The 10 Beers of Christmas (or, Why the Chuff Didn't I Buy 12?) - Day 10

Day 12 - Bush Noel


Here we are on day 10, rounding off with a 12% beer, callously reminding me of the number 12 which I so failed to reach.


Bush is a beer that has long been in my consciousness. Way back at the beginning of my drinking days in Belgo in Bristol, this was the one on the menu that we all were acutely aware of. 12%! we couldn't believe it. In my naive little world it was the strongest beer there was and the only of it's kind. Of course it isn't.


10 years down the line (yikes!) and it's one I'm fairly familiar with. The Noel version is adorned with stars and sits innocently in your fridge, waiting to entertain you. The funny thing about it is that it isn't an overwhelming beer. It's fairly ordinary, in fact.


The aroma is a mildly yeasty, caramel flavour with spicy overtones. There is a gentle but rich alcohol presence; the Santa's sack enveloping the presents that are the other flavours (see what I did there?). It's got a very warming character and will definitely help to keep you cosy on a cold, winter night.


It's pretty fizzy with a light brown, uncomplicated look to it. It's impressively clear for such a strong ale. Halfway down the glass I had an epiphany (as you do when drinking 12% beer): it's the St Bernardus Christmas beer in a suit, nearly concealing all of it's huge character, but not quite.


Flavour-wise, it's not moving any mountains; the gentle spices give it a lovely roundedness and the alcohol wraps it up very well. There is a really sweet aftertaste that's very comforting and the rich warmth is at levels you'd usually expect from a Speyside single malt whisky. The bitterness is there but only just; offering itself as a necessity if nothing else.


Bush Noel is very tasty and exceedingly easy to drink. If you want to get pissed this Christmas, drink this and ye shall be merry indeed.


For those who want to take it a step further, (because a 12% beer is clearly not enough) Dubuisson offer a 'Bush des Nuits' which is this beer oak aged for 6 months and presented in a very smart 750ml bottle. Pricey though.


Bush Noel - 8
Christmas rating - 10


http://www.br-dubuisson.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=17〈=en

The 10 Beers of Christmas (or, Why the Chuff Didn't I Buy 12?) - Day 9

Day 9 - Abbaye des Rocs Speciale Noel


This is one I'd tried last year and was looking forward to getting my chops around it again. I like the label of this beer, it's kind of a stained glass window effect and very festive in quite a traditional way that's suited to an Abbey.


It's a very rustic affair which reminds me hugely of Trappistes Rochefort no 6. It's a similar strength to the number 8 but I haven't had that one enough to say that this one is like that. Regardless of which one it's like, Rochefort is up there in my opinion as making some of the world's best beers so it's a high accolade.


The main problem with this beer was that it was another erupter. The exacerbating factor with beers like this is that some people like to leave the sediment at the bottom (although I'm the camp of 'bung it all in') and it basically churns it all up. This resulted in no head on the beer, but there was still plenty of fizziness left behind. It's one of those champagnesque bubblers. Now it starts looking up.


It's a dark, murky brown beer with heaps of sediment; it's positively teeming with chunks of this and that. There's a heavy malt smell with clove, cinnamon and aniseed but in very well-balanced terms. It's got a tang, which I was about to describe as unique, but then remembered it's the one that you get in Rochefort beers. It's tangy, slightly musty and very distinctive. The high level of alcohol (9%) really helps this.


The taste brings more development. Dark chocolate comes first then dissipates to a rich coffee which sticks around in your mouth. Unfortunately, like all great guests, it has to leave but it parts with a gift; a short bitter finish and lots of sweetness.


The musty elements may not be to everyone's taste but that is what is so great about beer from Belgium; there really is something for everyone's taste. Indeed, they make stuff for virtually no-one's taste too (lambics anyone?). This is one I'm going to rate highly as it really is my cup of tea. It may not be yours but give it a shot.


Abbaye des Rocs Speciale Noel - 9
Christmas rating - 8


http://www.abbaye-des-rocs.com/page%20en%20anglais.htm

The 10 Beers of Christmas (or, Why the Chuff Didn't I Buy 12?) - Day 8

Day 8 - Tongerlo Christmas

As the daily drinking nears its end I'm presented with my first disappointment of the pack.

Tongerlo is a brewery which I've only tried once before. I don't remember much about the 'Prior', but as it was over two years ago that doesn't necessarily say much.

The Christmas beer, as well as being the LEAST festive label you could conceive, is also the weakest of the gang, coming in at only 7% - pah, it's virtually water (!!). It's an amber beer. I could stop there. If you've tried amber ale from Belgium, e.g. De Koninck, you've tried this. It's no game-changer.

It's starts well with nice, excitable head on it and it has a fine hue. All good, so far. It's got the appearance of a best bitter; the head has a lovely, slightly golden tint to it.

It smells like... well, beer. It's crisp. It's clean. There's hints of malt, hops, yeast and errr, water... Blimey that's what they make beer out of! It's mildly malty and easy to drink. The finish is clean.

If you ever meet someone who hasn't tried beer before, offer them this - they'll be blown away! There's no point in me describing this beer anymore because it tastes like beer. Nice beer.

I'm not trying to suggest that it isn't good, because it's not a bad beer. It's fine. I just think there are more exciting things to drink. I'm being a little harsh because, as for this beer being Christmassy... puhleeease.

Tongerlo Christmas - 5

Christmas rating - 2

http://www.tongerlo.be/tongerlo.php?lg=uk

The 10 Beers of Christmas (or, Why the Chuff Didn't I Buy 12?) - Day 7

Day 7 - La Gauloise Christmas

La Gauloise comes from Brasserie du Bocq, owner of many sub-brands of beer. Last year I tried 'Bocq Christmas' and enjoyed it a lot, but couldn't get hold of it this year. When Gauloise Christmas showed up, it looked awfully similar. The same, super-cheesy Santa adorns its label. After checking Bocq's website, it's got the same ABV and there's no page for this Gauloise edition - are they both the same beer!? It's a shame I've not got two to compare but I'd wager they are.

It's a ruby beer with a very good head with good staying power. It's not too fizzy but an easy drinker.

Aromatically speaking, there's light fruitiness and spices involved, all gently offered with a warming effect. The alcohol presence comes through very well, without being too much. It gives it a bit of body to the smell to round it all off. Nice.

It's one of the most flavoursome beers of the pack, offering plenty to chew over. The outstanding flavour is strawberry jam, with pectin-like sweetness giving a lovely thick saliva to mull over.  Returning to smell it, all of a sudden the fruitiness originally present is given a strawberry character which is great.

What's most striking about the beer is that is an incredibly light-bodied affair for a dark beer. It's light and fluffy in your mouth and a very quaffable ale. As you continue to drink it the spices come through as anise and ginger (the latter became present in a burp!).

I've got to rate it highly for its sophistication and warmth, which is most important for this time of the year. You may have read the previous entry extolling the virtues of Abbey St Martin's Christmas effort and I think this one's very similar in character.

La Gauloise Christmas - 8.5
Christmas rating - 8

http://www.bocq.be/english/ownbrands/bocq-christmas.php

The 10 Beers of Christmas (or, Why the Chuff Didn't I Buy 12?) - Day 6

Day 6 - Abbey St Martin Cuvée de Noël

After nearly a week of drinking festive ale I've been overpowered by aniseed or alcohol in most of the offerings. I was looking for the sort of beer to relax with -something homely - and I think I've found it.

Cuvée de Noël doesn't blow your socks off with overwhelming tastes or flavours but it's a very drinkable beer which (really importantly) improves as you drink it.  You can tell by the label (just a couple or stars and a red trim added to the standard design) that Abbaye de St Martin are taking a considered approach to a Christmas beer.

It's a slightly cloudy, ruby beer with nice medium head. There are mild wheaty aromas; a faint banana sniff and yeast. What they've importantly managed to do is introduce aniseed at a pleasant and not over-powering level. After this week's dark beers I'm delighted at this feature! There's a nice blend of other seasonal spices to give it rounded appeal. It's slightly lacking fizz or sparkle in the mouth but that does make it easy to drink. 

In the mouth, the smokiness or woodiness is tough to locate but it is present and a minimal smidgen of clove also shows its face. Whilst some of the flavours are harder to find I shouldn't complain as they're very well balanced. The aftertaste continues in this form and is lovely and sweet.

The more I drunk the beer the more I liked it. If beer had personality this would be a cheery landlord who's got a smile for everyone: it's hard not to like! I'd really recommend this beer if you're trying to convince someone that strong, Belgian beer is the way forward. In fact, I recommend it to you all!

Abbaye de St Martin Cuvée de Noël - 8.5

Christmas rating - 8

http://brunehaut.com/stm4.php

The 10 Beers of Christmas (or, Why the Chuff Didn't I Buy 12?) - Day 5

Day 5 - Enghien Noel


I tried this one (but not the Christmas version) a month or so back and found it to be a peculiar beast but quite enjoyable. With a festive twist, would this be the star on top of the tree, or the pine needles stuck in the carpet?


It's a dark blonde colour but I found it to be lacking fizz or head. I managed to coax a head out of the second glass but perhaps at the expense of liveliness in the glass which is a shame and fairly basic.


It's aroma is an exciting affair with very interesting butter and vanilla aroma with a hint of smoky jacket (remember the pleasant smell your clothes used to adopt after a night out before the smoking ban?). It's not the kind of wood fire smoke that we want, it was a bit jarring. On the second sniff there was more pleasant cinder toffee and finally honey.


The taste is a little odd too. The fag smoke lingered and was coupled with some harsh bitterness which was not balanced with any sweetness.


Happily it improves a lot with food as the bitterness is mostly masked and the pine elements that are present in the original come through too. However, once your grub's finished, it's back!


This beer is unfortunately a little bit too wacky and the flavours just jar a little too much to make it a good beer. It's still not a terrible beer, just a little odd.


Enghien Noel - 6
Christmas rating - 7


http://www.silly-beer.com/p_noel_en.htm

The 10 Beers of Christmas (or, Why the Chuff Didn't I Buy 12?) - Day 4

Day 4 - St Bernadus Christmas


St Bernadus is one of those beers which blends into the 'monk gang'. The name is easy to forget and the label is a chirpy monk proffering a glass of beer (in this case with a Santa hat on). So much so, that I've an empty bottle of the 'ABT 12' - the year-round version of this beer - in my house but I've totally forgotten whether I liked it or not.


Well, I liked this one. A lot. It's a brown beer, but not too dark and the head is fairly impressive. It doesn't leave peaks as it falls but it's nearly there. As I was pouring from a 750ml bottle, my first glass was crystal clear and second was slightly cloudy. No bother to me though, give me murk any day.


It's a real selection box of smells. It begins with an estery aroma and gently spiced with soaked raisins. Not quite like a Christmas pud but nearly there and a slight woodiness too. If you've been lucky enough to try chocolate figgy pudding - this is it!


The sophisticated flavours continue into the mouth and blend into a warm, comforting sensation with a very well-controlled strength (10%). There is the hint of sourness to give the sumptuous warmth a wee bit of bite and edge. The excellent balance continues into the aftertaste with gentle bitterness complementing the sweet saliva in your mouth. It could be one of those beers to give a little bit too much thickness to finish off with but it's perfect.


Whilst it may be contained in a forgettable bottle, this beer is nothing but. It's a superstar with tonnes of flavour; the slightest hint of iron at the beginning stops it getting full marks. What struck me was its similarity with the much lauded and revered Westvleteren XII. If you can't get your hands on the XII (which is pretty likely!) then this should give you a good idea of what you're missing.


St Bernadus Christmas - 9.5
Christmas rating - 10


http://www.sintbernardus.be/en/beers.html

The 10 Beers of Christmas (or, Why the Chuff Didn't I Buy 12?) - Day 3

Day 3 - Gouden Carolus Christmas

Het Anker are definitely big boys of the Belgian scene, although they still are a member of the 'Belgian Family Brewers' and they're producers of seasonal beers throughout the year.

Christmas is no different and here's their offering. I'm beginning to see a pattern emerging with Christmas beers. They're very strong (haven't had one under 9% yet) and they love liquorice!! There's a quaint, night-time snowy scene with Santa and his reindeer flying over - very festive and heart-warming. This beer also has the strength to warm you up on a winter night.

Gouden Carolus Christmas is all about liqourice. It's a very dark beer with a lovely deep ruby colour; certainly one to admire with a good creamy head, too. I was enjoying it in my new Gouden Carolus glass which, for some reason, is only 25cl - odd!

Aromatically, you've guessed what's coming: liquorice... and not a lot else. I tried and tried but wasn't finding a lot else. I left it and took a break to come back for a fresh approach but just couldn't glean a lot else.

It obviously continued through to the mouth and aftertaste (lots!) but rather than it obscure other flavours, it was the only one! It wasn't a bad beer, just pretty one-dimensional. One thing I should commend it on is the control of its strength (10.5%); it's a very smooth and sophisticated effort.

I'm hoping that the next few beers on the list aren't a bunch of liquorice allsorts but if they are, maybe it's a Belgian Christmas tradition that I'm oblivious to! We shall see.

Gouden Carolus - 6
Christmas rating - 8

http://www.hetanker.be/DeBrouwerij/AlOnzeBieren/GoudenCarolusChristmas/tabid/67/language/en-US/Default.aspx

The 10 Beers of Christmas (or, Why the Chuff Didn't I Buy 12?) - Day 2

So onward we trundle through the festive offerings from Belgium and here's something I wasn't expecting: a Blonde beer!

Day 2 - Bonne Secours Blonde de Noël

I don't know why but I was expecting a bunch of brown beers. This one shakes up the pack. But we like a bit of variety.

It's presented in a very nice bottle with a very long neck and (my favourite!) a swing-top lid. You can't beat the sight of the vapour creeping slowly out of the bottle top. Ok, you can but it's nice all the same!

Label wise we got santa walking across a snowy scene and... Wait there! It's a girl! Oh-ho, I see what you're doing, she's blonde... Hmm, right. Fair enough. Once poured there's a fast-fading head and the blonde appearance (of the beer, that is) is nothing to get excited about.

But enough of trivial matters, there's beer to be sniffed and supped. Sniffing is something you'd do well to do a lot of with this beer as it smells terrific. It's full of interesting aromas like sweet vanilla, buttery toffee and even apple sauce. What's a real treat is that it builds as you drink. I often find that the aroma is hard to locate after a few minutes but this one keeps growing. Well done Bonne Secours.

Where it excels in aroma it unfortunately falls controlling the alcohol presence. It's beers like this which could (wrongly) give people the impression that 10% is too strong for a beer. It's pretty much the only thing present in the mouth and also dominates the aftertaste. There are plenty of nice flavours in the background though so it's a really nice beer but the potency of the alcohol isn't contained. That was with a plate of spicy food, too.

On a final note, it's not reeeally that Christmassy either. It might taste quite like a toffee penny but that's clutching at straws really. All in all, worth a try but be warned; it's a little unruly.

Bonne Secours Blonde de Noël - 8
Christmas rating - 6

http://fr.brasseriecaulier.com/noel (French only)

The 10 Beers of Christmas (or, Why the Chuff Didn't I Buy 12?) - Day 1

Christmas beers: a festive treat or massive scam to make us buy more beer?

Err, buying and drinking beer isn't a chore, people!

I'm going to churn out some concise(ish) blogs on Christmas beer rounding up a bevy of Belgian festive offerings. I shall consider them as stand-alone beers but also on their level of festivity.

Day 1 - St Feuillien Cuvée de Noël

St Feuillien's Grand Cru didn't impress me much so how will its Christmas beer fare?

First things first, I like the image on the label. They've included some chap wandering in a snowy scene. Is that a bag of hops he's carrying? Not sure but that's definitely a Christmas tree he's walking past! Nice and festive.

I'd describe it as a Dubbel, style-wise, with a rich brown colour and a yellowish head.  It's a fast-fading head, reducing to a minimum bubble so enjoy it before it's gone.

It's big on the aroma front with lots of festive scents. The element of banana is a nice surprise but there's cloves and anise involved, too, along with the expected caramel malt.

To be honest, the level of anise is slightly too much for me as it continues quite prominently in the mouth. However, if you love liqourice then you may be more partial to this beer than I am.

The aftertaste is dry and bitter and is wanting a little sweetness, particularly considering the savoury spices involved.

I commend St Feuillien for making sure this beer meets festive requirements with the inclusion of spices and its 9% is suitably warming and well handled. For me, though, the balance is tipped too much toward the aniseed flavour and it's a bit overpowering so drops points there.

St Feuillien Cuvée de Noël - 6.5
Christmas rating - 8

http://www.st-feuillien.com/FbieresENG.html

Pig's Ear

CAMRA's got it's critics. It's got its stereotypes too. Are they right? Well, the stereotypes are for sure but I think their critics can be harsh. Whilst the 28th Pig's Ear Beer Festival had more beards than an Amish beard appreciation society there was a welcoming atmosphere and a pleasing inclusion of foreign ales. Most interestingly so Italian.

Arriving at a festival requires a minute or so's acclimatisation to work out where you're going and what's where. Although we were welcomed as fresh blood (i.e. under 50) there were smiles and jokes for all and nothing of the exclusivity of CAMRA that has been spoken of. My one niggle is the glass issue. £4 entry is fine but £3 for a glass is a but much. But bygones are bygones and a lesson is learnt - I'll take one next time!

What I was most pleased with was the international presence there. Whilst of course no where near the level of British entries there was a nice little section of Italian (a craft brewing hothouse apparently), German, Belgian and other European beers, admittedly lots bottled but nonetheless a welcome alternative.

My accomplice and I started with an Italian encounter; one of the features which had drawn us there. I a Darker Shade of Pale from White Dog, he a Grunge IPA from ELAV. The former was possibly the muddiest beer I've drank in a while, but I commend its balls. Maybe I got the end of the end of the barrell, I'm not sure, but it was something to behold. It was as opaque as a strong coffee with a spit of milk in it. The aroma screamed hops and the scrapings of a barbecue grill, along with a rather funky cannabis scent. All most brazen and to be applauded. It was a rough diamond, to be sure, but with its lengthy, bitter, aftertaste, not to be ignored.

I didn't get as much if a go at the Grunge but it was more refined and had an excellent minty, hopped smell and definitely the choice brew of the two: something nice and different. Italy can carry on what it's doing!

We moved along to Germany (as you do) to sample a Schlenkerla Urbock, pumped peculiarly from the top of the barrel. If you've not had a Rauchbier before, it's made from barley that's been smoked giving the most pronounced smoke flavour; it's like drinking a smoked sausage. After a few sips it fades away (but not completely) to present a most accomplished beer with strong suggestions of banana of clove. This is a beer for the adventerous!

Our next visit was to Norway to sample a Nøgne Ø Porter. I'd got a good feeling about this brewery as they were on my radar so I didn't hesitate at the opportunity to try it. I was very pleased - this is a brewery to keep a look out for and definitely worth paying the extra money. The porter reminded me of the De Molen dark beers sampled a month or so ago, with a gorgeous fruit and hop flavour and a long, bitter hop finish with an excellent balance of sweetness and sharpness. The 7% made it one to ponder over but extended time with this beer is no bad thing.

Finally, it would be remiss of me to attend a beer festival in London and not drink any English beer! East London Brewing had a special festival brew, a mix between their pale ale and an 'unnamed dark ale'. It was great.

It impressed me on two fronts. Firstly, it was following some really potent brews (as you can see) with big, big flavours. How would a 4.3% pale ale follow these beers? Had I done it in the wrong order!? Well no, because it happily stood up to them all. It had a very modern hop presence, reminiscent of the American pioneers of the modern craft beer movement: very upfront and aromatic, like a Cascade or Centennial (though not sure what exactly). Excellently clear, too and crisply finishing. I'd be keen to try the two beers it was made from but to be honest it worked as a blend! Secondly, for a brewery that's been open for just 3 months they have a lot to be proud of. The finish had lengthy bitterness, perhaps a tad too much for my taste, but overall it's a really nice brew and very accomplished; one for the hop lovers, without being too crazy.

I had a top time at the Pig's Ear and will definitely go back next year. The balance of choice was just right. I hope they'll continue the international presence next year but I guess it depends on how much was drunk!

Go and support your local festival!!

White Dog Darker Shade of Pale - 7 (only for murky beer lovers!)

www.whitedogbeer.com
ELAV Grunge IPA - 8.5

(can't find ELAV, sorry - let me know if you do!)

Schlenkerla Urbock - 8.5

www.schlenkerla.de

Nøgne Ø Porter - 9

www.nogne-o.com

East London Brewing Pig's Ear Special Blend - 8

www.eastlondonbrewing.com

The Holy Grail?

Sat conspicuously on my table was the only gift set the reclusive Westvleteren brewery have ever made. Six bottles of Westvleteren XII and two glasses. Anticipation was high, bordering on nervous. What if they were rubbish? How does beer live up to this expectation?

I should perhaps give some background information. Ironically, the first time I ever heard about these beers was in The Beer Book, by Tim Hampson: the entry was precluded 'does this brewery need any introduction?'. 'Yes!', I shouted at the book. I'd never heard of it because, well, you can't buy the beer anywhere other than the abbey and they don't advertise anywhere. They thrive on their reputation (which is huge) but to be honest it seems as though they're perfectly happy brewing on a small scale. They simply brew to live... and pray.

A beer that's so hard to get hold of demands such huge expectation that surely it's impossible to live up to. That's compounded by the fact that I've only got 6 bottles (to share, too!) and when it's gone it's gone, until I make a trip myself to Belgium. However, I was determined to treat it normally and drink it when I feel like it (not sure I'll be saying that when there's one bottle left!). So much so that on my walk home, when I found some Jelly Tots in my pocket, I scoffed them down. What better way to prepare my palate?... Idiot. Fortunately there was some cheese in the fridge to counterbalance the jelly sweets.

On the subject of the fridge; this is not the place to keep Westvleteren XII! Serve at 12-15 degrees, they say. I diligently obliged. I opened with the utmost care and poured delicately; this was not to be spilled.

It looked slightly lighter than I expected. In my head the only Trappist brewery to compare with is Rochefort - no real reason, it's just because I think they're the best readily available - and it was much more like the number 6 (Rochefort's entry level) than the 12 in appearance. It was enticingly murky; all the fantastic yeast was going in too! Imagine a best bitter but with all the extra flotsam and jetsam you'd expect from a trappist monastery. The head was strong, fading from 2cm to a thin-ish sheet after about 5 minutes. I was now ready to get involved!

If this beer has one thing over its comtemporaries then it's the most complex aroma going. The malt doesn't come through that strongly; it's dominated by vinous alcohol and yeast. The overriding flavour is a festive plum scent, followed by (and in no particular order) chocolate cake, musty wood and bready aromas. Bread is something you'd expect in a champagne so I'd be curious to know whether they include a bit of champagne yeast. It excels in giving you warm and comforting smells with something slightly edgy and alive, just in case you forgot what you were drinking.

In the mouth it's as light as a feather and kindly places a cinnamon stick in your cheek, or so it would lead you to believe. It's moussy as the classiest Belgians are and goes down a breeze - at a gentle pace of course. There's bitterness there too, inevitably: there's an immediate sour bitterness after swallowing before giving way to a spicy sweetness which once again is wrestled back by the bitter.

It's a Christmas pudding of a drink with body, spice, bitterness and booze. It's one to keep for a moment when you need a treat and a reminder at what amazing things men (albeit very pious men) can do with malt, water, hops, sugar and yeast. But does it live up to the expectation? Is it the best beer in the world, as some say?

Well, it's certainly one of the best I've tried! It's impossible to give a definitive 'best ever' and as much as people like to give detailed scores, it's wholly subjective. Its reputation creates a fabled air around it but it's not without base. The aroma is probably the best I can think of, with many facets and delightful contrasts and complexity. Its body continues this fine form, the bubbles positively dancing in your mouth. The only area I found it wanting was in the aftertaste, but it's purely a personal thing. I'd prefer a sweeter taste from a beer of this type.

If this beer was available for export and you could buy it from speciality outlets it would still have a sky-high reputation (and demand) because it is a sublime and slightly unique example of a trappist beer. Whether you can get your hands on a glass depends on you getting in your car and driving to meet the monks!

Westvleteren XII - 10

www.sintsixtus.be

A Dark Brute

Malheur Dark Brut is taking beer-ponce levels to new highs. Everything about it is beer undercover... as champagne!! Besides the svelte bottle, there's gold trimming around the cork and controversial green glass. Some brewers will argue that this leaves it open to light contamination (heaven forfend!). Apparently, UV light can penetrate glass and gives an eggy aroma, but brown glass can prevent this. I've never experienced it myself, being one to buy most beer in brown bottles and not leave them on the windowsill, but experts is experts! Finally, and most obviously, the name 'Brut' is a clear indication that they're placing themselves in the higher echelons of the drinkosphere (I just made that word up).

Having such pretensions and one could say delusions of grandeur (not to mention £15 a bottle) could lead to overblown expectations and eventually disappointment.  Conversely, if this beer really is the mutt's nuts, why should it not assume the identity of something on a higher plane?

How does this prestigous beer fare after all its self-supposed fanfare?

It pours with a suitably champagnesque head; fast to rise and gentle to fall. Its body, of course, could be no further different to champagne but its dark brown has wonderful clarity and spark. We drank in champagne glasses to rise to occasion and it worked fairly well. The only thing I missed was a larger top to plunge my nose into to get a good whiff (I'm in the habit of getting foam on my nose these days...) but I got a good idea nonetheless.

It did go further than your standard dubbel with a really sumptious aroma; hot chocolate was the first pleasant surprise, along with strong caramel and vinous alcohol. The treats continued into the mouth, with burnt butter, a gentle yeasty sweetness and a perfect hop bitterness in the aftertaste (try that one, champers!). There's no fruity element but there's enough going on, really.

It totally belies its strength, aside from a cheeky little zing in the nose after swallowing. The real trick it pulls is its fluffy lightness; this is where it really earns its 'brut' stripes. It floats in your mouth, bubbling away marvellously and doesn't leave too much behind (although enough for a 'chewer' like me). The sweetness left behing is the final treat.

Impressed? You bet. My only qualm is that, whilst it is much better than your average bruin/dubbel, it's not that much better than the best; perhaps not to justify the price. Don't get me wrong though, this is seriously good.

Malheur Dark Brut - 9.5

http://www.malheur.be/bieren.php?l=nederlands (Dutch/French only)

All scent, no body.

What's day without night; pie without mash; Bert without Ernie? Somethings don't cut the mustard on their own. In this case: scent without taste.

Bizarrely it's been the case of the last two beers I've drunk, both Moinette Biologique, an organic offering from big boys Dupont and Ramée Amber, a beer from a much smaller, less-well-known brewery - certainly by me at least!

I haven't tried the standard Moinette that Dupont makes, presumably it's pretty similar, but the Biologique version presents itself in a dinky 250ml bottle. I didn't know that pesticides added an extra 80ml to my beer, so perhaps I'll think again with non-organic beer! I had to make sure I was concentrating so it wasn't all drunk before I'd made my notes.

There's wheatsyrup in this beer so it gives a distinctly cloudy appearance, less like a traditional Belgian Witbier and more like a German HefeWeiss (think Erdinger or Kupper's Kölsch) with deep yellows and a fizzy head settling to a nice creamy layer.

It smells delicious with a kind of candy floss aroma, or frying butter. It's a smell which I've not really come across in beer so a nice surprise. Unfortunately it doesn't really translate to a delicious flavour, rather just a bit of an odd one.

To make matters worse, it's pretty much the only flavour on offer. The beer doesn't really offer much in terms of sweetness and only the mildest bitterness. The body is very thin too, which may please some, but I'm a fan of meaty numbers with something to chew on, post gulp. For its 7.5% it comes across a bit watery which is possibly an achievement in itself, albeit not a great one.


Ramée came out looking like my sort of beer. The bottle (with 80ml added pesticides) is smartly presented, though not overwhelming. The cloudy ruby appearance is nice, giving the suggestion that it's got good body. It also involves a little wheat. The head is a fast-fading affair which is a little disappointing but there are more important things in life. Like aroma.

This beer smells as much like strawberries as Fruli (well, nearly). It was such a distinct presence that I had to check the label to see if it did contain strawberries or not. It didn't. So, all the more impressive perhaps. So how did this beer build on it's enticing aroma?

Well, as you might have guessed from my introduction, it didn't really. Apart from a gentle strawberry flavour in the beer, which was more than agreeable, there was once again very little going on. Thankfully it was saved by a hearty meal. Once I had some tasty food the lack of flavour became less of an issue and it became a refreshing palate washer.

Neither of these beers are dreadful (although Moinette does taste a little weird). I wonder if both of these beers suffer because of the wheat content? Wheat isn't exactly known for its pungent flavours or aromas and I can only assume that it supresses the malt flavours.

I think these two are slightly let down by the fact that they aren't really presented as wheat beers. I approached them both as Belgian abbey-style beers and neither had the body or aftertaste to match; something you'd expect from the 7.5% strength they both have. Ramée particularly so as it labels itself as a Tripel. I can't fault either of them on their aromas though and they have to be commended on this, but unfortunately it's not quite enough to make them good beers.

Moinette Biologique - 6
Ramée Amber - 6.5

http://www.brasserie-dupont.com/dupont/Default.aspx?Page=moinettebio

http://www.ramee.be/EN/Products.aspx

Superstar Brewery

I haven't done this yet but have been planning to do so for a while. Yesterday I was inspired to do so, whilst drinking a glass of Piraat. There are a few breweries which I feel can do no wrong and you need to know who they are. Well, Van Steenberge is one of them!
Of course, it wasn't just Piraat which convinced me; 2 weeks ago I found a glass of Gulden Draak most agreeable but had not yet got round to spilling the beans.

As well as these two, they have a stable of Abbey beers, under the Augustijn name; a couple of Bornem beers (which seem to cover the same territory as the Augustijns, but hey); a Witbier; a Pils; and a Bokbier, called Leute, that has a fantastic glass which must be an addition to any buff's collection. It has a rounded bottom and sits in a specially designed wooden plate. Very cool.

Whilst they're both stand-alone products I get the feeling that they are the brewery's flagship drinks (incidentally they both have ships on their labels!. It's interesting that they haven't decided to brand them the same. Gulden Draak is fantastically presented, wrapped in white with striking black, gold and red detail. It looks like a porcelain bottle and really stands out. Piraat, on the other hand is a fairly bland effort with a sky-blue label and a golden galleon behind the logo. So much so that I nearly didn't bother putting a bottle in my basket. If I wasn't being so rigid in my selection I would have missed out on this hidden gem. Well, lucky ruddy me.

But I guess beers live on their reputation instead of their labels (to some extent) and this one deserves a mighty one. It pours out a very deep gold with an impressive 2-inch head (if desired). Van Steenberge choose to call it a light amber whereas I'd call it a dark blonde. But who cares?
Well me, really. I don't care what you call it but I think they should be commended on this curious hue. It invites you to have a good old peer through the glass and marvel at the shining liquid within. I know I love a good murky beer but this crystal clarity really does it for me. I guess I'm easy.

The aroma isn't way out there but it's seriously good. There's light malt and honey with a lovely fresh hay scent. The alcohol is deep and muscular but completely controlled, allowing you to inhale to your heart's content. It finishes off with gentle hop scent.

The majestic head fades down to a creamy foam covering most of the top. The beer itself is pretty creamy too so it's very easy and pleasant to drink but it's the sweetness that got me. It's comparable to a sweet white wine (but better, of course!) It coats your mouth deliciously leaving plenty of viscous, tasty saliva to contemplate on once its been swallowed.

It's difficult not to like: it's not way out there but it's supremely classy and really shows the pack how it's done.


Gulden Draak is a similar story but in a different style. It's a deep ruby affair, though it doesn't have anything like the head Piraat does. It fades very fast and presents more fizz than it's blonde counterpart. Once the head's settled it has the appearance of coke. That's not the most exciting effect so let's plough on.

Other than the typical malt there are hints of plums in the nose with perhaps the faintest suggestion of liqourice. The main event is burnt toffee which, let's face it, is the kind of aroma to stir up warm fuzzy feelings in all but the most stone-hearted of us. Once again the alcohol is heady and enticing and something to really savour.

There's a typical amber flavour here but a touch of sourness gives it a bit of something special. The fizziness gives it a nice zing in your mouth but it's not to the extent that it's in your face (figuratively speaking, nonwithstanding that it IS literally in your face!). My favourite part about this beer is the trick that it pulls with the aftertaste. It alternates between sweet and bitter and then back to sweet again. Quite an achievement and a treat for saddos like me who like chewing away on nothing once they've swallowed their beer.

If you're a fan of Pawel Kwak, Gulden Draak may not be able to match it's glassware but it certainly trumps it, beer-wise. I'm wholeheartedly recommending this.

In fact, I'm wholeheartedly recommending both of these brews. I'd even go as far to say that, if you're a fan of high-strength beer, you won't find much better.

Piraat (10.5%) - 10
Gulden Draak (10.5%) - 10

http://vansteenberge.com/en

Falling short

You may not have heard of the Huyghe brewery but if you're into your beer you've probably tried, if not at least heard of Delirum Tremens. Who could resist the ceramic style bottle and those quirky pink elephants? Ok maybe you hate them - it's your choice. I personally think, whilst also being an excellent (and unique) beer, it's a perfect example of how you can position yourself ahead of others in the market. They're out to sell beers after all. What's the harm in trying to charm a few people along the way?

This post, however, is about St Idesbald Dubbel, a different family of beers from the Huyghe cupboard, which couldn't be more traditionally presented. It's clear that they're keen to serve all corners of the market; they bought this 'brand' in 1992, along with 'Campus'. This beer, along with its Blonde, Tripel and Rousse siblings have not a sight of a pink elephant anywhere upon them; a crest with a latin motto enables them to cover the Abbey beer market without rocking any boats.

So how does it match up to its step-sister, the mighty Delirium? Well, it's a mixed bag...

Despite being sat in my fridge for well over 24 hours there was nothing short of an eruption when opened, with both bottles I had. Even when prepared for the second bottle I lost a load of beer, such was the fervent frothing. It was so prevalent that once I'd managed to pour the glass there was still 2 inches of foam left in the bottle. I'm not one to practise my cocktail shaking with bottles before opening so perhaps they added too much priming sugar in this particular batch (sugar added when bottling feeds the small quantity of yeast left in the beer and by-product is carbon gas, i.e. head), but who's to know? Not a great start, though.

Then, in the glass, once again, (i feel like a bloody broken record) the scent is ruined by iron presence in the nose, though not as badly as other previous culprits. However, to stain the aroma so much so soon robs you of one of the simplest pleasures. Yes, it's there to be drunk but a good old whiff whets the appetite beautifully. What's worrying is that I've noticed it's really prevalent in Belgian beers. For a country which I hold in the highest esteem I'm starting to worry if enough breweries have control over their beer. I can't imagine it's anything to do with being out of date because pretty much every example has been a Dubbel, a beer which you would usually associate with improving as it ages.

This is all a bit of a shame really, because St Idesbald is a hidden gem. It has one of the most balanced flavours I've tasted in a while, for a Dubbel. It's pleasingly gritty with sediment simply piled up at the bottom of the glass. The texture is wonderfully light (what do you expect with all that foam) and the finish is lovely and sweet, with just a hint of spice. It gives you something to chew on between sips. On winter nights, it's a charming little late night beer to warm yourself, without being obviously spiced or seasonal.

There are others who do it better (Petrus Dubbel Bruin is a shining example) but after drinking LOTS of Dubbels over the last few months this really is a tasty example, which after initial failings, is a very solid example of how a simple Dubbel can stick to task and still be very enjoyable to drink. Lets hope the iron and foam was just in this batch...

St Idesbald Dubbel - 8.5/6.5 (batch dependant?)

http://www.delirium.be/bier/4/0/st._idesbald.html

Great Expectations

Congratulations to St Feuillien! Their 'Grand Cru' has been awarded a gold star at the European Beer Star Awards. I think they'll be adding a little bit more gold to their already well-trimmed label. Is this the best beer in Europe right now?

Well, not really. Whilst I'm not taking anything away from St Feuillien for the award, you have take into consideration that a) the European Beer Stars are not the only beer awards, let alone in Europe and b) there are 50 categories in this competition; so 50 Golds, Silvers and Bronzes.  There are some fairly specific categories too. This Grand Cru won the 'Belgian-Style Strong Ale' category but there is also a 'Belgian-Style Tripel' category. Yes, 'Tripel' is a specific type, but it's also a strong Belgian ale. Do both need to exist? For Germany, there are a mind blowing 19 categories! That's a hell of a lot of different styles for a country who only allow 4 ingredients in their beer.

So, what's my beef? Well, I feel a little bit duped, really. I saw a notice on Twitter announcing the win and thought 'Cool, I've got this in my fridge' and was looking forward to going home and drinking one of the best beers in Europe this year. So, with expectations so high, does a gold star help a beer or hinder it? I guess initially it helps; I'm a sucker for buying wine if it's won a medal and everyone wants you to buy their product. But are expectations then raised too high? In my case, yes but perhaps I'm alone. Instead of enjoying a hidden gem I found myself trying to work out on what premise this beer had won the award. Then, on finding it a little underwhelming, I find it's one of 150 winners. But hey, it'll work out well for them, I'm sure.


St Feuillien Grand Cru is beautifully packaged in a taller, standard shape bottle rather than the usual squat 'Duvel' style they put their standard beer in. It's ready for a night on the town, for sure. It's a pale, clear (if you keep out any sediment) sparkling beer. The fizz, I found, was sharper than your usual and the head very good.

Aroma-wise, I was searching. Nothing flew out and hit me in the face. It smelled like strong lager. Yes, there were faint hints of green apples in there, we're not talking nothing, but no complex headiness that I'd usually expect from Belgium (and a gold star winner, to boot!) There was a slight bitter aroma, like the smell of a tangerine without the sweetness. Reading this back these do sound like exciting aspects but they were fleeting and boy did I have to try.

Taste-wise, I also found it lacking sparkle. What struck me the most was the absence of any sweetness. While this might not be surprising in a cool, crisp lager that's designed for gulping, a 9.5% supping ale like this needs a little something sweet, in my opinion. In fact, it also lacked any strong bitterness so it was a little bit middle of the road.

So what's going for it? Well, finesse, I suppose. It's incredibly sophisticated and controlled for its very high strength. Apart from a bit of a zing in the nose you could be convinced it's 6.5%. It's a gym instructor in a tuxedo: strength and control in a smart package but a little bit dull when you get to know it.

I suppose I shouldn't complain, I've only myself to blame. Why should I believe hype without checking just what the hype really is? But on sage reflection I still think there are much better Belgian strong ales out there. It goes to show, that even if it is an opinion of a learned collective, an award is still an opinion and the only one you should really trust is your own. Get a clean glass and a bottle opener, sit your bum down and get supping.

St Feuilllien Grand Cru - 6.5

De Molen at The Craft Beer Co

I discovered De Molen brewery in a little shop in North London called Kris Wines (definitely worth a visit if you can). I was drawn in by it's laughably basic label (surprise surprise): it's a white label with black type - that's it. Each bottle is numbered and batched so you know it's brewed on a very small scale basis.

I was impressed. This is a brewery who really focus on one thing only and do it well. If you're not keen on sediment or haziness this might be one to skip, but if you're taking the time to read this I imagine you're keen to give new things a try!

So, imagine my delight when the Craft Beer Co advertise this smashing festival on Twitter (@thecraftbeerco if you're keen). 10 De Molen beers to sample!! It was enough to get a tube-dodger like me hurtling through the underground to pastures new. Plus the Craft Beer Co seemed like a place I should definitely visit. They have mind-boggling collection of hard-to-find beer; bottled, kegged and casked. The scotch eggs aren't bad either.

I arrived fairly early but having just three beers on offer was a little bit disappointing. It was the second day of the 'festival' after all. But three was better than none, and it wasn't as if I was going to drink 10 beers anyway. Later on they'd eventually got 6 on the go (out of the actual 8 they had) so I shan't grumble. This isn't the sort of establishment I'm going to start criticising. They need to be severely congratulated for bringing such wonderful beers to London. The staff were jolly nice too.

So, what are they like? Well, read on dear follower and ye shall discover.

The first effort was Donder and Bliskem (Thunder and Lightning), a pale, hazy pilsner-type beer. It wasn't heavily aromatic, with pale malt and straw flavours and a clean hop smell. It was only delicately carbonated so was an easy drinker; the head didn't stick around for long. What characterised the beer was its intense bitterness. There wasn't a lot of sweetness in the aftertaste and the bitterness prevailed long after the beer had gone. It's not my favourite sort of beer but a very solid effort and classily finished. It's the sort of drink that would prove very dangerous if readily available on a hot summer's day. Besides, it's best to start slowly and build a head of steam. One doesn't start with smoky stouts, does one!?

I then moved on to Heen and Veer (Outbound and Weather) which De Molen describe as a twist on the Abbey Style Ale, brewed with an unusual yeast strain. In my humble opinion I think it's such a twist it can barely be described as Abbey style. I've never tried a Belgian ale like it, anyhow. It reminded me more of an American craft ale, with plenty of hops involved. This was one of my favourites with an unbelievable scent. Passion fruit flew unashamedly up my nostrils, but it's no one-trick pony. Add plenty of floral notes and pine-like hop and this beer is a party in your nose, no doubt.
It was nice to see a good head follow my sips down the glass, too. Whilst it shared some of the bitterness of the Donder and Bliskem it was properly balanced with good sweetness in the saliva making it much more enjoyable. I detected a hint of honey too, to round it off. As you can tell, I was impressed.

Finally, Hemel and Aarde was drunk (Heaven and Earth), a heavy stout as black as night. Unsurprisingly there was lots of smoky bonfire goodness to sting the nose. Its unique selling point is that it uses peated grain from the Bruichladdich distillery (the world's most heavily peated malt, no less!) and it's definitely present, but not as much as I expected. Whilst you can smell peaty whisky from 10 paces, this one had to be sought in deep inhalations. It was a fine reward for looking like a ponce though. I don't know this for a fact but I'm guessing that perhaps peated malt doesn't contain the enzymes needed for starch breakdown (gotta have sugar to create booze!) so they can only use limited amounts of it in the brew.
The aftertaste was of course very sweet and full of body, but surprisingly short on bitterness, which is a surprise. It was nowhere near the levels of bitterness as seen in the Donder and Bliskem. It goes to show you can roast grain to cinder but it can't match the bitterness of hops! The hops they had used, however, showed themselves politely, and impressively considering the bamboozling levels of flavour flying around. What also impressed me was how it didn't leave syrupy thickness in the mouth for such a strong, dark beer. In fact, as time went on (this weren't no gulpin' beer) it showed it's ale-like qualities, the smoke and peat letting the more delicate flavours have their say before rounding up the show with a flourish.

I did try a couple of others (stolen from other people's glasses), both smoky affairs, and can confirm that this brewery do not make bad beers. Like most other finely crafted, high quality things, these beers are fairly hard to get hold of but I strongly urge you seek them out and you will reap the rewards for your tenacity.

Donder and Bliskem - 6.2% - 8

Heen and Veer - 9.2% - 10

Hemel and Aarde - 10% - 10

http://www.brouwerijdemolen.nl/index.php/en.html

First Impressions Last?

Sight and smell aren't to be underestimated when concocting a brew, smell most of all. Sniffing beer like a ponce is something I try to do surreptitiously (or at least in private) to try and avoid the comparison with winos but hey, I'm only kidding myself. The other weekend I met a chap at Meantime who proudly announced he was going to become the UK's first beer sommelier. There's no going back.

But lets face it, our noses are there to be trusted. If somebody gives you a glass of what looks like muddy water (which some beers do), you might want to give it a sniff to check it's not going to be riddled with cholera. Thankfully, no pathogens can live in booze so once you smell alcohol you can be assured that you're safe. Whether it'll taste good is another matter.

So there's my excuse, anyway. I'm only thinking of my health.

Kapittel Watou Pater is another beer adorned with a picture of monks. But this time it's a whole gang! It's as if they're in a little club where they play bridge and quaff beer and they've kindly posed for a picture for the local rag. Anyway I shan't rattle on about labels too much. Today it's about odour.

I use the word odour specifically, instead of something pleasant like aroma, because this beer don't smell right. Once again, we've got iron filings and loads of it. I may as well be sniffing the beer through a rusty old pipe. All the 'plums, banana bread and sweet burning wood' (their words, not mine) are locked away in a metal box and may as well not be there. Someone more learned than myself should be able to confirm but I think it's the mineral content of the water out of kilter that causes this. Too much calcium if I'm not mistaken...

So I'd basically written off this beer before drinking it. To be honest the first impressions were so poor that it was going to take a lot to change my mind. Saying that, it looked the part; it had the murky charm of Rochefort 6 which is one of the world's greatest beers from, in my opinion, the best Trappist brewery out there. I like lots of micro flotsam in my drink, it reminds you that it's made from stuff of the earth, hearty and good for you. But looks don't amount to much, there's a certain amount of time before you're going to have to drink it.

The first half of the glass was fairly uninspiring but not unpleasant to say the least, but the further I got the better it became. I'm fairly convinced it's because the temperature starts to rise. The warmer it becomes the more you can taste (hence Carling is served extra cold). So as I was was finishing the glass there was plenty going on. It reminded me of a warm, spicy, delicate whisky (Highland Park 18yr to be precise). Where the whisky gets its nuance from nearly two decades in wood, the beer relies on malt and a mix of spices and they finally come through, delivering taste like the postman delivers mail: late. 

However, it's just a little too late to save the beer in my opinion. There's just too much enjoyment to be savoured in the first moments of a beer that are ruined in this instance. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't slap you across the chops if you returned from the bar with a glass for me, I just might hold my nose.

Kapittel Watou Pater - 6.5

http://www.brouwerijvaneecke.be/en/assortiment/kapittel-pater-1

As an addition I not long ago tried Van Eecke's Hommel Bier - it was fine, if not a bit uninspiring but bizarrely tasted horrific when accompanied by food.

Good Head

And back to Belgium...


Gouden Carolus is one of those names which pops up fairly often on Belgian beer menus and in well-stocked shops so whilst they don't necessarily class as rare or unheard of their output is varied enough to warrant a look-in. I tried the Hopsinjoor this week as it strays from the pack of standard variants. They claim on their glossy website that it 'completes the taste pallet of the Carolus beers' and whilst that sounds like PR guff they're fairly spot on. It's a little bit something different.

What has struck me over the lasts month or so of constant(ish) Belgian drinking is the lack of the stereotypical head on the beers. Perhaps I've been focusing on the smaller breweries which don't have as refined techniques or going for different varieties which don't offer the sort of bubblage 'Hopsinjoor' had, but the classic image of the giant froth in the balloon glass had started to become a distant memory.


Hopsinjoor has head and has it in spades. I read someone describe this sort of head as 'cauliflower head' but when it falls I think it becomes more resemblant of volcanic craters sat in your glass (and besides that's a much more evocative scene than a vegetable). The bubbles were great to watch through the glass in all their shapes and sizes. As the drink goes down the head sticks to the side of the glass in places and falls away to nothing in others. It's poetry in a cup!

So in between marvelling at the drama of the head I tried make some other observations too. The colour, for a start, is fairly unique too. It's paleness is almost chilly and takes any hint of warmth from what could possibly be called blonde. Whilst it's also fairly cloudy it doesn't quite get to the 'witbier' (i.e. Hoegaarden) levels. There's more light coming through the liquid giving it a pallid glow to add to the poetic mystery. A lot to live up to in the taste!


Aromatically, we're talking hoppy. Let's face it, they state on the bottle they use 4 variants of hops in the beer (though bizarrely on the website they quote 5) but they are more bittering hops than flowery, heady whiffs. The only fruit element came as a peardrop-like suggestion. All in all it's got a fairly delicate nose (like a pretty lady).

The highly carbonated body of the beer is totally expected, due to the frothing mass of head, and one of the characteristics of Belgian fare. The flavour is one of a clean and clinical nature, with virtually no maltiness. The main event here is bitterness! It cuts through the fizz ruthlessly and continues, and then some long after you've swallowed it. The only thing to attempt to counterbalance it is a slight sweet stickiness but it's a fairly weak effort.


But... hops is what they say and hops is whats you get! If you fancy gasping for a drink 3 minutes after you've finished this one then tuck in. You won't find much as bone dry as Hopsinjoor. Perhaps Het Anker (the brewery) played a lot of 'Theme Park' in the 90s and remembered the trick of filling up your food with salt to make everyone buy drinks. It's the perfect drink to get people buying more: this beer is the anti thirst quencher! You can't criticise them too much though because, as I said at the start, they mean what they say with their marketing bumph; it really is completing the set list, this beer.

Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor - 7.5


http://www.hetanker.be/DeBrouwerij/AlOnzeBieren/GoudenCarolusHopsinjoor/tabid/65/language/en-US/Default.aspx

As an additional note, from Het Anker I really suggest trying the Cuvee van de Keizer 750ml beers. They're very special!

Back to School

So far have focused a lot...ok I lie... exclusively on beer from Belgium in these passages. It wasn't something I intended to do always but something that I thought I'd start with because a) I feel I know most about the region and b) I think it's the best. Or thought. It's not that I have now wholeheartedly changed my mind, it's that I have a much higher regard for beer brewed on my doorstep.


It's hard to ignore the impressive heritage of England (or more specifically London and Burton) as a brewing powerhouse and pioneer and I have drunk many a pint of English ale. I'd even say that I'm very familiar with London's foremost independent brew house (in my opinion), Meantime. I mention Meantime because on Friday I was at their 'Beer Masterclass' and was given, basically, the 101 of brewing and beer history. This is by the by; I know a lot about how beer is made already and a fair bit about its history. That it was well presented by the staff and my knowledge improved by some practical examples and well-rehearsed anecdotes is great, but not ground-shaking and certainly not enough for me to start tapping on the way home. What gets me really tapping is one thing: beer. More specifically, excellent beer.


I'm sure many of you will have tried Meantime's Pale Ale or London Porter at your local well-stocked pub or supermarket. But have you been to the 'Old Brewery' bar and restaurant on the site of the Naval College? Me neither until Friday. I've never been knocked out by Meantime's wares. Sure, they know how to package and present a beer. Their Chocolate Stout is very good but I've always found their Pale and Wheat ales more of a solid choice, a benchmark for an establishment deciding to expand their choice of drinks rather than really swinging the fist of choice right at your chops. Until I visited the Old Brewery.

There's a chap there called Rod who runs a Micro Brewery of pretty small proportions in association with Meantime. I say in association because he doesn't brew any of the beers the main house brew and you can't buy any if his beers anywhere other than that pub. Meantime's bottled and cask stuff is brewed down the road in a Micro Brewery which is fairly on the large side and expanding. I'm not cynical of the union but in the cold light of day I'm struggling to see the link between the two.

But down to business. What does he brew? Well, I can't tell you in great detail as a lot of the day was (perfectly enjoyable) chat about aforementioned stuff and even over lunch, with beer/food matching, we drank their standard stuff. But in the afternoon, over some history, we sampled two of his beers.


The first was 'Saaz Gold', made with Saaz hops, something I (incorrectly) associate with thin, pale pilsners devoid of strong flavours. How very wrong I was. The appearance of the beer was a thick gold brew with a nice cloudiness to it, not dissimilar to their standard wheat beer, with a fairly quickly fading head. No dramas yet. Until you smelled it. Now it's fair to say that the smell of a beer is something very important to me and I'm not shy about saying that I think that this is probably the best smelling beer I've ever encountered. It smelled of mango yoghurt, but in a really, really good way. And of excellent beer, of course! I really couldn't stop smelling it. I felt like a bit of a wally in that room, just snorting away, trying to listen to historical anecdotes as we went along. Mango, of all things! But not like the usual tropical fruit aromas. In a way that if I shut my eyes and you gave me a spoon I'd scoop away and be in for a real surprise when I didn't find yoghurt.

Taste-wise, the fruitiness is present, but in a much more subtle way. The main event here is light biscuit malt and a nice body to the beer. Unfortunately I can't really remember the aftertaste because I was too busy trying to be polite and listening to the class I was in. I accept full responsibility but hope that it will just encourage you to go and visit and complete the taste notes yourself.

The next beer we drank, which was once again presented without much context (but still very welcome) was their October beer, or Märzen (beer brewed in March to drink in October). You all know the October tradition in Germany. Once again there was prodigious aroma. Earlier on in the day we had a good whiff of some malted barley and in its raw state it's pretty pungent. Not many beers retain that smell but Rod's Märzen had bags of it and it continued in the flavour in the mouth. Once again, I'm afraid I don't have extensive notes but I think I've taken away something better than that: inspiration.


So much so that I'll be travelling to Greenwich again at the weekend to sample more of Rod's smashing beer. If you can, I strongly advise you do too.


Meantime Saaz Gold - 10
Meantime October Beer - 9

Monky Business

Brewer: Hey, you should try my beer!

Drinker: Ooh what's it called?

Brewer: Adelardus.

Drinker: I'll never remember that. What's the label look like?

Brewer: There's a picture of a cheery monk on the front holding a glass of frothing beer.

Drinker: Oh, isn't that Petrus?

Brewer: Um...

Drinker: And St Bernadus?

Brewer: He's next to his abbey.

Drinker: Like St Benoit.

Brewer: The type-face is kind of old-fashioned.

Drinker: ...

For an industry swamped by choice, it amazes me how so many decide against sticking out from the crowd. As a consumer it can be quite difficult to remember which ones you've tried; which 'Saint So-and-So'; which 'Abbey des Whatsit'. I suppose in Scotland you might have the problem of "Have you tried Glenthingamig 12-year old?" I shouldn't grumble. It gives geeks like me an opportunity to really KnowMyShit. But I guess that it proves that many of the breweries really do 'brew to live'. Funnily enough, the Kerkom brewery's official philosophy is

"we brew it here, we drink it here and sell what's left".

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since the Belgian beer industry is so intrinsically linked with the history of Trappist monasteries. (Maybe British ale should have images of people having a real knees-up in their local, or a good old-fashioned bar brawl on the higher strength stuff.) There is still a brewery in Belgium which won't sell it's beer to bars, shops etc. To sample its wares you'll have to take a trip to the monastery and buy a crate of the stuff. Anyway, Westvleteren beer is for another (happy) day.

Today we're drinking Adelardus Tripel, a dark gold, fairly cloudy affair reminiscent of Hoegaarden Grand Cru and Chimay White so I thought that perhaps there's a little bit of wheat involved. However, the excellent Kerkom website http://www.brouwerijkerkom.be/en/ includes ingredients for all their beers. Guess what? No wheat in this beer! Shows what I know! Other than the usual malt, hops etc. there is 'candy' and 'sweet gale', which is a blend of local spices.

The 'candy' (presumably some sugar variant) is definitely present in its sweet, slightly fruity aroma (a touch of banana) but there is an iron-like whiff that unfortunately builds to a point where it overwhelms the scent. It's not a beer that you can sit sniffing for a while before drinking, so drank I did.

As you'd expect, its got a nice smooth fizziness but contrary to the thick, cloudy appearance it's fairly thin in the mouth. The sweetness that was there in the nose is present in an initial caramel flavour but changes quite quickly to a bitter aftertaste. On further drinking (and after some grub) this develops into quite a characterful tanginess. However there's not an awful lot for your saliva to play with afterwards. The sensation in the mouth is a touch insipid and is a result of the lack of body in the beer.

So unfortunately that leaves me wanting a little. The taste is lacking the sparkle needed to lift it from the pack and its label blends in to a mush of monk-age (although he is particularly cheery). However, I will be going back to the Kerkom brewery, not just because I love their website, but because their other beers are called 'Bink'. Now there's a name you can remember.

Adelardus Tripel - 6.5

Bear Beer/Beer Bear

Aaah, it's a photo of a bear! No, I don't mean 'Aaagh, it's a photo of a bear!', I mean it's kind of sweet and charming. I'm not phobic of photos of our ursine chums. Hmm, there's a fine line between 'Aaah' and 'Aagh' isn't there, for such opposite feelings. Anyhoo...

Why would La Binchoise choose the name Biere des Ours (Beer of Bears) for this drink? Well, they describe it as 'Belgian Honey Beer' and, as everyone knows, bears love honey! And salmon. But I think honey goes best with beer.

Once again, I chose this beer blind; I was in La Binchoise section on my favourite beer site (www.beersofeurope.com) and decided to go for something other than the Blonde or Dubbel. I was hoping that perhaps 'Ours' beer was a specific type, not having done the extensive Googling that I've just done to find out it simply means bear. I'm trying to be as indiscriminate as possible in my choice to get as wide a selection as possible, so I hope you'll let me off here. We live and learn.

Funnily enough, I was expecting a dark beer (I'd not yet read the bit about honey on the label). The dark red label on the dark brown bottle reminded me of Chimay Red, Westmalle Dubbel and Bocq Christmas. It is a particularly wintry shade of red, so once again the label works against me. But I like a surprise, and what a golden shade of surprise it was. I imagine it's only brewers who get excited about the colour of beers, but this is one to be proud of. 

Once in the glass, it was time to get the schnoz involved. Instead of the honey I was expecting, there was a definite smell of clean straw. Well, at least that's what I reckon... maybe I shouldn't have said definite... I suppose I'd better stick with it now. Moreover, it was the lack of honey which surprised me more, as opposed to the presence of straw. It is a honey beer after all, not a straw beer, so points lost here I'm afraid. The aroma was much gentler than one would expect, considering its 8% strength, there was no alcoholic smack in the face and just the faintest hint of flowery hops. So, all in all, pleasant, but not outstanding.

The fizziness which you generally find in Belgian beers is not the type you get in lagers, there's a lot more sophistication to it, and Biere des Ours is a fine example of this. I guess I can compare it more to champagne; the bubbles are smaller but greater in number, giving your mouth a smoother massage than the coarse lager/fizzy pop bubbles. That's what becomes of artificial carbonation, I suppose.

As I drunk more and more it got better and better, which is possibly the holy grail to which all beers (and drinks) should aspire to. I know I favour the maltier, darker beer but if I had to have one criticism of them overall, it would be that they can occasionally become a little too rich in the final third, moreso with the stronger variants. Lighter beers don't have the inital impact that is so easy to get excited about. Shame on me for being so fickle.

When finished my tongue was coated in that comforting thick saliva that one associates with quality beer, with plenty of sweetness and the over-riding taste of clean, fresh straw. It's as if the brewers had thiefed a load of straw from a beautiful nativity display and steeped the beer in it before bottling. Perhaps that's why they used that festive red on the bottle.

La Binchoise Biere des Ours - 7.5

http://www.labinchoise.be/

Highland Scotch

I'd seen Gordon's Finest Scotch Ale round and about for years. In fact, about ten years ago I was in an off-licence in Bristol, Corks of Cotham (I hope it's still there) with some mates and found it in the Belgian section. We asked the very helpful chap in the shop what is was doing there, and he told us that it was a marketing tactic. Just like here in Britain, we get sold 'real Australian lager' and 'India's finest' blah blah, what we really get is the type of mass produced lager that millions of Brits guzzle weekend after weekend, i.e. they've made a beer specifically for the market but given it an international appeal. He supposed that Belgians love that quaint Highland, tartan appeal so quite fancy drinking a bottle with a tartan label.

Now, I reckon that he's probably right about Scotland's quaint, historic appeal, but Scotch Ale is in itself a 'type' of beer. Now, without getting too much into beer types, because in my opinion there are far too many of which there's little to discern between, Scotch ale was typically very strong (around 8%) and malty, and we know the Scots know what they're doing with that stuff!

So, class, can anyone think of a 8%, dark and malty beer? Abbey-style Dubbel springs to my mind! So, it seems that it would make perfect sense to make beer in Belgium and whack a tartan sticker on it and the Belgian's would lap it up. (Or maybe they'd prefer the branded thistle-shaped glass!).

So, what's it like? Well, having pretty much answered my question already, you could convince me that this was a standard Abbey Dubbel. There's not heaps of hops on the nose and just a hint of sourness behind the sweet malt. In fact, it's that sourness which gives it the character that is necessary from stopping it being a very average, if not perfectly drinkable, dark, strong beer. That and the fact that it's a Scottish beer in a Belgian glass.

It struck me as almost identical to a beer I'd drunk a month or so ago, called Ename Dubbel, which left me struggling to come up with more than 50 words to say about it. Gordon's has only made its appearance here because if its odd identity. That reminds me, I'll soon make a round up of all other beers that have either failed to inspire me or I've failed to finish recently so as to truly have as comprehensive record of everything I've drunk along with my baseless opinion.

Uninspiring as Gordon's beer was, it's ironically inspired me to go and search out some original Scotch Ale to see if it's anything like this one, or indeed Gordon's have Belgianified the drink and the bloke at 'Corks' was indeed right.

Gordon's Highland Scotch - 7.5
http://www.anthonymartin.be/en/our-beers/gordon-finest-beers/gordon-finest-scotch.aspx

Hercule!

Swing tops. Why don't all beers have them? The Ellezelloise brewery certainly agree with me. All of their beers are capped with a lovely, swingy lid that goes "phopp!" which, translated to English, shouts "Yeeahh!". What other noise could possibly prepare you more for a tasty beverage? "Pfst"? Not on your nelly. Plus, there's always that giddy feeling after it makes you jump a little, like a five-year-old when a balloon pops.


Not content with having fancy lids, Ellezelloise furnish you with a handsome bottle and some smart Art Nouveau labels. What's that you say, "who's that there on the label?". It's only ruddy well Hercule Poirot, curly 'tache and all. The coffee shades on the label prepare us all well for the rich drink inside and are effortlessly cool. They haven't tried too hard, they've just got it spot on.


Ok, on to what's inside and the theme of effortless excellence is continued here. Hercule Stout's colour is rich brown and the head stays at a centimetre for at least halfway down the glass. These guys aren't messing around. My first sniff gave rich, fruity, hoppiness and it gives the impression of a beefy Dubbel, which is surprising as when you pop in your mouth there's one thing and one thing only: smoke. Smoke and more smoke; the dying embers of a fireplace in a stately home. But then you get the rich maltiness and sweet caramel that you'd find in a quality stout, with a modest helping of Belgian flavour. As you carry on, and particularly if drank with food, the smoke fades gently away to just a suggestion.


On drinking this glass I happened to come back to the last few fingers in the bottom after short interlude. When sniffing again I found that the smoke was more present in the smell than the taste this time. There's not much better than a beer which gives you different things on different visits (provided they're good things, mind).


If it came down to quantitative praise, you've guessed it, I'd give it ten out of ten. The only downside is its price; at £3.69 from a reasonably priced online retailer it's very dear, but worth it in my book. Saying that, if you don't like your beer tasting like someone's left a spent cigar in it, you might want to think twice, but I'd advise you take a risk.

Ellezelloise Hercule Stout - 10
http://www.brasserie-ellezelloise.be/bieres-uk.shtml#L'Hercule

Anticipation's Retribution

A Bisto advert once told me “save the best for last” so I diligently tucked away my bottle of Zatte Bie from De Bie brewery at the back of my fridge. Unfortunately, whilst I know what to expect from the generic beefy soup in the famous red tub, Zatte Bie gave me no clues.

If you’ve read my other posts you’ll know when it comes to beer bottles, I judge a book by its cover (and of course judge books on their bottle labels). I know I had a real dig at De Dulle Teve for having a label that looks like a child’s drawing, but for some inconsistent reason, that’s where this beer’s bottle has its appeal. There’s a silly picture of a snoozing farmer under a beehive which gives it a quaint ‘small brewery’ appeal. De Dolle’s label was plain weird. De Bie are making no attempt to be arty here, that’s for sure.

So, light humour; small, independent brewery and a funky name: sign me up!

I didn’t know what to expect in terms of style but I like a nice surprise. I had an inkling that it might be on the dark side and perhaps a little murky and I wasn’t far off.  Dark, amber, approaching stout-esque colouring with a handsome portion of sediment at the bottom of the bottle, for those who like that kind of grit. Top that off (literally) with a creamy, rich head staying put at the top of my glass. Things were looking good.

My wife poured her glass first and I had a sneaky sniff and for a second I thought she’d not rinsed her glass out properly. So I made sure I did with mine (like the nice chaps on De Bie’s website tell you to).  But I got the same, washing-up liquid smell that you sometimes can get. My heart sank. I took another waft to try and find something else, but alas, nothing if not more metallic aromas.

So I sipped through the handsome head to get a taste, hoping things would get better. Unfortunately it didn’t; it was so metallic I felt I was supping it straight from a tap. Big shame. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not talking about a beer that is so hideous I can’t stomach the whole bottle but it wasn’t offering much in terms of character on top of the iron tang.  Dinner soon followed, and with a tasty meal the iron filings soon became more subdued.

I’m a sucker for character though, and whilst the beer is definitely distinctly lacking it, the brewery’s charms have won me over and I’ve got a feeling I’ll be going back to try another one of their beers. Hopefully my expectations will be a little lower and they’ll have hit the mark next time.

De Bie Zatte Bie - 5

http://www.brijdebie.be/eng/products/p/3-zatte-bie