Another entry I don't think will be very long, for this brewers without owned brewery, that started making beer in Van Steenberge in 2000, and later at Koningshoeven - La Trappe. Strongly alcoholic beers is the perfect word to describe the three varieties I have tasted, but not boring, classical or bad at all. Personal, worked and special that can give good surprises, and according to the beers we like most, can have a good place in our beer memories. Let's go with them!
-Urthel Hop-it: Belgian Strong Ale, 9,5%. Green label, Urthel written in yellow, and red coloured Hop-it on a white back. A funny cartoon holding a beer jar, and in the back part a description, even in Spanish. Light golden beer, very clean, with a finger of white cream. Quite strong hoppy aroma, with some rests of the 9,5%, but not too much and leaving also some very smooth malts. In the mouth, thick as we could wait, with some right hoppy taste, but sharing the important place with alcohol and some sweet caramel. ore hop at the short ending.
QUICK RESUME: Dangerous, too nice that hides perfectly nearly 10%. I will repeat knowing this information
-Urthel Saisonniere: Saison 6%. Yellow label with the same old cartoon, Urthel letters are dark green now. Saisonniere is red, and on the back part the description, but not in Spanish this time. 20% of wheat in the recipe and some sugar, that made this beer winner of the World Beer Award 2010, being "Europe's best seasonal Ale". Looks like a blonde one, quite more dirty than the previous one, and with some more white cream, but quicker to fall. Citric, hoppy and light toasted aroma. Light in the mouth, quite fine for a Saison, citric taste, sweet points and with a very fresh ending.
QUICK RESUME: Very nice, to drink one and another without thinking.
-Urthel Samaranth: Quadrupel, 11,5%. Dark grey label, repeating the cartoon, with yellow and grey letters on a white back. This time, also in Spanish, we can read that the beer has some sugar. In the glass in dark, clean, with some golden foam very quick to fall. Toasted aroma with some alcoholic strong notes. In the mouth, thick one as can be expected, and with the first alcoholic impression, allows to taste some toasted notes, as coffee and tobacco, with some citric points after the hop. Rough ending with more alcoholic taste.
QUICK RESUME: Although the flavour it is not so strong as another quadrupel, it is a beer for some occasions.
And another entry finished with all the beers from this Belgian brand that I have tasted. See you soon beer lovers, keep beering!
lunes, 19 de agosto de 2013
5 bottles for the collection for this first 5 months
Some days ago I made an entry about the best 5 IPAs I had found here, today the selected theme will be 5 beers that I chose mostly by its design, and without waiting from them the maximum limits, some of them have been good enough. As some of you already know, I collect empty beer bottles, and these 5 will have an important place in my collection due to the worked and good graphics on their bottle. Without talking much more, I will start the resume and the descriptions.
1- Commemorative beer for the Football League Championship (Eredivisie) won by Ajax this year, 32th in their trophy room. I saw the bottle in a little shop near the crossing between Bilderdijkstraat and Kinkerstraat, 75cl, red and black colours and all the information about the year, the trophy, a football song for the stadium (I guess) and cork cap. Tripel, 8%, and not more info in the label, no more info on the web, even the brewer or the place. I shared the beer in the park some days later, and that's why I don't have any looking or colour references. About the rest, sweet aroma as a classical tripel one, thick body and sweet flavour with some strong rest of malts, caramel or even coffee.
QUICK RESUME: I was hoping a Heineken or something like that ("Tripel 8%" is written in tiny letters), and I got some good beer. I hope they win again next year...
2- Trooper: I'm not the biggest fan of Iron Maiden, but they make good disc covers and here we have the one for the same disc, with the zombie skeleton and a destroyed rag as the British flag. If we read the bottle, the beer is ALE, and it is made by Robinson's brewery in England, following a recipe made by the band's vocalist. Half litre bottle, because third of the litre sometimes is too short, and light alcoholic percentage, only 4,7%. InOn the back we can read all the recipe details, such as Bobec, Cascade and Goldings hops, and some information of the Balaclava battle, which inspires the song. I shared the beer with two friends, but this time it was poured in the glasses. Light amber coloured, not so much foam, fresh aroma and original. In the mouth, some more good surprises, light body, citric and malty flavour and some hops at the ending, everything very balanced.
QUICK RESUME: They can do better, but if we see that it is just a marketing product, I could say has enough quality/price balance.
3- Vdaco Bvba Shark Pant IPA: A IPA, and some cool label, the perfect combination... The label shows a gorilla, hitting the chest with his fists, dressed in Shark tail pants, with a yellow and green spiral at the back. A fashionable belgium style IPA, and more details about the recipe is what we can see, as the alcoholic percentage, kinda high 9%. In the right side of the gorilla, you can see a death dedicatory with RIP and the dates, and under this you can also read that having 300IBUs, is probably the most hoppy beer in Belgium. In the glass you can see an amber, muddy beer, with hard white foam, although not so abundant. Strong hop and alcohol aroma, medium body, and about flavour, the beginning is just alcohol covering other details that appear as the ending arrives. These are hoppy points, with some herbal freshness.
QUICK RESUME: I am not the best friend of these strong alcoholic flavours, bu this beer had something else that made it special, not only the design.
4- Muifelbrouwerij Lentebock: Another style I discovered a few months ago, and fits with my beer preferences. The label, the image of a horny-muffle (An animal with more twisted horns that Rajoy and barcenas relationship), and lentebock letter on a green backwards (6,5%). Little more besides the basic information at the left side, with a very beautiful photo, very well chosen and with no messages we know on it. As I served, it was falling in the glass with nice amber colour, almost like an IPA, with two perfect fingers of hard white cream. Very good looking, with herbal and fresh aroma, with some hop notes and some others as caramel a bit more hidden. In the mouth, quite thick, fresh, just the right toasted bitterness from the malts, some pine, vanilla, and a hoppy and herbal ending quite short but very intense.
QUICK RESUME: I will repeat, for sure. Good local product at a very reasonable price.
5- Hobbybrouwerij Het Nest Schuppenboer: Belgian tripel with 8,5%, and the jack of spades holding a jar of beer, all completed with some golden details and the letters in black. Golden back part with a black spade, and the recipe with Cascade, herbs and some sugar. Little more, but I like cards designs, so here she is. It has some light golden and transparent colour, maybe too light and transparent to be a tripel, and a crown of compact foam. Classical sweet notes with some caramel, and even some coffee points in the nose. Medium body, quite thick if you see it before, and sweet flavour with a lot of malty points, light and balanced, with some final hop notes in the short aftertaste, but with no much alcoholic flavour in any moment.
QUICK RESUME: It will fall again, not too expensive and quite good to start getting the drunk point.
And that was all about this entry and these 5 beauties, that are waiting for a nice place to be placed (Besides this blog). I hope you also liked the designs, and that you will be there to keep reading about more beers. See you soon beer lovers, keep beering!
Hertog Jan
For this new entry, I have chosen a quite modest quality beer, but with some interesting varieties that surprised me a lot, thinking about the most expensive ones can cost one Euro, and you can find them easily at the supermarkets.
The brewery is located in Kruisweg 44, Arcen. As their web says, there are guided tours by the facilities and some other activities. The history of this building starts in 1915, when four German guys start meking beer in this Dutch village. As I could translate from their web, they got settled there because of the purity of the water, that was compatible with German purity laws. They were there making beer until 1944, when, due to their nationality and after Nazi conquer, thay start having problems and leave the business. Since then I haven't found any more articles or stories until 1970's, when some people starts brewing in the same building. In the next decade, 80's, they have a great raise, to be part of Interbrew (nowadays Anheuser-Busch inBev) in 1995, and renaming theirselves Hertog Jan Brouwerij thre years later. This name is dedicated to Duke John I of Brabant. I couldn't find how many litres do they produce annually, but i can figure out that it is a lot.
As I said, thay habe a wide range of beers, and I will explain the ones I have tried from them.
-Pilsnener: Normal blonde, 5,1% and mixing corn and barley. Golden cap, and also golden label, and a man with a crown (I guess he should be John I), holding a big jar of beer, but looking at his angry face we can think that one of his slaves has changed the beer jar for another containing San Miguel or a crap like that. On the back label, we can read a description about how taste it is. The beer is just light, golden smooth, from the supermarket. With my mouth used to drink good beers, I don't want to make a tasting note to say it is horrible, because this is not the main character at all.
QUICK RESUME: In my opinion, quite good to be an industrial pilsner.
-Bockbier 2012: I arrived here at winter, and it was available, but some I haven't seen it recently. 6,5%, with sugar and colouring powder in the recipe. Dark pink for the label and cap, and the same serious guy, this time I guess because of the colouring powder. On the back, they explain that the production method is the high fermentation and that's why it has so wonderful taste. In the glass it appears dark with some red notes with very little foam. In the nose you can feel the sweetness, classic from the winter ones, with few details more. Sweet herbal flavour that covers the rest.
QUICK RESUME: I will have to taste the 2013, but I'm not really willing it as with other winter ones.
-Karakter: 7,5%, barley, wheat and sugar for orange label and cap, nd the same angry noble man. On the back, the high quality malt selection (Yes, they don't have a grandma). The beer itself is amber coloured, with some more foam than the rest, and some sweet aroma, but quite more toasted than Bokbier. In the mouth, a bit more thicker body but with no great notes, and toasted flavours at the beginning, bitter and sweet aftertaste with no rest of 7,5%.
QUICK RESUME: Quite too toasted for me, that's why I don't think I will repeat, but not for being a bad beer at all.
-Oerblond: 6,2%, with some wheat in the recipe, and "bitter" written in the pistacchio green label, with the same person and position. On the back, a description about the hop mix and the refreshing taste. The beer in the glass is blonde, quite muddy compared to the rest, and low on foam. Bitter aroma, light with some malty rests, medium body, and a right hoppy taste (Bitter, I didn't see IPA nowhere) with a surprising long aftertaste for an industrial one.
QUICK RESUME: If it is available when I go shopping, I usually take one or two. Really easy to drink.
-Lentebock: 7,2%, and besides the normal things, some sugar in the recipe. Cap and label are green , and the same foamy jar in the same hand from the same serious guy. On the back they explain the season style for the spring (Lente means spring), and when we serve it, we find a golden, quite dirty blonde, looking like the Oerblond even in the low cream. Fresh and fruity aroma with very little of the grain, in the mouth has a thick body to be a Lentebier, and a quite balanced flavour between the freshness and the toasted bitter ending from the malts.
QUICK RESUME: This one and the Pilsner are the ones I never see running out, and for the everyday beer, I usually take this one.
-Grand Prestige: 10% with wheat, sugar and colouring power. Golden colour with black back, and Mr. John I that is still willing to catch the funny guy that switches his jars. The back part is dedicated to tell us that this is the super beer from the brand, and the rich and worked flavour it has. It flows in the glass dark, not such coloured as the Bokbier, and short on foam, but it is the hardest on the range. Quite sweet smell, as tripel ones, but with more toasted presence from darker beers. In the mouth, thick body and after a first alcoholic hit, you can taste some toasted malts like coffee or tobacco.
QUICK RESUME: You can feel 10%, and that makes it difficult for some moments. I don't think it will be in the fridge until the cool months arrive.
-Weizener: 5,7%, with coriander and orange peels besides the wheat. Tho chosen colour for this variety in white, and finally Johnny is laughing again. He caught the bastard, put his head in a pike as they did in those ages, and now he is enjoying a good craft beer (I will not say or write any name, everyone must think in his own beer..). Apart from the jokes, the beer is quite normal for a wheat one, yellow, opaque with a lot of foam. Very citric aroma where you can feel the spices, and soft wheat flavour that gets very long mixed with the citric points.
QUICK RESUME: Super beer. If you like wheat ones, you must taste it.
These are the varieties I have been finding in the supermarket, and as you read I can say there are some interesting ones, always knowing that they are industrial, big production and low cost. Some times budgets are not so big t spend 3-5 euros per beer, and that times, you must look for something that gives you something else when we do the shopping See you soon beer lovers, Keep beering!
The brewery is located in Kruisweg 44, Arcen. As their web says, there are guided tours by the facilities and some other activities. The history of this building starts in 1915, when four German guys start meking beer in this Dutch village. As I could translate from their web, they got settled there because of the purity of the water, that was compatible with German purity laws. They were there making beer until 1944, when, due to their nationality and after Nazi conquer, thay start having problems and leave the business. Since then I haven't found any more articles or stories until 1970's, when some people starts brewing in the same building. In the next decade, 80's, they have a great raise, to be part of Interbrew (nowadays Anheuser-Busch inBev) in 1995, and renaming theirselves Hertog Jan Brouwerij thre years later. This name is dedicated to Duke John I of Brabant. I couldn't find how many litres do they produce annually, but i can figure out that it is a lot.
As I said, thay habe a wide range of beers, and I will explain the ones I have tried from them.
-Pilsnener: Normal blonde, 5,1% and mixing corn and barley. Golden cap, and also golden label, and a man with a crown (I guess he should be John I), holding a big jar of beer, but looking at his angry face we can think that one of his slaves has changed the beer jar for another containing San Miguel or a crap like that. On the back label, we can read a description about how taste it is. The beer is just light, golden smooth, from the supermarket. With my mouth used to drink good beers, I don't want to make a tasting note to say it is horrible, because this is not the main character at all.
QUICK RESUME: In my opinion, quite good to be an industrial pilsner.
-Bockbier 2012: I arrived here at winter, and it was available, but some I haven't seen it recently. 6,5%, with sugar and colouring powder in the recipe. Dark pink for the label and cap, and the same serious guy, this time I guess because of the colouring powder. On the back, they explain that the production method is the high fermentation and that's why it has so wonderful taste. In the glass it appears dark with some red notes with very little foam. In the nose you can feel the sweetness, classic from the winter ones, with few details more. Sweet herbal flavour that covers the rest.
QUICK RESUME: I will have to taste the 2013, but I'm not really willing it as with other winter ones.
-Karakter: 7,5%, barley, wheat and sugar for orange label and cap, nd the same angry noble man. On the back, the high quality malt selection (Yes, they don't have a grandma). The beer itself is amber coloured, with some more foam than the rest, and some sweet aroma, but quite more toasted than Bokbier. In the mouth, a bit more thicker body but with no great notes, and toasted flavours at the beginning, bitter and sweet aftertaste with no rest of 7,5%.
QUICK RESUME: Quite too toasted for me, that's why I don't think I will repeat, but not for being a bad beer at all.
-Oerblond: 6,2%, with some wheat in the recipe, and "bitter" written in the pistacchio green label, with the same person and position. On the back, a description about the hop mix and the refreshing taste. The beer in the glass is blonde, quite muddy compared to the rest, and low on foam. Bitter aroma, light with some malty rests, medium body, and a right hoppy taste (Bitter, I didn't see IPA nowhere) with a surprising long aftertaste for an industrial one.
QUICK RESUME: If it is available when I go shopping, I usually take one or two. Really easy to drink.
-Lentebock: 7,2%, and besides the normal things, some sugar in the recipe. Cap and label are green , and the same foamy jar in the same hand from the same serious guy. On the back they explain the season style for the spring (Lente means spring), and when we serve it, we find a golden, quite dirty blonde, looking like the Oerblond even in the low cream. Fresh and fruity aroma with very little of the grain, in the mouth has a thick body to be a Lentebier, and a quite balanced flavour between the freshness and the toasted bitter ending from the malts.
QUICK RESUME: This one and the Pilsner are the ones I never see running out, and for the everyday beer, I usually take this one.
-Grand Prestige: 10% with wheat, sugar and colouring power. Golden colour with black back, and Mr. John I that is still willing to catch the funny guy that switches his jars. The back part is dedicated to tell us that this is the super beer from the brand, and the rich and worked flavour it has. It flows in the glass dark, not such coloured as the Bokbier, and short on foam, but it is the hardest on the range. Quite sweet smell, as tripel ones, but with more toasted presence from darker beers. In the mouth, thick body and after a first alcoholic hit, you can taste some toasted malts like coffee or tobacco.
QUICK RESUME: You can feel 10%, and that makes it difficult for some moments. I don't think it will be in the fridge until the cool months arrive.
-Weizener: 5,7%, with coriander and orange peels besides the wheat. Tho chosen colour for this variety in white, and finally Johnny is laughing again. He caught the bastard, put his head in a pike as they did in those ages, and now he is enjoying a good craft beer (I will not say or write any name, everyone must think in his own beer..). Apart from the jokes, the beer is quite normal for a wheat one, yellow, opaque with a lot of foam. Very citric aroma where you can feel the spices, and soft wheat flavour that gets very long mixed with the citric points.
QUICK RESUME: Super beer. If you like wheat ones, you must taste it.
These are the varieties I have been finding in the supermarket, and as you read I can say there are some interesting ones, always knowing that they are industrial, big production and low cost. Some times budgets are not so big t spend 3-5 euros per beer, and that times, you must look for something that gives you something else when we do the shopping See you soon beer lovers, Keep beering!
5 IPAs to remember in this first 5 months
Opening one of so many IPAs and having it in my hand, I will start my new entry, mostly for hopheads like me. I have been here in Amsterdam 5 months, more or less, and I have tasted a lot of beers, specially this extra hoopy ones because they are my favourite style. Counting one per month, I am going to describe the five IPAs that I have liked most here in the Dutch capital. I would like to say that in this list would be the Twisted Kipper, from De Kromme Haring, Ciel-Bleu IPA from Brouwerij't IJ and El Dorado single hop from Brewdog, but as I have described them in other entries, I preferred to look for 3 other good substitutes that, if not so good, as special in their way. I am going to start with the list, which I know is the thing you are waiting for.
1- De Molen Vuur & Vlam: First visit to Bierkoning in February, and I asked for a local good IPA. I remember Alice going up the stairs and showing me De Molen's shelf, with a lot of varieties, and gave me a Vuur & Vlam. Quite modest label, black and white design with the information and few things more. 6,2%, 63 IBUs, the recipe (Galena, Cascade, Chinook, Simcoe and Amarillo for dry-hopping and Pale and Caramel malts), and the bottling date on the back label. About the beer, Red amber colour very beautiful with a white hard crown. Flowery intense aroma, sweet and some sourness kinda citric. Medium body, and intense flavour, fresh hop, sweetness and light acid, grass, some pine and caramel and long hoppy ending without losing too much freshness
QUICK RESUME: I have already repeated. Let's say here you can buy it for 2,1E, and I have my fifth or Sixth in the fridge...
2- Dark Horse Brewing Co. Crooked Tree IPA. This is the other unavoidable one in the list, before talking about substitutes and that. Walking in the shop, I saw it in the US shelf and the label caught my attention, bonsai, blue back... Tasting another IPA is not a hard wok for me, so I put it in the basket. Comes from Marshall, Michigan, and has 6,5%. Besides the design, the alcoholic percentage, the warnings on US bottles, the addres and the deposit, no other data on it (Not even the ingredients or the expiration date). The beer itself is light brown coloured, and a lot of golden foam. Citric aroma, with a sweet point and some toasted bitterness as caramel. Light body citric style hops, very very intense and long, that goes away showing a sweet moment before another hop explosion for the ending.
QUICK RESUME: The repetition is pending. I drank it more or less one month ago, but it wil come back to my fridge.
3- Anderson Valley Heelch O'Hops Double IPA. In this third place, this beer has won two matches to be here. one against El Dorado single hop from brewdog, as I mentioned in the introduction, and another fratricidal battle against her sister, the Imperial IPA. I like Anderson Valley because of the sweet citric flavour they have in all their beers, specially in IPAs, and I decided this one because you can feel that point even better here. Classic label with the name, the horned bear drinking in the river, and the green band for the brand IPAs. 8,7%, quite strong alcoholic percentage, and a description in the back about colour, smell and flavour which I agree, bt anyway I will give mine. Orange shiny beer, copper quite transparent and dense white foam. Fruity aroma as I said, with some balanced points of citric. Medium body, quite light even, but with a very strong citric point in the beginning. As it fades away, it shows some toasted notes, sweet as cocoa to come back to hoppy bitterness in a very long aftertaste.
QUICK RESUME: I will repeat, but it is not the cheapest IPA you can find here.
4- Troubadour Westkust: This can be considered as the first substitute, although it doesn't mean that loses a lot of positions in this entry. From Belgium, pistacchio green label and 9,2% for this Black IPA (Do you understand why I picked it, right?). Local hops, fermentation in the bottle and few interesting more things in a simple but elegant label. The beer was dark, like a porter, but very transparent, as a Coke with a dense golden crown, more elegant even than the label. With that queen looking, her aroma is sweet, caramel and cacao toasted points and light hop. In the mouth, quite dense (The only thing that shows the alcoholic content), with a lot of hop and toasted points from the malts, hiding again the alcohol.
QUICK RESUME: I will repeat when I want to be in a well-known danger. 9,2% is there, hidden but when you finish the glass, appears and says "Hello!!"
5- Fuller's India Pale Ale: This beer was bought for a meal in the park, so I don't have any photos or colour references (until I repeat). Half a litre, because English are very serious people for beering, and less than a pint is unacceptable. The bottle shape is the classical one in the brand, with a bright purple label, some golden details and in white we can find the name and the low 5,3%. As I said, I don't have any colour references, but in the bottle it seemed very transparent and clean. The aroma I caould get by the bottle's neck was British style hoppy, just smooth bitterness. Quite intense flavour, not as we could think, with herbal notes and a citric ending, all this in the classic bitterness from the island.
QUICK RESUME: I will repeat whenI have more barbecues, because the 50cl size is quite good for the meetings, and because I liked that flavour with the raosted meat.
This were my 5 IPAs for my first 5 months. In one way or in the other, each of them are highly recommended if you like hop on top of everything in the beer. See you soon beer lovers, keep beering!
1- De Molen Vuur & Vlam: First visit to Bierkoning in February, and I asked for a local good IPA. I remember Alice going up the stairs and showing me De Molen's shelf, with a lot of varieties, and gave me a Vuur & Vlam. Quite modest label, black and white design with the information and few things more. 6,2%, 63 IBUs, the recipe (Galena, Cascade, Chinook, Simcoe and Amarillo for dry-hopping and Pale and Caramel malts), and the bottling date on the back label. About the beer, Red amber colour very beautiful with a white hard crown. Flowery intense aroma, sweet and some sourness kinda citric. Medium body, and intense flavour, fresh hop, sweetness and light acid, grass, some pine and caramel and long hoppy ending without losing too much freshness
QUICK RESUME: I have already repeated. Let's say here you can buy it for 2,1E, and I have my fifth or Sixth in the fridge...
2- Dark Horse Brewing Co. Crooked Tree IPA. This is the other unavoidable one in the list, before talking about substitutes and that. Walking in the shop, I saw it in the US shelf and the label caught my attention, bonsai, blue back... Tasting another IPA is not a hard wok for me, so I put it in the basket. Comes from Marshall, Michigan, and has 6,5%. Besides the design, the alcoholic percentage, the warnings on US bottles, the addres and the deposit, no other data on it (Not even the ingredients or the expiration date). The beer itself is light brown coloured, and a lot of golden foam. Citric aroma, with a sweet point and some toasted bitterness as caramel. Light body citric style hops, very very intense and long, that goes away showing a sweet moment before another hop explosion for the ending.
QUICK RESUME: The repetition is pending. I drank it more or less one month ago, but it wil come back to my fridge.
3- Anderson Valley Heelch O'Hops Double IPA. In this third place, this beer has won two matches to be here. one against El Dorado single hop from brewdog, as I mentioned in the introduction, and another fratricidal battle against her sister, the Imperial IPA. I like Anderson Valley because of the sweet citric flavour they have in all their beers, specially in IPAs, and I decided this one because you can feel that point even better here. Classic label with the name, the horned bear drinking in the river, and the green band for the brand IPAs. 8,7%, quite strong alcoholic percentage, and a description in the back about colour, smell and flavour which I agree, bt anyway I will give mine. Orange shiny beer, copper quite transparent and dense white foam. Fruity aroma as I said, with some balanced points of citric. Medium body, quite light even, but with a very strong citric point in the beginning. As it fades away, it shows some toasted notes, sweet as cocoa to come back to hoppy bitterness in a very long aftertaste.
QUICK RESUME: I will repeat, but it is not the cheapest IPA you can find here.
4- Troubadour Westkust: This can be considered as the first substitute, although it doesn't mean that loses a lot of positions in this entry. From Belgium, pistacchio green label and 9,2% for this Black IPA (Do you understand why I picked it, right?). Local hops, fermentation in the bottle and few interesting more things in a simple but elegant label. The beer was dark, like a porter, but very transparent, as a Coke with a dense golden crown, more elegant even than the label. With that queen looking, her aroma is sweet, caramel and cacao toasted points and light hop. In the mouth, quite dense (The only thing that shows the alcoholic content), with a lot of hop and toasted points from the malts, hiding again the alcohol.
QUICK RESUME: I will repeat when I want to be in a well-known danger. 9,2% is there, hidden but when you finish the glass, appears and says "Hello!!"
5- Fuller's India Pale Ale: This beer was bought for a meal in the park, so I don't have any photos or colour references (until I repeat). Half a litre, because English are very serious people for beering, and less than a pint is unacceptable. The bottle shape is the classical one in the brand, with a bright purple label, some golden details and in white we can find the name and the low 5,3%. As I said, I don't have any colour references, but in the bottle it seemed very transparent and clean. The aroma I caould get by the bottle's neck was British style hoppy, just smooth bitterness. Quite intense flavour, not as we could think, with herbal notes and a citric ending, all this in the classic bitterness from the island.
QUICK RESUME: I will repeat whenI have more barbecues, because the 50cl size is quite good for the meetings, and because I liked that flavour with the raosted meat.
This were my 5 IPAs for my first 5 months. In one way or in the other, each of them are highly recommended if you like hop on top of everything in the beer. See you soon beer lovers, keep beering!
De Leckere's 15th anniversary
This Dutch microbrewery is celebrating. They are just becoming fifteen years old, and to commemorate and leave a memory from the birthday, thay have brewed a special series of 5 beers (I have just tasted 3). Controlling every production we will find Pim Bosch, the chef, and each of them has a special guest as second chef, with their names and autographs in the bottle. Let's give a little tour, they have been released from January to May.
-January: For this month, and to start the series, the brewery chose to brew and IPA, with Peter van der Arendt as collaborator. Peter is the owner of Arendnest and The Beertemple, two famous beer pubs in Amsterdam. For this beer, the brand chose that all the grains and the hops should be from biologic procedure, taking the liquid to 7%. The chosen colour for the label is black, with Peter's signature at left and Pim's one at the right. This IPA presents a golden colour very muddy, mud which moves at the minimal shake. A lot of weak foam and light aroma, smooth hop and strong malts. In the mouth, medium body, but in my opinion too much cereal and too few hop flavour, and an shared ending between smooth hoppy bitterness and slightly toasted malts. I would say it is a hoppy Ale.
QUICK RESUME: I may repeat but with no rush, and without thinking about a real extra hop.
-February: For the second month of the year, and as the seconf of the series, De Leckere came with an IBA (Inter-natural Blond Ale) with Derek Walsh as chef-helper. Derek is the owner of another micro, Bier+, and writes regularly in several beer publications. For this Ale, malts are from BIO crops from Germany, as so does German hop Saphir. The North-American Cascade and Australian Cascade are not specified as BIO ones, and all together leave us a 6,7% beer. The label design is very similar to the previous one, changing colour for the yellow. In the glass is a very dirty blonde, with a lot of rests as the others. Strong malty aroma with a citric ending ask to drink, and in the mouth, an incredible body for an Ale, intense malts flavour sharing with the hop combination. Bitter ending with the same citric sourness that inside the nose.
QUICK RESUME: I will repeat when I can, complex and very detailed blond one.
-March: Third month, third beer for the collection. This time, the chosen recipe is a Dunkelweizen (Dark wheat Ale). For this beer, the helper was Joppe de Fres, from the beer pub De Beyerd, in the city of Breda. The chosen colour for this one was the silver grey. I haven't tried this one, and to give Ratebeer information or similar, you can search and go yourselves...
QUICK RESUME: Pending.
-April: Spring's here, and with her the fourth beer from the anniversary series. Lentekuit is the name, "een werfrissend bokbier" (A refreshing bokbeer) is the message on the label. Spring season beer with Carol-Visser as company, who write in the Pint magazine regularly, and for the beer, they decided to mix half barley, and the rest shared between wheat and oats and Saphir hop, all from BIO crops. On the label, in a light green, also water is specified as BIO, but I haven't been able to find out if it comes from a natural stream or river, or it is just a mistake. About the looking, a light blonde with the same yeast bottom. Herbal and fresh aroma that covers in part the grain, but in the mouth, besides a heavy body to be a Lentebier, you can taste perfectly the job done mixing the different malts. Toasted from barley, acid point from wheat and some sweet herbal aftertaste that marks the herbal point. Not so flowery as other spring ones, but owns a very complex malt mix.
QUICK RESUME: I will repeat as I see it again, if that happens...
May: And ending the series and this entry, we are already in May and in the last beer of the birthday. The closing one is called Saison Grande with the collaboration of Cor Hooymayers, owner of Cafe de Beurs in Oosterhout. As I have seen, because I haven't tried it yet, the label colour is blue, and the beer get 7,2%.
QUICK RESUME: Pending.
And, until I can actualize the entry with the beers that are missing, I will say goodbye. Before that, I would like to wish very happy birthday to the micro located in De Meern, and at least 15 years more of live and good beers. See you soon beer lovers, keep beering!
-January: For this month, and to start the series, the brewery chose to brew and IPA, with Peter van der Arendt as collaborator. Peter is the owner of Arendnest and The Beertemple, two famous beer pubs in Amsterdam. For this beer, the brand chose that all the grains and the hops should be from biologic procedure, taking the liquid to 7%. The chosen colour for the label is black, with Peter's signature at left and Pim's one at the right. This IPA presents a golden colour very muddy, mud which moves at the minimal shake. A lot of weak foam and light aroma, smooth hop and strong malts. In the mouth, medium body, but in my opinion too much cereal and too few hop flavour, and an shared ending between smooth hoppy bitterness and slightly toasted malts. I would say it is a hoppy Ale.
QUICK RESUME: I may repeat but with no rush, and without thinking about a real extra hop.
-February: For the second month of the year, and as the seconf of the series, De Leckere came with an IBA (Inter-natural Blond Ale) with Derek Walsh as chef-helper. Derek is the owner of another micro, Bier+, and writes regularly in several beer publications. For this Ale, malts are from BIO crops from Germany, as so does German hop Saphir. The North-American Cascade and Australian Cascade are not specified as BIO ones, and all together leave us a 6,7% beer. The label design is very similar to the previous one, changing colour for the yellow. In the glass is a very dirty blonde, with a lot of rests as the others. Strong malty aroma with a citric ending ask to drink, and in the mouth, an incredible body for an Ale, intense malts flavour sharing with the hop combination. Bitter ending with the same citric sourness that inside the nose.
QUICK RESUME: I will repeat when I can, complex and very detailed blond one.
-March: Third month, third beer for the collection. This time, the chosen recipe is a Dunkelweizen (Dark wheat Ale). For this beer, the helper was Joppe de Fres, from the beer pub De Beyerd, in the city of Breda. The chosen colour for this one was the silver grey. I haven't tried this one, and to give Ratebeer information or similar, you can search and go yourselves...
QUICK RESUME: Pending.
-April: Spring's here, and with her the fourth beer from the anniversary series. Lentekuit is the name, "een werfrissend bokbier" (A refreshing bokbeer) is the message on the label. Spring season beer with Carol-Visser as company, who write in the Pint magazine regularly, and for the beer, they decided to mix half barley, and the rest shared between wheat and oats and Saphir hop, all from BIO crops. On the label, in a light green, also water is specified as BIO, but I haven't been able to find out if it comes from a natural stream or river, or it is just a mistake. About the looking, a light blonde with the same yeast bottom. Herbal and fresh aroma that covers in part the grain, but in the mouth, besides a heavy body to be a Lentebier, you can taste perfectly the job done mixing the different malts. Toasted from barley, acid point from wheat and some sweet herbal aftertaste that marks the herbal point. Not so flowery as other spring ones, but owns a very complex malt mix.
QUICK RESUME: I will repeat as I see it again, if that happens...
May: And ending the series and this entry, we are already in May and in the last beer of the birthday. The closing one is called Saison Grande with the collaboration of Cor Hooymayers, owner of Cafe de Beurs in Oosterhout. As I have seen, because I haven't tried it yet, the label colour is blue, and the beer get 7,2%.
QUICK RESUME: Pending.
And, until I can actualize the entry with the beers that are missing, I will say goodbye. Before that, I would like to wish very happy birthday to the micro located in De Meern, and at least 15 years more of live and good beers. See you soon beer lovers, keep beering!
viernes, 16 de agosto de 2013
IPA is DEAD, some punks killed her...
IPA is DEAD, some punks killed her. Yes, classic Brittish IPA is dead as this Brewdog guys think, and what better to get the graveyard wet with her sons? In this special edition, this Scottish bring us four IPAs, each one hopped with only one variety of our most beloved kind flower. This allows to enjoy all the properties and points of each hop, and the streams are Styryan Dana, Eask Kent Goldings, Waimea and El Dorado. Hop and the colour on the bottle are the only changing stuff among them, besides this, they are made to reach 75 IBUs and 6,7%. The pack comes in a black box, with the company logo, "IPA is DEAD" as message, alcoholic percentage also in white, and each hop name in his right colour according to the bottles. Down at the bottom, in white too, you can also read "Single hop India Pale Ale". About the box little more, about each beer, let's give a quick check on them.
-Goldings: Hop variety called East Kent Goldings, from Great Britain, soft bitterness with some very light sweet points. The chosen colour for this hop is green, and about the information, I wrote them before to avoid getting too long in the resumes. The beer has amber color, quite transparent, low on white and hard foam. Light bitter aroma, with some malts, light body, and light flavour, hop with sweet and spicy points. Quite short ending in my opinion.
QUICK RESUME: I would repeat, but not at that price.
-Dana: Hop variety called Styryan Dana, from Slovakia, strong and a bit sour bitterness. Chosen colour is purple, and the beer, the same as her sisters, clean amber, low on foam and light body. Deeper aroma than the previous one, less malts and a sour ending. In the mouth, sour bitterness very well balanced, some grass and pine, malty points and classic hoppy ending
QUICK RESUME: The same as before, I would repeat but not for that price.
-Waimea: Hop variety called Waimea, that comes from New Zealand, light bitterness and sweet and sour points. The bottle is blue coloured, and the beer has the same appearance. Bitter and malty aroma, with little more points to get. Abut flavour, boring with little balance between the rest besides hop. I was expecting more from a New Zealand hop, but in my opinion it doesn't battle with the rest.
QUICK RESUME: I wouldn't repeat, I prefer a thousand times a PUNK IPA, same boring beer, much cheaper and much more sincere from the beginning.
El Dorado: Hop variety called El Dorado, from the US, with intense bitterness along with other tropical points. The chosen colour is orange, repeating the same looking from the rest. Very fresh aroma, covers all the malty rests. About flavour, the same intensity, sweet, mango, grass, pine points and some bitterness that remains until the end as the other flavours get finished.
QUICK RESUME: I have already repeated.
And now, despite od family comparison are never good, after seen the descriptions, mi taste sense and mi nose have chosen "winners and losers". In my opinion, the intense and tropical, american hop flavour of El Dorado beats the others. The two from the beginning, I think they're quite normal IPAs, classic flavour but a bit stronger maybe. At last, Waimea is not bad, but compared with the rest, loses the battle, as I see a lack of balance and flavour on it.
And for the moment, that was all for today. Bye beer lovers, see you soon! Keep beering!
-Goldings: Hop variety called East Kent Goldings, from Great Britain, soft bitterness with some very light sweet points. The chosen colour for this hop is green, and about the information, I wrote them before to avoid getting too long in the resumes. The beer has amber color, quite transparent, low on white and hard foam. Light bitter aroma, with some malts, light body, and light flavour, hop with sweet and spicy points. Quite short ending in my opinion.
QUICK RESUME: I would repeat, but not at that price.
-Dana: Hop variety called Styryan Dana, from Slovakia, strong and a bit sour bitterness. Chosen colour is purple, and the beer, the same as her sisters, clean amber, low on foam and light body. Deeper aroma than the previous one, less malts and a sour ending. In the mouth, sour bitterness very well balanced, some grass and pine, malty points and classic hoppy ending
QUICK RESUME: The same as before, I would repeat but not for that price.
-Waimea: Hop variety called Waimea, that comes from New Zealand, light bitterness and sweet and sour points. The bottle is blue coloured, and the beer has the same appearance. Bitter and malty aroma, with little more points to get. Abut flavour, boring with little balance between the rest besides hop. I was expecting more from a New Zealand hop, but in my opinion it doesn't battle with the rest.
QUICK RESUME: I wouldn't repeat, I prefer a thousand times a PUNK IPA, same boring beer, much cheaper and much more sincere from the beginning.
El Dorado: Hop variety called El Dorado, from the US, with intense bitterness along with other tropical points. The chosen colour is orange, repeating the same looking from the rest. Very fresh aroma, covers all the malty rests. About flavour, the same intensity, sweet, mango, grass, pine points and some bitterness that remains until the end as the other flavours get finished.
QUICK RESUME: I have already repeated.
And now, despite od family comparison are never good, after seen the descriptions, mi taste sense and mi nose have chosen "winners and losers". In my opinion, the intense and tropical, american hop flavour of El Dorado beats the others. The two from the beginning, I think they're quite normal IPAs, classic flavour but a bit stronger maybe. At last, Waimea is not bad, but compared with the rest, loses the battle, as I see a lack of balance and flavour on it.
And for the moment, that was all for today. Bye beer lovers, see you soon! Keep beering!
Summer novelties ar Brouwerij't ij
This new entry is dedicated to a couple of beers from the machines of the Amsterdamer windmill this same summer. Brouwerij'T ij guys have been working in two beers that are very good for the hot days, and for the cool ones also... This young beuties are, by order of appearance, and very refreshing IPA in comparison with their normal IPA, and a hoppy Ale, light alcohol and very very easy to drink. I bought both of them at Bierkoning, Ciel Bleu one month ago, and Zomerblond more or less one week ago. Once the introduction is done, let's know a bit more about this two new special edition from Funenkade, 7.
-Brouwerij'T Ij Zommerblond, Hoppig blond bier, Amsterdams speciale editie, nagisting op fles (Fermentation in the bottle), ongepasteurised en ongefiltered (Nonpasteurised and nonfiltered). All this we can find in the label from this summer blond. This is white, special edition, and seems to be a handwritten orange name. Going to the interesting matter, when you open it it gives fresh aroma, as just cutted grass, con some fruity sour point. In the glass you can see a orange muddy beer, with a ot of white cream that goes away as fast as it comes. A lot of herbal smell, some pine and a bitter and light toasted ending. About flavour, very refreshing, herbal, fruity, and some hoppy ending mixed with a smooth toasted point.
QUICK RESUME: I would repeat without hesitation, very easy and drinkable!
-Brouwerij'T Ij Ciel Bleu IPA, batch 2013-2015, 7%, and besides the same data as her sister, also seeming to be handwritten in blue colour, we found the names from Onno Kokmeijer and Arjan Speelman. They are the chefs at Ciel Bleu, here in Amsterdam, awarded with one Michelin star. This beer, as I read and understood from a dutch magazine, was made to start the new facilities of the company, located at Zeeburgerpad 55. It was also made with the intention of being in the menu of this restaurant in a continued way ans almost exclusively there, which I think it is quite smart, for a great restaurant having its very own beer. Dry-hopped with Citra y Waimea, with Kaffir limes, and this is all the information I could find about it. The beer itself has a dark amber colour, dirty, very beautiful, with a lot of foam a bit more longlasting than Zommerblond. Very tropical aroma, between hops and limes ate everything else, although between them were well balanced. In the mouth, more than herbal, were live flowers. A lot of a sweet citric point which I think it was the limes, and a sweet point. Some light toasted malts at the end to go with a very sweet and bitter hop.
QUICK RESUME: I would repeat without hesitation, amazing beer for a elegant, smart ending and easy to combine with food.
And that was all for today's entry. I hope you liked it, and if you come to Amsterdam and like IPAs, just go to the restaurant and have a beer there, it's worth the time. Bye beer lovers, see you soon!
-Brouwerij'T Ij Zommerblond, Hoppig blond bier, Amsterdams speciale editie, nagisting op fles (Fermentation in the bottle), ongepasteurised en ongefiltered (Nonpasteurised and nonfiltered). All this we can find in the label from this summer blond. This is white, special edition, and seems to be a handwritten orange name. Going to the interesting matter, when you open it it gives fresh aroma, as just cutted grass, con some fruity sour point. In the glass you can see a orange muddy beer, with a ot of white cream that goes away as fast as it comes. A lot of herbal smell, some pine and a bitter and light toasted ending. About flavour, very refreshing, herbal, fruity, and some hoppy ending mixed with a smooth toasted point.
QUICK RESUME: I would repeat without hesitation, very easy and drinkable!
-Brouwerij'T Ij Ciel Bleu IPA, batch 2013-2015, 7%, and besides the same data as her sister, also seeming to be handwritten in blue colour, we found the names from Onno Kokmeijer and Arjan Speelman. They are the chefs at Ciel Bleu, here in Amsterdam, awarded with one Michelin star. This beer, as I read and understood from a dutch magazine, was made to start the new facilities of the company, located at Zeeburgerpad 55. It was also made with the intention of being in the menu of this restaurant in a continued way ans almost exclusively there, which I think it is quite smart, for a great restaurant having its very own beer. Dry-hopped with Citra y Waimea, with Kaffir limes, and this is all the information I could find about it. The beer itself has a dark amber colour, dirty, very beautiful, with a lot of foam a bit more longlasting than Zommerblond. Very tropical aroma, between hops and limes ate everything else, although between them were well balanced. In the mouth, more than herbal, were live flowers. A lot of a sweet citric point which I think it was the limes, and a sweet point. Some light toasted malts at the end to go with a very sweet and bitter hop.
QUICK RESUME: I would repeat without hesitation, amazing beer for a elegant, smart ending and easy to combine with food.
And that was all for today's entry. I hope you liked it, and if you come to Amsterdam and like IPAs, just go to the restaurant and have a beer there, it's worth the time. Bye beer lovers, see you soon!
Beers from the Bretts festival
As I wrote in the previous entry, this is fully dedicated to describe everything I smelled and tasted in the festival "Carnivale Brettanomyces en andere wilde dieren". I will describe them in the order I tested them, and I will give all the data I can about them. I will try to be wuick, as I know this was what you were really waiting for...
-De Eem (Xtreem English IPA & lambic). Tap at In de Wildeman, 5,2%. First beer, first surprise. I didn't know these sour beers, and I was not thinking about finding these smells and flavours. This one, was golden and muddy, with medium white foam. Quite sour smell, and about flavour, I could say it was a hoppy cyder. It was cold when I arrived and with the hot day we had, it was perfect and refreshing.
-Oersoep (Brettanosaurus Sauvin IPA). Tap at de Prael, 5%. Another big surprise, this one for good. I was waiting more sourness, but this beer was orange quite opaque, with white hard foam. Tropical smell, like green mango, and a bit of Brett, but very herbal. Flavour, almost no malts, tropical hop had erased them, and the same small sour as in the nose. In my opinion, one of the champions of the event.
-Oersoep (In vitro IPA). Tap at de Prael, 5%. This one was a bit more red, amber and dirty with lasting white cream. In the nose was more like an English IPA, soft hop and some malts, and the flavour was hop, grass, and at the end something between toasted and sweet very nice.
-Rooie Dop (Funky Acid cheeks). Taste from bottle at Bierkoning, 5%. This grape lambis, golden and with low foam, has a very very sour aroma, like a white wine, and about the flavour, nothing like hop or malts, only sourness.
-Ramsgate brewery (East KEnt IPA), taste from bottle at Bierkoning, 6,5%. 100% Kent hops (Brittish local hops for a british craft beer). Amber very clean, very low on foam. Smooth malty aroma with some hops in the end, and the flavour, cereal with a very light hop, but very long in the end.
-Boon (Marriage Parfait Geuze). Grape lambic refermented for 24 months in barrels. Taste from bottle at Bierkoning. Light golden colour, a bit dirty, and a lot of foam, but very short in time. Sweet sour aroma, like a good white wine, and in the mouth it felt as champagne, very worked.
-Boon (Kriek Boon) Cherry lambic, taste from bottle at Bierkoning. It seemed as red wine, transparent, low on cream. Sweet and fruity smell, but about the flavour, it was a bit more sour than I expected.
-The Monarchy (Strong sour ale). Taste from bottle at Bierkoning, 10%. A sour porter with high alcoholic percentage, brown very clean in the glass with some golden foam. Toasted aroma low in sourness, and in the mouth it was as a porter a bit acid, with some sweet points in the end.
-Jopen (Lacto Koyt Lambicus) Taste from bottle at Bierkoning. Lambic porter aged in Bourbon barrels for 24 months. Opaque brown, golden cream quite long in time. Sour aroma to be a black beer, and a quite toasted flavour, with sour points. You could notice perfectly lactobacilus, but not any hop or bourbon.
-Klein Puimpje (Old barley Brett special) taste from bottle at Bierkoning, Barley wine with Bretts, 10,5%. Amber, quite clean colour and a lot of light golden foam. Bitter aroma, quite malty. A lot of malty flavour also, quite toasted, but low on hops and quite lower in Brett sourness.
-De Eem (Xtreem English IPA & lambic). Tap at In de Wildeman, 5,2%. First beer, first surprise. I didn't know these sour beers, and I was not thinking about finding these smells and flavours. This one, was golden and muddy, with medium white foam. Quite sour smell, and about flavour, I could say it was a hoppy cyder. It was cold when I arrived and with the hot day we had, it was perfect and refreshing.
-Oersoep (Brettanosaurus Sauvin IPA). Tap at de Prael, 5%. Another big surprise, this one for good. I was waiting more sourness, but this beer was orange quite opaque, with white hard foam. Tropical smell, like green mango, and a bit of Brett, but very herbal. Flavour, almost no malts, tropical hop had erased them, and the same small sour as in the nose. In my opinion, one of the champions of the event.
-Oersoep (In vitro IPA). Tap at de Prael, 5%. This one was a bit more red, amber and dirty with lasting white cream. In the nose was more like an English IPA, soft hop and some malts, and the flavour was hop, grass, and at the end something between toasted and sweet very nice.
-Rooie Dop (Funky Acid cheeks). Taste from bottle at Bierkoning, 5%. This grape lambis, golden and with low foam, has a very very sour aroma, like a white wine, and about the flavour, nothing like hop or malts, only sourness.
-Ramsgate brewery (East KEnt IPA), taste from bottle at Bierkoning, 6,5%. 100% Kent hops (Brittish local hops for a british craft beer). Amber very clean, very low on foam. Smooth malty aroma with some hops in the end, and the flavour, cereal with a very light hop, but very long in the end.
-Boon (Marriage Parfait Geuze). Grape lambic refermented for 24 months in barrels. Taste from bottle at Bierkoning. Light golden colour, a bit dirty, and a lot of foam, but very short in time. Sweet sour aroma, like a good white wine, and in the mouth it felt as champagne, very worked.
-Boon (Kriek Boon) Cherry lambic, taste from bottle at Bierkoning. It seemed as red wine, transparent, low on cream. Sweet and fruity smell, but about the flavour, it was a bit more sour than I expected.
-The Monarchy (Strong sour ale). Taste from bottle at Bierkoning, 10%. A sour porter with high alcoholic percentage, brown very clean in the glass with some golden foam. Toasted aroma low in sourness, and in the mouth it was as a porter a bit acid, with some sweet points in the end.
-Jopen (Lacto Koyt Lambicus) Taste from bottle at Bierkoning. Lambic porter aged in Bourbon barrels for 24 months. Opaque brown, golden cream quite long in time. Sour aroma to be a black beer, and a quite toasted flavour, with sour points. You could notice perfectly lactobacilus, but not any hop or bourbon.
-Klein Puimpje (Old barley Brett special) taste from bottle at Bierkoning, Barley wine with Bretts, 10,5%. Amber, quite clean colour and a lot of light golden foam. Bitter aroma, quite malty. A lot of malty flavour also, quite toasted, but low on hops and quite lower in Brett sourness.
HOMEBREWERS
And now, the three homebrewed beers I could taste:
-De kromme Haring (Twisted Kipper) Tap at de Prael, 6,7%. 50 IBUs, with Citra, Centennial and Chinook as hops. Golden quite orange colour, low on foam but very hard. Fruity aroma, very sweet, tropical, fresh. More sweetness in the mouth, and a bit of light toasted malts. Almost nothing of Bretts, and in my opinion, the other winner of the event.
-Zevende Hemel (Bripa) Bottle at de Prael. Red IPA with Bretts as second fermentation, 7,5%. Cascade, Willamette and Simcoe. Dark amber coloured, muddy, with a lot of light golden cream. Sour hoppy smell, and quite strong hooppy taste, sourness and quite hard toasted at the end.
-Zevende Hemel (Porter) Bottle at de Prael, 8,1%. Second fermentation with Bretts, black opaque colour, and strong foam, quite more like a stout rather than a porter. Strong toasted aroma, like chocolate, some coffee, and strong porter flavour with and unusual acid ending.
And to finish this chapter of homebrewers, I would like to thank Jan, from Bierkoning, who let me take one of each Zevende Hemel bottles. This let me show them to a couple of friends who enjoyed tasteing them in a barbecue a bit after the festival, and now, both bottles have a very special place in my beer bottles collection.
And this was all about the Bretts festival, see you soon!
Carnivale Brettanomyces en andere wilde dieren
Brettanomyces carnival and other wild animals
On the past days that were 5 and 6 of July, we were celebrating a beer festival in the old historic centre of Amsterdam, that will be also useful to do the first of the many I hope to write here, let's go!
The festival, in my opinion, was more like a meeting among some professionals of the beer world here in Amsterdam, but even being so small, it had a lot of assistance, that enjoyed a lot there. As the name stated, it was nearly fully dedicated to "Brettanomyces" yeast, so the result were a lot of sour beers, very common here in summer. The place, several important places in the beer culture, in the centre of the Netherlands capital.
They were:
1:De Bierkoning (Paleisstaat 125). Beer shop, right next to the Real Palace at Dam Square, with a looooooooooooooooot of varieties of bottled beer.
2:Brouwerij de Prael proeflokaal (Oudezijs Armsteeg 26) Beer pub in the Red Light District, with homemade beer they do around the corner
3:Bierproeflokaal In de Wildeman (Kolksteeg 3) Beer pub just two minutes away from Dam Square or Central Station, with several taps and also a wide range of bottled beer.
4:The Beertemple (Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 250) Just around the corner of Bierkoning, beer pub with many taps and and many bottled, mainly from US.
The further distance could be ten minutes maximun from Beertemple and De Prael, all very close. This route allowed also food for every budget, from restaurants to sandwiches from the supermarket, and also hotels and the rest of things you would need to just enjoy beer. About prices, the tasting was 1,5E a little glass, I also tasted a couple of tube glasses for 3E, and also two special bottles from Bierkoning that were 7E both. The fact that it was splited among several places also was good to take good breathes between beer and beer, because if you only drink beer, at the third litter you don't taste or anything...
I will give a short look at the program now:
The program was three black and white sheets, folded and stapled. With this few luxury you had in your hand everything you needed for the festival. First page, simple but worked introduction for the festival, with the dates. Second page, the map and addresses. From third to the Sixth all the beers(I counted 48 but I'm sure I'm forgetting any of them) with a brief introduction (Some shorter than I thought), the format you would find it and where in the event. Seven and Eight pages was for the schedule, and nine and ten for an explanation of the Talks, presentations and masterclasses.
About the activities, there were plenty of variety if we look at the festival size and the places. The "basics" for all the day were new season beers at Prael and De Wildeman, from 12:00 to 23:00. Also a lambic presentation from Frank Boon (Marriage parfait Geuze, Boon Kriek...), mixed with another tasting on Friday at Bierkoning. !,5E each beer, and you had to buy the tickets before in a van parked outside the shop. Between beer and beer, you could talk with the staff from Bierkoning Frak Boon, people from Brouwerij 'It and other local breweries. This show was repeated on Saturday at In de Wildeman. Also Oersoep guys showed a couple of IPAs on Friday at Prael and on Saturday at Bierkoning.
There were also three masterclasses:
-Robert Pattinson talked about Brettanomyces in the British culture.
-H. Ertie talked about Belgian lambics
-Oscar Moerman talked about spontaneus fermentation in lambics
I wanted to go to the first (Was the only one in English), and the other ones were in Dutch, so I didn't go and I don't know if they were interesting or not.
And last thing about activities:
A homebrewer presentation at De Prael on Saturday evening. Three homebrewers brought their beers to this pub, and I realyly would define it as a meeting with homemade beer that tasted as all the care put on it by the brewer. There you could find and IPA and a Farmhouse by De Kromme Haring, a porter and a red IPA from Zevende Hemel, and some lambics from Toon van den Broek.
This was all about the fest and the activities, and just to try to avoid making too long entries, I will describe the beers in the next one. I hope you liked it, and that you repeat!
See you next time, beer lovers!
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