderate peppery spice with a light bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Very drinkable.
Overall (3.9)
561. De Dolle Extra Export Stout
I let the brewer for Green Jack try this. He thought it was a good stout, but you could tell it was Belgian.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers
Alcohol: 9.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Foreign / Export Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (5.0): Pours an opaque black with a thick brown head.
Smell (4.0): Nice stout roasted aromas of chocolate and coffee as well as some tart cherry aromas.
Taste (4.5): Cherry and chocolate with a nice sourness. The finish has some nice roasted bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.5): Medium to full-bodied, velvety, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (4.5): A very nice and tasty stout.
Overall (4.5)
563. Wostyntje
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Regenboog
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy orange with a fluffy, white head that leaves patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Fruity, peppery. I can't smell mustard.
Taste (3.5): Fruity and sweet banana flavors. The finish is spicy with some pepper and mustard, which is surprisingly, not overpowering.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Not bad for such a strange beer.
Overall (3.8)
564. Jan Van Gent
I've made a note to myself in the book not to trust the numbers because I'm drunk, so I haven't put them here (overall: 4.05).
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Liefmans
Alcohol:5.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy golden with a white head that retains well and leaves no lace.
Smell: Some light fruitiness, with noticeable grainy aromas.
Taste: Sweet and fruity with some dry graininess.
Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, medium-bodied and lightly dry.
Drinkability: Very!
We left Brugs Beertje and headed to Dickie's where we saw the Germans again. This time we got a picture with them as they were leaving.
With the Germans
We didn't have anything new, though David had a Chimay before I cut him off, while I had a Chimay and two Orvals.
There was a large group of people in the back singing Irish folk songs. It was a mixed group, there were three Irish people, and Englishman and a few Belgians. David walked over and got them to start singing James Taylor. Then David and I sang all three verses of Mercedes Benz, though when we were on the second and third verses they were still singing the only verse people know. They invited us to sit with them, so we talked for a while, about what I don't remember.
There was a lot more singing, but eventually we got into pub games, like blowing cards off of a glass. David, being David got competitive and started to irritate the laid back Europeans. He was chastised four times by various people, five if you count what the owner said to me.
We somehow managed to stumble back to our hostel. I have no idea how we found it, but we did.
We ended up socializing at this bar much more than at other bars that we'd been to. Perhaps it was the alcohol taking effect. Whatever the reason, it was a great time.
The Germans:
We spent quite awhile talking to the German guys who we'd run into three times already. The conversation was mostly about politics and the EU. At one point David said "Right now Americans think they can destroy everything." To which one of them replied, "Yeah, there was a time when the Germans thought we could destroy everything too." Not knowing if this was a joke or not David and I remained silent until they started laughing themselves. They eventually moved on to Dickie's, where we would run into them later.
The Brewer and Wife:
A British couple came in who we also talked with. He was the Brewer for Green Jack in the UK. They were ostensibly there on vacation, but his wife seemed to think that on this trip he had managed to bring work into it by the virtue of being at a bar talking about beer. He said his brewery was near St. Peters, and that all of "the boys that work at St. Peters drink my beer because St. Peters is shite." We mostly talked beer. He couldn't say enough good things about American hops.
Bob and Shelagh:
Bob and Shelagh were a couple from the UK, Edinburgh if I remember correctly. David was practicing coaster flips when Bob asked him to try it left handed. A task at which David failed miserably. Bob wrote the following in my book:
David, the cocky bastard, lost to a UK pensioner at left handed beer mat flips.Bob was a consummate joker, so our choice of Belgium over the UK as a vacation destination was ridiculed with, "Name five famous people from Belgium." When he found out I was a grad student at MIT he said "Name me five famous people to graduate from MIT." Somehow the topic of stature came up and I referred to myself as thin. Bob responded by calling me "porky" for the rest of the evening, "are you sure you should be wearing that sweater porky? Horizontal stripes are a bad choice for you." David was also talking about author Ian Rankin, but couldn't remember a title. Bob wrote this in my book:
23/11
Ha Ha, Bob Richards
"I know every Ian Rankin book I just cannot remember one title."
Bob and David
Bob and I
David and Bob
We eventually decided to head to Dickie's to finish out the night.
559. N'Ice Chouffe
Where I got it and serving details.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie d'Achouffe
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Bottle, 750 mL
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy brown-amber with a thick, brown head that thins to a film leaving good lace.
Smell (4.0): Sweet, notes of caramel, cherries and raisins with light pepper on swirling.
Taste (4.0): Sweet and fruity malts: light cherries and raisins. There's lots of pepper in the finish with some nice roasted flavors.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, lightly dry.
Drinkability (4.0): Good drinkability for a strong winter beer.
Overall (4.0)
560. Watou Tripel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy amber with a thick white head that retains well leaving patchy lace as the glass is emptied.
Smell (4.0): Mixed fruit aromas, bananas and sour apples. There's also some honey sweetness.
Taste (4.0): Banana, berry and sour apple fruitiness. The finish is peppery with a moderat hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.5): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, dry finish.
Drinkability (4.5): Very drinkable.
Overall (4.1)
561. Het Kapittel Abt
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Eecke N.V.
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a cloudy golden with a thick, white head that remains as a persistent half-inch layer leaving heavy lace.
Smell (4.0): Fruity, mostly sour apples with a leafy hop aroma
Taste (3.5): Some fruity sweetness, some tartness, moderate peppery spice with a light bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Very drinkable.
Overall (3.9)
561. De Dolle Extra Export Stout
I let the brewer for Green Jack try this. He thought it was a good stout, but you could tell it was Belgian.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers
Alcohol: 9.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Foreign / Export Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (5.0): Pours an opaque black with a thick brown head.
Smell (4.0): Nice stout roasted aromas of chocolate and coffee as well as some tart cherry aromas.
Taste (4.5): Cherry and chocolate with a nice sourness. The finish has some nice roasted bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.5): Medium to full-bodied, velvety, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (4.5): A very nice and tasty stout.
Overall (4.5)
563. Wostyntje
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Regenboog
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a cloudy orange with a fluffy, white head that leaves patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Fruity, peppery. I can't smell mustard.
Taste (3.5): Fruity and sweet banana flavors. The finish is spicy with some pepper and mustard, which is surprisingly, not overpowering.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Not bad for such a strange beer.
Overall (3.8)
564. Jan Van Gent
I've made a note to myself in the book not to trust the numbers because I'm drunk, so I haven't put them here (overall: 4.05).
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Liefmans
Alcohol:5.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy golden with a white head that retains well and leaves no lace.
Smell: Some light fruitiness, with noticeable grainy aromas.
Taste: Sweet and fruity with some dry graininess.
Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, medium-bodied and lightly dry.
Drinkability: Very!
We left Brugs Beertje and headed to Dickie's where we saw the Germans again. This time we got a picture with them as they were leaving.
With the Germans
We didn't have anything new, though David had a Chimay before I cut him off, while I had a Chimay and two Orvals.
There was a large group of people in the back singing Irish folk songs. It was a mixed group, there were three Irish people, and Englishman and a few Belgians. David walked over and got them to start singing James Taylor. Then David and I sang all three verses of Mercedes Benz, though when we were on the second and third verses they were still singing the only verse people know. They invited us to sit with them, so we talked for a while, about what I don't remember.
There was a lot more singing, but eventually we got into pub games, like blowing cards off of a glass. David, being David got competitive and started to irritate the laid back Europeans. He was chastised four times by various people, five if you count what the owner said to me.
1. Ex Belgian Military - "You have to be who you are."
2. Englishman - "Don't kid a kidder."
3. Portuguese Owner - "You are in Europe, not America. Try and learn something.
4. Belgian Tour Guide - "You're so competitive you can't help but defeat yourself."
5. Portuguese Owner (to me as I was paying) - "Your friend is too American, you're not, but your friend is."
We somehow managed to stumble back to our hostel. I have no idea how we found it, but we did.
Labels: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Belgium 2006, Export Stout, Travel, Tripel
After getting energy in the form of coffee and waffles, we walked to Kelk, which seemed like a grungy local bar. There was a very friendly dalmatian who came up to us. We had a round before heading on to De Garre.
555. Bourgogne Des Flandres
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V.
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear, dark brown with ruby tints. A thick, brown head thins to a sudsy film leaving sheets of lace.
Smell (3.5): There's a sweet cherry aroma, notes of caramel and toffee, and light medicinal phenols.
Taste (3.0): Light cherry sweetness, with a bit of bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Drinkable, but a bit bland.
Overall (3.4)
556. Witte Trappist
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a clear golden with a white head that thins to a persistent layer leaving patchy lace.
Smell (3.5): Heavy notes of bananas. Swirling brings out some pepper and spice.
Taste (3.0): Lightly sweet upfront, some notes of banana. There's graininess in the center with a light peppery spice and tartness. This tastes more like a Belgian Pale Ale than a wit.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, moderate to low carbonation with a bit of creaminess.
Drinkability (4.0): Easy enough to drink, though not to style.
Overall (3.4)
After Kelk, we walked to De Garre, which we had a hard time finding, because the streeet it was on turned out to be a very narrow 500 year-old alley. We grabbed a table upstairs, in the alleged non-smoking section and had a round before leaving for Brugs Beertje.
557. Tripel Van Der Garre
This was served in a Garre glass at De Garre in Brugge. It came with a small bowl of piquant cheese that was quite nice.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 11.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a lightly hazy golden-orange with a three-finger, off-white head with excellent retention that leaves intact sheets of lace as it fades.
Smell (4.0): Has a nice fruity smell with a blend of bananas and sour apple with a bit of pepper.
Taste (4.0): Light, but fruity with sweet bananas and sour apples. The fruitiness is balanced nicely with some spiciness and bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light to medium-bodied, creamy, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Very well balanced, but watch out for the alcohol.
Overall (4.1)
558. Judas
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Alken-Maes
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a lightly hazy golden with a huge, four-finger, white head that fades to a thin film leaving patchy lace.
Smell (3.0): Sour apples and maybe some light graininess.
Taste (2.5): Fruity sour apples with some light pepper, not much else going on.
Mouthfeel (2.5): Low carbonation reveals that this beer feels a bit thin.
Drinkability (3.0): Fine, but nothing to keep your interest.
Overall (2.95)
De Garre was pretty smoky, so we headed to Brugs Beertje next.
555. Bourgogne Des Flandres
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V.
Alcohol: 5.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Flanders Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear, dark brown with ruby tints. A thick, brown head thins to a sudsy film leaving sheets of lace.
Smell (3.5): There's a sweet cherry aroma, notes of caramel and toffee, and light medicinal phenols.
Taste (3.0): Light cherry sweetness, with a bit of bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): Drinkable, but a bit bland.
Overall (3.4)
556. Witte Trappist
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.
Alcohol: 5.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a clear golden with a white head that thins to a persistent layer leaving patchy lace.
Smell (3.5): Heavy notes of bananas. Swirling brings out some pepper and spice.
Taste (3.0): Lightly sweet upfront, some notes of banana. There's graininess in the center with a light peppery spice and tartness. This tastes more like a Belgian Pale Ale than a wit.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, moderate to low carbonation with a bit of creaminess.
Drinkability (4.0): Easy enough to drink, though not to style.
Overall (3.4)
After Kelk, we walked to De Garre, which we had a hard time finding, because the streeet it was on turned out to be a very narrow 500 year-old alley. We grabbed a table upstairs, in the alleged non-smoking section and had a round before leaving for Brugs Beertje.
557. Tripel Van Der Garre
This was served in a Garre glass at De Garre in Brugge. It came with a small bowl of piquant cheese that was quite nice.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 11.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a lightly hazy golden-orange with a three-finger, off-white head with excellent retention that leaves intact sheets of lace as it fades.
Smell (4.0): Has a nice fruity smell with a blend of bananas and sour apple with a bit of pepper.
Taste (4.0): Light, but fruity with sweet bananas and sour apples. The fruitiness is balanced nicely with some spiciness and bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light to medium-bodied, creamy, moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Very well balanced, but watch out for the alcohol.
Overall (4.1)
558. Judas
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Alken-Maes
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a lightly hazy golden with a huge, four-finger, white head that fades to a thin film leaving patchy lace.
Smell (3.0): Sour apples and maybe some light graininess.
Taste (2.5): Fruity sour apples with some light pepper, not much else going on.
Mouthfeel (2.5): Low carbonation reveals that this beer feels a bit thin.
Drinkability (3.0): Fine, but nothing to keep your interest.
Overall (2.95)
De Garre was pretty smoky, so we headed to Brugs Beertje next.
Labels: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Belgium 2006, Flanders Red Ale, Travel, Tripel, Witbier
We woke, had the typical hostel breakfast, checked out and caught the train to Brugge. After arriving in Brugge, we found our hostel, checked in and then set out.
The view from our hostel.
We went to the Groening Museum to see their collection of Flemish Primitive art. There were two things that struck me: the level of detail and realism in some of the paintings, and the surreal imagery of some of the religious paintings.
After the museum we went to lunch at a café called Erasmus, which was mentioned in the Good Beer Guide. The normal menu was pretty expensive, so we went with the 10 € lunch special, which consisted of an overly salted pea soup and a plate of grilled meats with a salad. We each had a Saison Dupont with lunch.
After lunch we went to Brouwerij De Halve Maan, which is apparently the only brewery still operating in Brugge. We decided against taking the tour and instead had the two beers that were offered in their large tasting room. The atmosphere seemed to be geared towards tourists as did the beers. The two Germans arrived shortly after we did, and we briefly said hello.
553. Brugse Zot Dubbel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik / De Halve Maan
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a clear ruby-brown with a thick, brown head that fades to a quarter-inch layer leaving thick lace.
Smell (3.5): Some roasty malt, pepper, graininess and alcohol.
Taste (3.5): Toasty malts, light fruity sweetness with a roasty finish. Alcohol is evident, but subdued.
Mouthfeel (3.0): Light-bodied, a tad watery, moderate carbonation with a dry finish.
Drinkability (3.5): Good, but not a lot going on.
Overall (3.45)
554. Brugse Zot
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik / De Halve Maan
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.0): Pours a clear, pale golden with a thick, white head that fades to athin film leaving a small amount of lace.
Smell (3.5): Hints of fruitiness with some grain and hops.
Taste (3.5): Light fruit, with notes of bananas. Light spiciness with grain and hops in the finish.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Crisp, with a light fruitiness and some nice hoppiness.
Overall (3.45)
After the brewery we went to the Begijnhof, a set of houses facing a wooded inner courtyard that's currently used by Benedictine sisters as a monastery. It was once home to the beguines of Brugge, members of a religious order. After seeing the Begijnhof we walked to the park in the south of the city and then to one of the old city gates. We stopped at a café near the city center for coffee and waffles before heading to the a bar.
This was outside of a bar.
The view from our hostel.
We went to the Groening Museum to see their collection of Flemish Primitive art. There were two things that struck me: the level of detail and realism in some of the paintings, and the surreal imagery of some of the religious paintings.
After the museum we went to lunch at a café called Erasmus, which was mentioned in the Good Beer Guide. The normal menu was pretty expensive, so we went with the 10 € lunch special, which consisted of an overly salted pea soup and a plate of grilled meats with a salad. We each had a Saison Dupont with lunch.
After lunch we went to Brouwerij De Halve Maan, which is apparently the only brewery still operating in Brugge. We decided against taking the tour and instead had the two beers that were offered in their large tasting room. The atmosphere seemed to be geared towards tourists as did the beers. The two Germans arrived shortly after we did, and we briefly said hello.
553. Brugse Zot Dubbel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik / De Halve Maan
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a clear ruby-brown with a thick, brown head that fades to a quarter-inch layer leaving thick lace.
Smell (3.5): Some roasty malt, pepper, graininess and alcohol.
Taste (3.5): Toasty malts, light fruity sweetness with a roasty finish. Alcohol is evident, but subdued.
Mouthfeel (3.0): Light-bodied, a tad watery, moderate carbonation with a dry finish.
Drinkability (3.5): Good, but not a lot going on.
Overall (3.45)
554. Brugse Zot
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik / De Halve Maan
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.0): Pours a clear, pale golden with a thick, white head that fades to athin film leaving a small amount of lace.
Smell (3.5): Hints of fruitiness with some grain and hops.
Taste (3.5): Light fruit, with notes of bananas. Light spiciness with grain and hops in the finish.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Crisp, with a light fruitiness and some nice hoppiness.
Overall (3.45)
After the brewery we went to the Begijnhof, a set of houses facing a wooded inner courtyard that's currently used by Benedictine sisters as a monastery. It was once home to the beguines of Brugge, members of a religious order. After seeing the Begijnhof we walked to the park in the south of the city and then to one of the old city gates. We stopped at a café near the city center for coffee and waffles before heading to the a bar.
This was outside of a bar.
Labels: Belgian Pale Ale, Belgium 2006, Dubbel, Travel
Day Five, Ghent: Deus, Trollekelder, Waterhuis aan de Bierkant
Published by Unknown on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 at 11:08 PM.
After De Hopduvel and dinner, if we had dinner after De Hopduvel and not sometime later in the evening, we went to Deus, which was in the Good Beer Guide. The entrance opens onto a room filled with seating. The bar is relatively secluded in the back. I got the impression that they were going for an upscale feel. We had one round before heading to the next bar.
544. Hanssens Oude Kriek
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Hanssens Artisanaal bvba
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Bottle
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a hazy red with a fizzy, pinkish-orange head that fades to a sparse ring.
Smell (4.0): Sweet cherries, acidic sourness and lambic funkiness. Swirling, like it does for most lambics, brings out the funk.
Taste (4.0): Intensely sour with sweet cherries that do little to cut the sourness in the center. The finish is earthy.
Mouthfeel (4.5): Light-bodied, low carbonation and intensely dry.
Drinkability (3.5): Definitely too tart to drink a lot of.
Overall (4.1)
545. Floreffe Prima Melior
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Lefèbvre SA
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.0): Pours a dark brown with ruby tints. A thin brown head fades quickly leaving no lace.
Smell (2.0): Sweet raisins and little else.
Taste (3.5): Sugary raisins upfront and through to the finish. The finish has light pepper and a bit of roasted bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Moderate carbonation, medium-bodied and lightly dry.
Drinkability (4.0): The dry finish bumped this up a notch.
Overall (3.2)
After leaving Deus we passed Ghent's red-light district on the way to Trollekelder, which means "Troll's Cellar." The front window had large trolls on display. The bar was two levels, we opted for the less crowded lower level, where we sat at a table right under the stairs down. Aside from us, there was only one other group downstairs. David spent much of the time trying to figure out what they were talking about.
The waiter seemed to be annoyed that it took us awhile to decide on beers and annoyed with us in general. On our way out, we left the money on the table, which the waiter made us go back downstairs and get when he saw us leaving.
546. La Trappe Blond
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a very lightly hazy golden-orange with a white head that thins to a persistent film.
Smell (3.5): Light Belgian yeast fruitiness with sour apple particularly noticeable. There's also some peppery notes.
Taste (4.0): Very light fruitiness upfront. The finish is a clean spiciness with a nice hoppy bitterness with some crisp graininess.
Mouthfeel (4.0): High carbonation, light-bodied, lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (4.0): Solidly drinkable, good hoppiness.
Overall (3.8)
547. Trollebier Bruin
This is a house beer that I know very little about. Without knowing the alcohol I can't really make a guess on style other than a Dubbel, a Dark Ale or a Strong Dark Ale.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: ?
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: ?
Appearance (4.5): Pours a cloudy, dark brown with a thick, whipped-cream, brown head that eventually fades to a thin film leaving thick lace.
Smell (4.0): Light, but I noticed dark fruit, light phenols, roasty malts and hops.
Taste (3.5): Dark fruit upfront with some cherry tartness. The finish is a mix of light roasty bitterness and hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation with a smooth texture.
Drinkability (4.5): Very drinkable with a nice bitterness for balance.
Overall (3.95)
548. Goudenband
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Liefmans
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear ruby with a brown head that thins quickly.
Smell (4.0): Very malty: raisins, caramel and toffee, as well as a bit of a medicinal character.
Taste (4.0): Sweet with some cherry tartness, some toffee and some raisins.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Full-bodied and a little syrupy with low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Pretty good, sweet with a little bit of sourness.
Overall (3.95)
549. Trollebier Blonde
My knowledge about this beer is pretty much the same as for the Bruin. I'm guessing it's a strong pale ale.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: ?
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a lightly hazy golden with a thick white head that has good retention and leaves thick lace.
Smell (3.5): Belgian yeast fruitiness and sour apples, light spice.
Taste (3.5): Some light sweet fruitiness with a little peppery spice and a good hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.5): Nice drinkability thanks to the hops.
Overall (3.85)
After leaving Trollekelder we were fairly intoxicated, having been drinking for about twelve hours. We went to Waterhuis aan de Bierkant (Waterhouse on the Beerside) to finish the night out. The Waterhuis seemed to be one of the last bars open when we arrived, and as might be expected it was crowded. We ended up with a booth by a window where David promptly began trying to flip as many coasters as he could. Oddly this is written in my notes, "Lane wants to get jaw broken over a bet on coaster flipping."
We had two rounds before I was able to convince David that we'd had enough for the day.
550. Troubadour Obscura
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Musketiers
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a lightly hazy ruby-brown with a thick brown head that thins to half an inch leaving heavy lace.
Smell (3.5): Light fruity aromas of raisins and cherries. Malty with some light caramel.
Taste (4.5): Sweet malts, a bit of caramel. Tart with a roasty bitterness. Nice.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation with a lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (4.0): Balanced!
Overall (4.1)
551. Gandavum Dry Hopping
This is the house beer for The Waterhuis.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Proefbrouwerij
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a lightly hazy golden with a thick whit ehead that fades to a thin film leaving heavy lace.
Smell (4.0): Peppery spice with light fruity notes and a good hop undertone.
Taste (4.5): Nice peppery notes throughout with light fruit and a substantial hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Moderate carbonation, light to medium-bodied.
Drinkability (4.5): Very drinkable, nicely balanced.
Overall (4.25)
552. Bière Du Boucanier Golden
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 11.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a hazy golden with a white head that fades to a film leaving a small amount of patchy lace.
Smell (3.5): Sour apple fruitiness with alcohol and peppery spice.
Taste (4.0): Very spicy, though sweet fruit is evident. The finish is grainy with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, high carbonation with a dry finish.
Drinkability (3.5): The alcohol is very evident, though not overpowering.
Overall (3.75)
544. Hanssens Oude Kriek
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Hanssens Artisanaal bvba
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Bottle
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a hazy red with a fizzy, pinkish-orange head that fades to a sparse ring.
Smell (4.0): Sweet cherries, acidic sourness and lambic funkiness. Swirling, like it does for most lambics, brings out the funk.
Taste (4.0): Intensely sour with sweet cherries that do little to cut the sourness in the center. The finish is earthy.
Mouthfeel (4.5): Light-bodied, low carbonation and intensely dry.
Drinkability (3.5): Definitely too tart to drink a lot of.
Overall (4.1)
545. Floreffe Prima Melior
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Lefèbvre SA
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.0): Pours a dark brown with ruby tints. A thin brown head fades quickly leaving no lace.
Smell (2.0): Sweet raisins and little else.
Taste (3.5): Sugary raisins upfront and through to the finish. The finish has light pepper and a bit of roasted bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Moderate carbonation, medium-bodied and lightly dry.
Drinkability (4.0): The dry finish bumped this up a notch.
Overall (3.2)
After leaving Deus we passed Ghent's red-light district on the way to Trollekelder, which means "Troll's Cellar." The front window had large trolls on display. The bar was two levels, we opted for the less crowded lower level, where we sat at a table right under the stairs down. Aside from us, there was only one other group downstairs. David spent much of the time trying to figure out what they were talking about.
The waiter seemed to be annoyed that it took us awhile to decide on beers and annoyed with us in general. On our way out, we left the money on the table, which the waiter made us go back downstairs and get when he saw us leaving.
546. La Trappe Blond
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a very lightly hazy golden-orange with a white head that thins to a persistent film.
Smell (3.5): Light Belgian yeast fruitiness with sour apple particularly noticeable. There's also some peppery notes.
Taste (4.0): Very light fruitiness upfront. The finish is a clean spiciness with a nice hoppy bitterness with some crisp graininess.
Mouthfeel (4.0): High carbonation, light-bodied, lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (4.0): Solidly drinkable, good hoppiness.
Overall (3.8)
547. Trollebier Bruin
This is a house beer that I know very little about. Without knowing the alcohol I can't really make a guess on style other than a Dubbel, a Dark Ale or a Strong Dark Ale.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: ?
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: ?
Appearance (4.5): Pours a cloudy, dark brown with a thick, whipped-cream, brown head that eventually fades to a thin film leaving thick lace.
Smell (4.0): Light, but I noticed dark fruit, light phenols, roasty malts and hops.
Taste (3.5): Dark fruit upfront with some cherry tartness. The finish is a mix of light roasty bitterness and hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation with a smooth texture.
Drinkability (4.5): Very drinkable with a nice bitterness for balance.
Overall (3.95)
548. Goudenband
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Liefmans
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear ruby with a brown head that thins quickly.
Smell (4.0): Very malty: raisins, caramel and toffee, as well as a bit of a medicinal character.
Taste (4.0): Sweet with some cherry tartness, some toffee and some raisins.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Full-bodied and a little syrupy with low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Pretty good, sweet with a little bit of sourness.
Overall (3.95)
549. Trollebier Blonde
My knowledge about this beer is pretty much the same as for the Bruin. I'm guessing it's a strong pale ale.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: ?
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a lightly hazy golden with a thick white head that has good retention and leaves thick lace.
Smell (3.5): Belgian yeast fruitiness and sour apples, light spice.
Taste (3.5): Some light sweet fruitiness with a little peppery spice and a good hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.5): Nice drinkability thanks to the hops.
Overall (3.85)
After leaving Trollekelder we were fairly intoxicated, having been drinking for about twelve hours. We went to Waterhuis aan de Bierkant (Waterhouse on the Beerside) to finish the night out. The Waterhuis seemed to be one of the last bars open when we arrived, and as might be expected it was crowded. We ended up with a booth by a window where David promptly began trying to flip as many coasters as he could. Oddly this is written in my notes, "Lane wants to get jaw broken over a bet on coaster flipping."
We had two rounds before I was able to convince David that we'd had enough for the day.
550. Troubadour Obscura
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Musketiers
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a lightly hazy ruby-brown with a thick brown head that thins to half an inch leaving heavy lace.
Smell (3.5): Light fruity aromas of raisins and cherries. Malty with some light caramel.
Taste (4.5): Sweet malts, a bit of caramel. Tart with a roasty bitterness. Nice.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation with a lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (4.0): Balanced!
Overall (4.1)
551. Gandavum Dry Hopping
This is the house beer for The Waterhuis.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Proefbrouwerij
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a lightly hazy golden with a thick whit ehead that fades to a thin film leaving heavy lace.
Smell (4.0): Peppery spice with light fruity notes and a good hop undertone.
Taste (4.5): Nice peppery notes throughout with light fruit and a substantial hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Moderate carbonation, light to medium-bodied.
Drinkability (4.5): Very drinkable, nicely balanced.
Overall (4.25)
552. Bière Du Boucanier Golden
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Alcohol: 11.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a hazy golden with a white head that fades to a film leaving a small amount of patchy lace.
Smell (3.5): Sour apple fruitiness with alcohol and peppery spice.
Taste (4.0): Very spicy, though sweet fruit is evident. The finish is grainy with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, high carbonation with a dry finish.
Drinkability (3.5): The alcohol is very evident, though not overpowering.
Overall (3.75)
Labels: Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Belgium 2006, Flanders Oud Bruin, Fruit Lambic, Lambic, Sour Beer, Travel
After seeing Gravensteen we took the Number 1 Tram south, and then walked to De Hopduvel for a few rounds. The bar is dimly lit and fairly large. There's a small bar to the left as you enter, a room of seating to the right, and another room with lots of seating towards the back. There's an outside courtyard that's probably nice in warmer weather. The front room is decorated with an extensive collection of empty bottles and the walls of the back room are decorated with various beer signs. Aside from the decorations the place has the feel of a medieval house. The beer selection was excellent.
As a service to other patrons who can't read Dutch, the sign on the door to the restroom probably warns you about the step down that you'll encounter when you walk through the door.
David spent a while drawing various Belgian beer images on the back of a coaster, which included a version of the devil on the Hopduvel menu disco dancing. He gave it to the bartender, who seemed to like it.
537. De Dolle Dulle Teve
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a lightly hazy golden. Topped by a fluffy, meringue-like, white head with good retention and nice lacing.
Smell (4.0): Lightly fruity with peppery spice, citrus and grain.
Taste (4.5): Significantly bitter. Light fruity nites up front are quickly followed by strong peppery spice and hoppy bitterness. The finish is bitter with residual sweet and tart fruit flavors.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (5.0): Easy to drink with a good balance.
Overall (4.4)
538. Witkap Pater Dubbel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Slaghmuylder
Alcohol: 7.20%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear ruby-brown with a thick beige head with good retention and lace.
Smell (4.0): The aromas are light overall, with notes of tropical fruit and cherries. Light, but interesting
Taste (4.0): Light and fruity with notes of cherry and dark fruit. The finish is a delicate interplay of spice and bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation, velvety texture.
Drinkability (4.0): Very mild and drinkable.
Overall (4.0): Nothing is over the top, but still manages to be a nice brew.
539. Grottenbier
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a clear ruby-brown with a three-finger, fluffy, beige head with impressive retention that leaves thick rings of lace.
Smell (4.0): Light overall. Notes of cherries, grain and sweet malts.
Taste (4.5): Notes of cherries and chocolate not accompanied by sweetness or tartness. The finish has some light roasted character.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, high carbonation with a light dryness in the finish.
Drinkability (5.0): Very balanced.
Overall (4.4)
540. Oudbeitje Lambic
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Hanssens Artisanaal bvba
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Lightly hazy pinkish-orange with no head whatsoever, only large bubbles from pouring that disappear quickly.
Smell (4.0): My first impression was of overwhelming strawberries, but after letting it sit I could detect some nice funkiness, which was enhanced by swirling.
Taste (4.5): Intense acidic sourness is dominant from start to finish. Some strawberry flavors appear briefly with mild sweetness. The finish is earthy funkiness along with the acidic sourness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, very low carbonation, lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (4.0): Pretty drinkable despite sourness.
Overall (4.1): Initially I wasn't impressed, but it really grew on me as I drank it.
541. Cuvée Des Trolls
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dubuisson Frères
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Served in a frosted glass, so I have no idea if this is clear or cloudy, my guess is lightly hazy. Golden in color with a white head that quickly fades to a sudsy film leaving patchy lace.
Smell (3.0): Sweet Belgian yeast fruitiness along with light pepper and light grain.
Taste (3.0): Sweet banana and berry fruitiness with a peppery finish.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light to medium-bodied with moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): A little too sweet.
Overall (3.25)
542. Hoppetje
I believe that this is the house beer brewed by De Proef. It's described as a 6º blond abdijbier.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Proefbrouwerij
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a cloudy blond with a white head that fades to a patchy film leaving sheets of lace.
Smell (4.0): Interesting fruitiness. It's not the typical Belgian yeast aroma, though there are some sour apples. There's also a nice funkiness.
Taste (4.0): Lightly fruity with hints of bananas, some sour apples and a grainy finish.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light-bodied with high carbonation.
Drinkability (4.5): Very drinkable, a good session beer.
Overall (4.1)
543. Moriau Geuze
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Boon
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Bottle, 37.5 cL
Style: Gueuze, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden with an off-white head.
Smell (3.0): Pretty light for a gueuze, but the acidic sourness and funkiness are there, you just have to swirl to get them.
Taste (4.0): Halfway between a sweet lambic and a sour lambic. The sourness is balanced by some sweetness. The finish has some earthy funk to it.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, moderate carbonation with a dry finish.
Drinkability (4.0): Not bad for a sweet gueuze.
Overall (3.8)
I know David and I had dinner and played pool at some point on the trip. It's not written in my notebook, but I believe it was in Ghent. I had lasagna, in cream sauce, and David had pasta with pesto sauce.
As a service to other patrons who can't read Dutch, the sign on the door to the restroom probably warns you about the step down that you'll encounter when you walk through the door.
David spent a while drawing various Belgian beer images on the back of a coaster, which included a version of the devil on the Hopduvel menu disco dancing. He gave it to the bartender, who seemed to like it.
537. De Dolle Dulle Teve
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers
Alcohol: 10.00%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Tripel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a lightly hazy golden. Topped by a fluffy, meringue-like, white head with good retention and nice lacing.
Smell (4.0): Lightly fruity with peppery spice, citrus and grain.
Taste (4.5): Significantly bitter. Light fruity nites up front are quickly followed by strong peppery spice and hoppy bitterness. The finish is bitter with residual sweet and tart fruit flavors.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (5.0): Easy to drink with a good balance.
Overall (4.4)
538. Witkap Pater Dubbel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Slaghmuylder
Alcohol: 7.20%
Serving: Bottle, 11.2 oz.
Style: Dubbel, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a clear ruby-brown with a thick beige head with good retention and lace.
Smell (4.0): The aromas are light overall, with notes of tropical fruit and cherries. Light, but interesting
Taste (4.0): Light and fruity with notes of cherry and dark fruit. The finish is a delicate interplay of spice and bitterness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, low carbonation, velvety texture.
Drinkability (4.0): Very mild and drinkable.
Overall (4.0): Nothing is over the top, but still manages to be a nice brew.
539. Grottenbier
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV
Alcohol: 6.50%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a clear ruby-brown with a three-finger, fluffy, beige head with impressive retention that leaves thick rings of lace.
Smell (4.0): Light overall. Notes of cherries, grain and sweet malts.
Taste (4.5): Notes of cherries and chocolate not accompanied by sweetness or tartness. The finish has some light roasted character.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Medium-bodied, high carbonation with a light dryness in the finish.
Drinkability (5.0): Very balanced.
Overall (4.4)
540. Oudbeitje Lambic
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Hanssens Artisanaal bvba
Alcohol: 6.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Lightly hazy pinkish-orange with no head whatsoever, only large bubbles from pouring that disappear quickly.
Smell (4.0): My first impression was of overwhelming strawberries, but after letting it sit I could detect some nice funkiness, which was enhanced by swirling.
Taste (4.5): Intense acidic sourness is dominant from start to finish. Some strawberry flavors appear briefly with mild sweetness. The finish is earthy funkiness along with the acidic sourness.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, very low carbonation, lightly dry finish.
Drinkability (4.0): Pretty drinkable despite sourness.
Overall (4.1): Initially I wasn't impressed, but it really grew on me as I drank it.
541. Cuvée Des Trolls
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brasserie Dubuisson Frères
Alcohol: 7.00%
Serving: Bottle
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Served in a frosted glass, so I have no idea if this is clear or cloudy, my guess is lightly hazy. Golden in color with a white head that quickly fades to a sudsy film leaving patchy lace.
Smell (3.0): Sweet Belgian yeast fruitiness along with light pepper and light grain.
Taste (3.0): Sweet banana and berry fruitiness with a peppery finish.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light to medium-bodied with moderate carbonation.
Drinkability (3.5): A little too sweet.
Overall (3.25)
542. Hoppetje
I believe that this is the house beer brewed by De Proef. It's described as a 6º blond abdijbier.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: De Proefbrouwerij
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.5): Pours a cloudy blond with a white head that fades to a patchy film leaving sheets of lace.
Smell (4.0): Interesting fruitiness. It's not the typical Belgian yeast aroma, though there are some sour apples. There's also a nice funkiness.
Taste (4.0): Lightly fruity with hints of bananas, some sour apples and a grainy finish.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light-bodied with high carbonation.
Drinkability (4.5): Very drinkable, a good session beer.
Overall (4.1)
543. Moriau Geuze
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brouwerij Boon
Alcohol: ?
Serving: Bottle, 37.5 cL
Style: Gueuze, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (4.0): Pours a hazy golden with an off-white head.
Smell (3.0): Pretty light for a gueuze, but the acidic sourness and funkiness are there, you just have to swirl to get them.
Taste (4.0): Halfway between a sweet lambic and a sour lambic. The sourness is balanced by some sweetness. The finish has some earthy funk to it.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Light-bodied, moderate carbonation with a dry finish.
Drinkability (4.0): Not bad for a sweet gueuze.
Overall (3.8)
I know David and I had dinner and played pool at some point on the trip. It's not written in my notebook, but I believe it was in Ghent. I had lasagna, in cream sauce, and David had pasta with pesto sauce.
Labels: Belgian Dark Ale, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Belgium 2006, Dubbel, Fruit Lambic, Gueuze, Lambic, Sour Beer, 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
