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!