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
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