New Belgium Brewing Company Snapshot

New Belgium Brewing Company Snapshot
Style: Wheat Beer

Alcohol Content: 5%

From: Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Purchased From: Great British Beer Festival 2014, Olympia, United Kingdom

http://www.newbelgium.com/Home.aspx

New Belgium was established in 1991 after its founder, Jeff Lebesch, decided to take his homebrewing passion commercially. The name New Belgium originates from a bicycle trip the founders took through Belgium in the late 80's. They would cycle from brewery to brewery, sampling beer as they went (sounds like bliss to me). Almost every label has been designed by watercolourist Anne Fitch. Anne has often been credited with helping the brewery develop so quickly due to her eye catching designs. Infact this partnership has helped New Belgium become the third largest craft beer brewery in the United States.

Not resting on their laurels, in 2013 the brewery became completely owned by their employees through an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). The quirky corporate culture this generates helped New Belgium to be recognised as one of INC magazine's "25 Most Audacious Companies to work". The brewery is primarily based in Fort Collins where they produce over 700,000 barrels of beer each year.        

Colour: Pours a very pale straw yellow and is completely clear. Personally, I like to add the yeast into my wheat beers, so I naturally left a small amount of beer in my bottle and gave it a quickly swirl around. Normally this removes all the yeast that clings to the inside of the bottle, however, in the case of this beer, no yeast seems to be picked up and the drink remains crystal clear.

Aroma: Definitely not the most perfumed beer on the market, but you can pick up notes of zesty citrus fruits subtlety juxtaposed by the hints of creamed wheat. It certainly smells like a archetypal wheat beer. Perhaps this drink can now rise to the occasion.

Body: At first the body feels very rich and creamy. The incredibly low level of carbonation helps add to this depth. However, unlike the majority of the beers I review, this beer actually felt thinner in the mouth once it has warmed. It appears to become more watery as the temperature rises. The hints of citrus help to clear the slight clogging sensation on every sip. Mix this with the watery body and you have a real thirst quencher on your hands. Totally not what I was expecting from this beer.

Taste: To be honest, this is not the most flavoursome beer I have ever tasted. Sharp citrus notes completely dominate the subtle hints of creamed wheat and yeast. It all feels rather unbalanced much like the current Arsenal team. Lots of upfront zest, but no defensive body. The finish is slightly tart and ends incredibly dry. I hate to say it, but I think this beer is quite similar to Coors' Blue Moon. A thirst quenching wheat beer that has unfortunately failed to make its mark on me.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/blanche-de-bruxelles.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/ommegang-hennepin.html

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St. Bernardus Wit

St. Bernardus Wit

Style: Wit

Alcohol Content: 5.5%

From: Watou, West Flanders, Belgium

Purchased from: Beer Boutique, Putney, United Kingdom
http://www.sintbernardus.be/

Time flies when you're having fun and this year is no exception. I can scarcely believe that one year ago I was boozing it up in Bruges, constantly thinking when would be the best time to ask my girlfriend to move in with me. Whilst we have yet to return to Belgium, we are both busy planning our next holidays to Budapest and Chicago respectively. Naturally, we are also researching which beers we plan to try, however, whilst Chicago is awash with breweries, I am currently finding it hard to locate an independent brewery to visit in Budapest. If anyone knows of one please let me know by leaving a comment below.

The subject of this review is a little Belgium flash back, St.Bernardus Wit. Originally a Trappist brewery, the monks of the refuge Norte Dame de St. Bernard decided to stop brewing on their site in Watou, West Flanders in 1936. Seizing an opportunity, local business man Evarist Deconinck decided to start brewing the the monastery's old beer recipes under licence for the next thirty years. An additional thirty years was agreed in 1962 but by 1992 the remaining Trappist monasteries (six in Belgium and one in Holland) decided that the qualification of a Trappistbier could only be given to beers brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery. The licence was not renewed and the brand was renamed St.Bernardus.

Who's this cheeky chap?

Colour: Pours a hazy, straw yellow with a slight orange hue. As with most Wit beers, a luxurious, brilliant white head oozes from the depths of the glass. Quite frankly, this look like the archetypal wheat beer, brilliantly inviting and I can't wait to have a sip.

Aroma: Not every beer has to overpower you senses. Some can be so soft and delicate, that it just makes you relax and enjoy the pleasure of drink. St.Bernardus Wit is no exception. Playful notes of spicy coriander and citrus fruit dominate the nose from start to finish. As the drink warms, the sour lemon aroma intensifies, drowning out all other scents.

Body: Slightly thinner than I was expecting, but this beer slides down a treat with not one hint of clogging nor bitterness at all.

Taste: Full of tart lemons from start to finish. The sour lemons will tickle your taste buds and the taste certainly stay with you even after you swallow the beer. The coriander will linger in the background like the KGB waiting patiently to wipe you out. The warming sensation nips away at your tongue from time to time and helps to cut through the sharp lemons. The sour edge will intensify as the drink warms but it never threatens to dominate. In short the beer is perfectly balanced, ensuring not one flavour overpowers the other. The perfect refresher for a Wit beer first timer and best enjoyed with spicy food.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/erdinger-uriweisser.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/by-horns-diamond-geezer.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Emelisse Blond

Emelisse Blond

Style: IPA

Alcohol Content: 6.8%

From: Kamperland, The Netherlands

Purchased from: Real Ale Shop, Richmond-Upon-Thames

http://www.emelisse.nl/

I love stumbling across new breweries. Every time I visit a bottle shop I will always try and buy a range of different styles from range of breweries across the globe. So upon my visit to the Real Ale shop in Richmond last February, I realised that my shopping basket was lacking a Golden Ale or Blonde. Whilst scouring the shelves I came across a beer called Emelisse Blond. Naturally with the word blond in the title I thought I was on to a winner. A few months later it was Emelisse turn to have its time to shine in my glass. As soon as I popped the cap, I realised that all was not as it seems. Rather than being a blond, this drink turned out to be a dark potent IPA. A brunette rather a blond so to speak. So let's see what this wolf in sheep's clothing has to offer. First some notes on the brewery itself.

Back in 1998, A keen home brewer by the name of Fre Buizze formed the Emelisse foundation. The foundation had one simple goal, brew a beer using locally grown malting barley. Fre approached De Halve Mann brewery in Hulst to help him in his quest. The beer was such a roaring success that by 2004 the foundation decided to strike out on its own and move to their own premises in Kamperland, Holland. Head brewmaster, Kees Bubberman is a keen innovator and often visits other brewery to share experiences and gain valuable insights. One of these successful visits to Manchester based Marble, produced a Earl Grey IPA, which I had the pleasure of trying a couple of years ago. Currently the brewery outputs around 2000 hectolitres per annum with some of their production outsourced to Proefbrouwerij in Hijfte.

Are you wearing a wig?

Colour: Pours a light chestnut brown with a thick head of foam. The foam will dissipate slightly as you drink but the remnants lace the glass beautifully. It was here that I thought to myself this is definitely not a Blond beer. This looks more like an archetypal IPA.

Aroma: Big bold tropical notes of mango, pineapple and citrus will fill your nostrils straight away. An underlining sour citrus note follows, which will initially take you back but eventually mellows as the drink warms. After a few minutes in the glass, the sourness resembles notes of blackberries mixed with a sensation of sweet caramel and crumbled biscuits. These notes are very faint and took a lot of sniffing to get to the bottom of.

Body: This beer is hopped heavily with the Nelson Sauvin hop. To me, this hop helps to create a wine like mouthfeel to every drink it's added to. It coats the back of your throat and can be quite unpleasant if you don't like wine. After you swallow the drink, your mouth will feel very sticky and dry.

Taste: After a pleasant start of notes of smooth, sweet caramel, a brutal hit of almost pure alcohol will knock you off your feet. This IPA holds no punches nor makes no attempt to mask the high ABV. The drink feels so potent that it unfortunately takes away some of the character after of this beer. My advice would be to let the drink warm in the glass for a while as this seems to mellow the alcohol slightly. The warming also changes the character slightly, as the beer becomes more Sauvignon Blanc like. Not my favourite beer, but worth trying if you want something different.

   

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/rogue-juniper-pale-ale.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/blanche-de-bruxelles.html

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Petrus Aged Pale Ale

Petrus Aged Pale Ale

Style: Aged Pale Ale (Sour)

Alcohol Content: 7.3%

From: Bavikhove, Belgium

Purchased from: Beer Shop near Calais
http://www.brouwerijdebrabandere.be/home-en

A few months ago, a friend of mine visited Northern France. Whilst he was there I asked him if he could bring back any interesting beers that he may stumble across. This is one of the results of that search, Petrus aged pale. Originally I thought this would be a pale ale but I was quite shocked to find out that this was actually a sour beer. My track record with this style is not great. My first and only experience of this style was at the great British beer festival back in 2012. I was so unprepared for the tart sourness that it really put me off the style. Being a man that always gives things a second chance, I popped the drink in the fridge waiting for the right moment to review the beer. So let's see if it's second time a charm...

The Bavik brewery was founded in 1894 founded by Adolphe De Brabandere a farmer at the "Hof ter Koutere" in Bavikhove. Four generations later, the brewery is still a family business and one of the largest independent breweries in Belgium. Petrus Aged Pale Ale was first brewed in 2001 after a visit from beer expert Michael Jackson (not the Michael Jackson with the plastic face, this Michael Jackson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson_(writer) ). So onto the review.

Colour: Pours a clear golden colour complete with a fast building, bubbly white head. This dissipates down quickly but laces the glass perfectly on the way down.

Aroma: Full of cherries and white wine vinegar. This can be extremely overpowering to start with but it will eventually mellow as you get use to it.

Body: A perfect, light pilsner type body complete with a mild carbonation. The mouthful is a game of two halves. Tart sourness will dry your mouth at first, then the sweet juicy malt will refresh your vitals. Definitely not a beer you can session.

Taste: Pucker up, this is one hell of a sour beer! It will take you a few minutes to adjust to the acidic sourness of this beer. It really reminds me of a scrumpy cider from the westcountry. Once adjusted, there are hints of fruits, specifically cherries and a slight vinous character. The flavour is rounded off by hints of earthiness which are provided by the oak barrels that this beer is laid in during the ageing process. The after taste is full of tart cherries with not a hint of bitterness to speak of. Best enjoyed slowly with a tangy cheese. A lot tastier than my first encounter with the sour style and I certainly will be trying other soon.

What's up with you Sour Pus?

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/thornbridge-wild-swan.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/bath-ales-gem.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Maui Brewing Company Aloha B'ak'tun

Maui Brewing Company Aloha B'ak'tun

Style: Belgian Stout

Alcohol Content: 7%

From: Lahaina, Hawaii

Purchased from: The Beer Bouquet, Putney
http://mauibrewingco.com/

At some point in life every man will get the dreaded "man flu". This week was my turn to get the bug. My symptoms are as follows; Arms as heavy as lead, a nose running like a tap and a live heavy metal band playing in my skull. Just what you want over the weekend. After being drugged up to the eyeballs, I some how managed to stumble into the office. Of course one of the worst parts of being ill is that you can't drink. So as I dry out for a few days, I have to dig deep into my little black book to bring you some reviews that I have yet to write up. Here is one of them, Maui Brewing Aloha B'ak'tun.

The Maui Brewing formed in 2005 on the Hawaiian Island of Lahaina. In their nine year existence, the brewery has won numinous awards and opened a successful brewpub. I have always wanted to try their coconut porter, but alas, I can never get hold of it. So when I saw a limited edition Belgian stout by Maui, I snapped it up immediately.

Oh Aloha!

Colour: Pours a dark, oily black with a fluffy tan coloured head. This dissipates down to a few clumps of foam after a few minutes.

Aroma: Big, bold coffee and cocoa note cascade out of the glass like Niagara Falls. This is complemented by mild notes of cloves, cinnamon and spicy pepper. It's all very Christmassy I must say.

Body: Thick and oily like a traditional stout should be. The mouthfeel is incredibly similar to that of the fantastic Kernel 1890 export stout recipe that I reviewed last month. The coffee notes blend perfectly with the oily texture to coat the back of your throat. This ensure a slow, lingering drinking experience. So take your time and unwind.

Taste: This drink has an incredibly complex palate. So here goes! Massive hints of coffee and bitter dark chocolate will fill swam you taste buds. This is then swiftly cut through by a peppery, smoke filled aftertaste. This sensation comes from the addition of the hops, cinnamon and chipotle chillies. These additional ingredients add a great depth to the flavour and help to reinforce the sear quality of this brew. The only slight negative thing I could say is that there seemed to be a slight metallic/acidic aftertaste to this beer. Perhaps this comes from the the use of a can instead of a bottle. That being said, it's very rich and extremely satisfying, a perfect winter warmer.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/ellezelloise-hercule-stout.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/wild-beer-company-scarlet-fever.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Blanche De Bruxelles

Blanche De Bruxelles

Style: Wit Beer

Alcohol Content: 4.4%

From: Quenast, Rebecq, Belgium

Purchased from: Beer Wall, Bruges, Belgium
http://www.brasserielefebvre.be/en/page/3/home

If you live in the UK, no doubt that you would of heard that the river Thames broke its banks last night and flooded the surrounding area. Whilst this is no surprise given the amount of rain we have had over the previous months, it does however impact the lives of people living in the area. My office has been noticeably quieter today, as more and more employees choose to work from home. It times like these that make me feel grateful that my friends and family are safe. For those that know me well, I live close to Staines Upon Thames and my grandparents live in rural Somerset. Both these areas have been greatly affected by the recent floods, but luckily they are far enough away for the water to cause any meaningful damage. But with this in mind, I dedicate this blog entry to those that are not so fortunate. My thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

The origins of the Lefebvre brewery, located at Quenast (in the Brabant region of Wallonia, the French speaking district of Belgium) in the valley of the Senne, goes back to 1876. In this year, Jules Lefebvre, gamekeeper, farmer, inn keeper and brewer, inaugurated his new brewery. Pubs were opened around the neighbouring porphyry quarries so that the numerous workmen, made thirsty by stone working, could come to refresh themselves. Even in 2014, the brewery is still a family affair with no less than six generations have passed though the brewery over time. They have expanded and diversified to include lines such as Belgian Framboises and the subject of this review, the famous Blanche De Bruxelles.

Colour: Pours a bright yellow will a dense brilliant white head. The head will slowly dissipate down to a heavy dusting of foam in the glass. It looks like a Classic Belgian wit beer, good start!

Aroma: A beautifully sweet, lemon meringue like nose with underlying biscuit and a little floral touch from the Styrian Goldings and Hallertauer hops. Coriander and orange peel added during wort boiling lends a slight but unobtrusive spiced nose. As the drink warms, the tart lemon intensifies followed up by hints of creamed wheat.

Body: A smooth medium body that will slightly clog the back of your throat. This is due to the addition of wheat, curaçao orange peel and coriander during the creation of this beer. The mouthfeel is one of pure silk which leaves you wanting more and more.

Taste: The initial flavour is almost like lavender, until the citrus re-asserts itself. The flavours of tart lemon can initially overpower the palate until the creamed wheat finish silkily washes the mouth. The additional curaçao orange peel and coriander blends perfectly with the mild hops to round of this drink. Perfect for any fish much like these salmon noodles Emma cooked for me. Yum yum!

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/nogne-o-blonde.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/tiny-rebel-full-nelson.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Urthel Hop-It

Urthel Hop-It
Style: Blonde Belgian Style India Pale Ale

Alcohol Content: 9.5%

From: Ruiselede, West Flanders, Belguim

Purchased From: Bruges, Belguim

http://www.urthel.com/en/home.htm

Hildegard (Odette) Overmeire began brewing in 2000 alongside her husband Bas van Ostaden. The cheeky chap that appears on their bottles is called Urthel and his adventures in the fantasized world of the Erthel legends.  Urthel beers are brewed in the Koningshoeven brewery in Ruiselede, West Flanders. Whilst in Bruges this October, I saw a number of Urthel beers on sale. Seeing as I could not bring them all back, I decided to go for Hop-It, a blonde Belgian Style India Pale Ale with a whopping 9.5% ABV. From memory, this will be the second strongest beer I have ever tried. Let’s hope that I survive to tell the tale.

Colour: This drink pours a bright, straw yellow topped with a bubbly white head. Be careful not to pour this drink too quickly, as the foam will rise out of the glass.

Aroma: Big upfront notes of freshly cut straw will present themselves straight away. These playfully mix with warming coriander notes, that will sting your nostrils with every sip. Rather unfortunately, these aroma completely die away after just a few minutes in the glass.

Body: Very similar to the Duvel and the Alken-Maes Judas i reviewed earlier this year, this is a drink of two halves. The first, is a light, heavily carbonated drink that has a similar mouthfeel to Champagne. The second could not be any more different. A sticky, almost BBQ sauce like sensation will coat your throat on every sip. A very strange sensation that's for sure.

Taste: Wooo! The alcohol will hit you straight away and can be extremely overpowering to the uninitiated. After picking myself off the floor, i braved another sip. Strong notes of crisp hay and grass are present on the palate. If you swill the drink around your mouth, a sticky, sweet lavender honey porridge can be tasted. Perfect for those cold winter nights! As the drink naturally warms, the ale will assume these sticky characteristics in the glass. For me, it needs a little bit more to make it not just another heavily hopped Belgian IPA. Alken-Maes' Judas, is a much better example of this style.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/alken-maes-judas.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/ommegang-hennepin.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Alken-Maes Judas

Alken-Maes Judas

Style: Golden Ale

Alcohol Content: 8.5%

From: Waarloos, Kontich, Belgium

Purchased From: Brought back from Calais by my Friend Jon

http://www.alken-maes.be/fr

Alken-Maes was created out of the 1988 merger of two small breweries, Maes located at Kontich-Waarloos and Cristal-Alken located at Alken. Both had specialized in pils (Maes was producing Maes pils and Alken Cristal pils) until Maes purchased the Union brewery (based in Jumet) in 1978, which produced Grimbergen beer among others.

After the merger, the group continued to purchase other breweries to expand their offer to a larger panel of beers. In 1989, the new brewery purchased a 50% stake in De Keersmaeker brewery, which specialized in spontaneous fermentation beers such as Mort Subite. In 2000, it bought Ciney and Brugs Witbier as well as the other 50% of De Keersmaeker.

In the same year, the brewery was bought by British company Scottish & Newcastle, which in turn was bought by the Carlsberg/Heineken consortium in 2007.

Rising from the depths of hell?

Judas was first brewed in 1986, probably as a Golden Ale that could compete with the highly successful Duvel  beer made by its rival, Moortgat Brewery. The similarities in title, label and goblet are evident. Can this drink live up to its devilish name? Lets find out.

Colour: From the bottle, this drink pours a bright golden colour with a thick white head. The head will dissipate slightly but it does stay around for the duration of the drink.

Aroma: Slight hints of lemon mixed with sweet lavender honey. There are also lovely spicy aromas that burn the nostrils slightly if you hold the glass close to your nose.

Body: Very light  mouthfeel for such a potent drink. Once poured into the glass, the drink will fizz up rapidly due to the high level of carbonation. This then dies down very suddenly to leave a very smooth liquid which when drunk, slides down very easily.

Taste: The overwhelming taste is that of wholemeal bread mixed with fresh lemons. This lemon sensation can be quite sharp so be careful if you take a large gulp (I did, and it was not a pleasurable experience). This beer has a slight sour ending due to the pre mentioned lemons mixed with freshly cut grass notes. As the drink warms, the strength of the alcohol become more apparent and the beer takes on whiskey like qualities. Slight hints of peat move to the fore of the flavour profile. That being said, the drink is not as potent as the the Duvel I reviewed earlier in this blog. It tastes like a more refined version of the original strong golden ale. Just be careful the drink doesn't stab you in the back with the alcohol content!

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/duvel.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/kernel-brewery-ipa-columbus.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Ommegang Hennepin

Ommegang Hennepin

Style: Saison

Alcohol Content: 7.7%

From: Cooperstown, New York, USA

Purchased From: Real Ale Shop, Richmond Upon Thames, London, England
http://www.ommegang.com/

Brewery Ommegang is a Belgian brewery located near Cooperstown, New York that specializes in Belgian-style ales. Ommegang began brewing Belgian-style ales in 1997. Founded by Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield, owners of Vanberg & DeWulf beer import company, and three family owned Belgian breweries including Duvel Moortgat. Ommegang started up in a purpose-built building based on a traditional Belgian farmhouse, set on a former 136-acre (0.55 km2) hopfarm in the Susqehanna River Valley, four miles (6 km) south of Cooperstown, New York in the Town of Milford.

Since its opening, Ommegang has grown rapidly — in early 2005, its owner said they have been unable to meet demand for their ales and as a result would add 40 percent to their production capacity over the next year.

By 2003, the Belgian breweries had all been absorbed into large corporations. Feinberg and Littlefield sold their share of Ommegang in 2003 to Belgian brewer Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, brewers of the world-renowned Duvel Golden Ale. Duvel Moortgat brewed limited amounts of beer for Brewery Ommegang in 2006 to help meet demand, but has not brewed any since then. Ommegang have also started to brew a series of special editions based on the successful HBO series, Game of Thrones. The latest in in this series is the Take the Black Stout. However this review focuses on Hennepin Farmhouse Saison

Colour: Pours a straw yellow with a luxuriously thick white head. This head clings to the glass like its life depends on it and stays with you throughout the drink. Another point of note is that the drink is opaque. Looks like a treat to drink.

Aroma: The label calls this this drink a farmhouse Saison and you can certainly smell why. Big, bold aromas of hay and the farm yard will rise from the glass. There are notes of cracked black pepper mixed and a warm spiciness which will fire you up.

Body: This drink is actually thicker than it looks. The body is very reminiscent of a Belgium wheat beer, nice and creamy. This sensation will cover your throat making you think your drinking a pint of milk. In the glass there is a low level of carbonation which helps to add to the smoothness of this drink.

Taste: The interesting element to this drink comes from the taste. All the flavours a very well balanced which helps to create a very pleasurable and smooth drinking experience. Notes of spicy ginger, peppery coriander and zingy orange peel present themselves straight away. At 7.7 ABV, this drink hides the alcohol very well by introducing a sherbet lemon finish. I will certainly be getting another bottle of this when I pop into the real ale shop this week.

Must learn how to use a flash!

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/tripel-karmeliet.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/moor-beer-company-old-freddy-walker.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Ellezelloise Hercule Stout

Ellezelloise Hercule Stout

Style: Stout

Alcohol Content: 9%

From: Irchonwelz, Belgium

Purchased From: Brought back from Calais by my Friend Jon

http://www.brasserie-ellezelloise.be/

The Brasserie des Legends is a Belgian brewery located in Irchonwelz and Elzele.The brewery was founded in 1998 by brewing engineer Pierre Delcoigne called Brasserie des Géants. In 2007, the Brasserie Ellezelloise founded in 1993 was acquired. The merger allowed the two breweries to change their name to Brasserie des Légendes. The brewing operations are at present divided between the two branches. In 2011, the company opened a tavern which offers their beers and local dishes.

The subject of this review is Ellezelloise Hercule Stout. If you live in the UK you will no doubt recognise the name and face on the label; Hercule Poirrot. Given that Agatha Christie most famous creation has just been retired from television, i feel its only right to unwrap mystery of this beer.

Colour: Pours a thick jet black with an equally thick tan head. This head stays around for quite a while and then dissipates to a light foam on the glass. You could say that this drink is as dark and as complex as a Hercule Poirrot mystery that you may see on television.

Aroma: Luxurious dark chocolate notes resonates from the glass. You can also smell notes of roasted coffee that have been subtly mixed with chewy liquorice. In short it's a little glass of heaven.

Body: This stout has a Guinness like body, very thick and slightly creamy. Very smooth to drink and it coated the back of my mouth perfectly. It was almost like drinking a pint of milk to be honest. This beer has an extremely low level of carbonation which makes it very easy to drink.

Taste: The best way to describe the taste is that it reminds me of a Mocha coffee. Rich dark chocolate playfully mixes with a mild coffee notes. Even though it has quite a high alcohol content, this is masked very well due to the depth of flavours present. On the second sip, slight woody notes are present. These are not over powering and actually adds a slight robustness to the drink. There is a slight liquorice aftertaste, but luckily this is not overpowering (I'm not a fan of liquorice). The aftertaste is not overly bitter which suggest minimal hops are used in the making of this beer. Very pleasant and I will be going back to this again.

Mystery Revealed 

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/ska-brewing-steel-toe-milk-stout.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/einstok-icelandic-white-ale.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Bruges By Beers

Bruges By Beers

So a slight change from the norm here at Beefsbrewery. Earlier in October me and my girlfriend Emma visited the gorgeous city of Bruges. As im sure most you are aware, Belgium is famous for its amazing selection of beers. Ranging from Blonde to Saison, Bruges had it all. So sit back, relax and have a butchers at my beer photos of Bruges.

Cambrinus Beer Tasting

Kwack nights

Tour Around The Half Man Brewery

Tour Around the Half Man Brewery Part 2

Tour Around the Half Man Brewery Part Three

The Infamous Beer Wall and my Favourite Beer of the Trip Kasteel Bruin

Beer Bat And Champagne Beer in the Red Rose 

Trying A Hopus for the First Time. Think My Face Tell it All

Back to the Cambrinus for a Final Saison Dupont Before Home Time

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Tripel Karmeliet

Tripel Karmeliet

Style: Tripel

Alcohol Content: 8.4%

From: East Flanders, Buggenhout, Belguim

Purchased from: Waitrose

Bosteels Brewery is a Belgian brewery in the East Flanders Buggenhout. Bosteels Brewery was founded in 1791 by Everarist Bosteels and has to date been 7 generations in the same family, successively by Everarist founder, Joseph Martin, Leon, Antoine, Antoine Bosteels and Leon. Over the years, brewery Bosteels grown. Tripel Karmeliet is their most successful beer, which was launched in 1996. In recent years, production has been significantly increased, but still can not meet the demand. In 2011, 2012 and 2013 is therefore always an investment of 3 million euros. The total turnover in 2011 was 17.2 million, with a total production of 90,000 hectoliters of beer.

Pow right in the kisser!

Colour: Straw yellow. On the pour, you get a lovely thick white head that will stay with you throughout the drink. In some aspects, it's very similar to Duvel which I reviewed earlier on this blog. It's very heavily carbonated and the bubbles keep on coming and coming. That being said these are very fine bubbles that are most likely to tickle you throat on the way down. One thing I noticed is that this beer actually darkens in colour as it warms up. The yellow darkens quite considerably after 15 minutes.

Aroma: Bananas and a faint hint of minerals on the first sniff. When you go in for a second bite you are bombarded with notes of brown bread or biscuits. There are also notes of cloves.

Body: This drink is actually a lot heavier than it looks. This is due to the high level of alcohol that is in the drink. When you have your first sip, you are almost knocked for six by the power it holds. The drink is also quite creamy and has a certain Weiss beer quality to it. If you every try this beer yourself, I would recommend having a sip and move it around your mouth. This brings out a rich chewy texture that is also like placing a toffee in your mouth.

Taste: If you have ever tried Muller's fantastic banana and custard yogurt, then this is extremely similar. If you start to move this drink around in your mouth, the drink is very chewy and you get a certain bubble gum taste in your mouth. As the drink is quite alcoholic, the drink can feel quite spicy with ginger or cinnamon notes. As the drink warms up slight you will also get the slight taste of pineapple. This is a drink that you need to take your time with and nurse. Drink it to quick and you will be on the floor within seconds.

This will leave you off your feet

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Duvel

 Duvel

Style: Golden Ale

Alcohol content: 8.5%

From: Brussels, Belgium

Purchased from: Tesco

OK so far on this blog i have reviewed ales from the US, UK and Germany. Its time to mix it up a bit and review a brew from Belgium. Now i will be the first to admit, ( and to my shame) that i have not drunk may drinks for the low countries before. However, from reading Melisa Cole's Let Me Tell You About Beer, i realized that i was missing out on a world of aroma's and flavors. So while i was in Tesco's at the weekend, i reached for a bottle of Duvel as i had never tried it before.

Duvel is a forth generation family brewer based in Breendonk, Belgium. Duvel (in its current form) was created  in the aftermath of World War One, when a large number of UK troops were deployed on the front in Belgium. As the troops arrived, they brought with them bottled beer to numb the pain of this terrible conflict. Belgium brewers soon got hold of a few bottles and attempted to re-create the beer. After the war the son of  founder of Duvel; Albert Moortgat visited the UK to meet brewers and some learn new techniques. What he brought back from that visit would lead the family on to create Duvel and from there the rest is history. The word Duvel is Brabantian, Ghent and Antwerp dialect for devil. Lets hope that this Golden ale tastes more saintly than its name.

Colour: As per the style; Golden. Its very clear in the glass but also very gassy. It looks like a golden Kristal Weiss beer. When the bubbles being to settle, the color becomes more straw like and looks more like a traditional Weiss beer. Now Duvel is bottle conditioned, which means that the brewer will add a small bit of yeast to each bottle.This continues the fermentation process and also added to the flavor and body of the beer.

Smell: On the nose you are blasted with a banana and clove aroma. All the signs are screaming at me that this is a Weiss beer.I currently feel that the label on the bottle is a bit miss leading. If this is really a Golden Ale then i will have to eat my hat.

Body: Thick white head which holds all the aromas that i explained above. The drink is very rich and creamy. The bubbles tickle the back of your throat on the way down. A couple of minutes after the pour the bubbles are still going strong. They seem to be never ending. If you drank a lot of this very quickly, I guarantee that you would be burping all night long. After about 15 minutes of conversation and  what can be called erm "dancing" i was pleased to see that the bubbles had stopped. The drink then became much more enjoyable.

Taste: As soon as you have a sip you get the taste of lemon, oranges and banana all washed down with a pint of double cream. You get a mildly acidic/ sour after taste which actually cleans and refreshes your mouth. After my first sip, this after taste was a very pleasant surprise.The more i drank this beer the more i started to enjoy it. Personally i think that the temperature is key to unlocking the full flavor behavior of this brew. This drink is best served at 6 degrees.

Look at the bubbles!

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