Annual Belgian Beer Appreciation – Bruges Edition
#AutumnBabies unite!
I am an autumn baby through and through, no excuses! I love everything about autumn, from the smell of the wet earth on the freshly overturned fields, to the brightly coloured leaves on the trees! I love the first frosty mornings, the smell of ripe fruit, the bite of the wind, the autumn sun, I love the foods, the drinks and honestly, autumn always feels too short! Spring, summer, and winter seem to go on forever don’t they, but autumn, a fleeting passage, and BAM! you are in November cruising right towards Christmas… or maybe it’s just me.
/
The beginning of November, however, also means the beginning of mulled wine, mulled cider, mulled everyTHANG in our house!
Remember, Remember the 5th of November!
I couldn’t tell you when exactly this tradition started, but November the 5th or whenever the local Bonfire Night celebrations are, means the first mulled wine of the season!
Before we moved almost two years ago, we used to walk through several fields to get to the next village where we would be greeted by a roaring bonfire, a locally brewed real ale from Ridgeway Brewing, and, mulled wine! Straight to the outdoor bar to buy a pint of said local ale and a cup of mulled wine, and mulled season had begun.
Due to 2020’s various restrictions, we weren’t able to continue our tradition and seek local Bonfire Night celebrations, so @Chimp.Rocket and I got our paws on some Hawkes Winter Cider, lit our Bier Garten fire pit and sat outside drinking hot mulled cider and eating sausages. The world was right at least for that night!
Fast forward to the 5th of November 2021, and we are walking towards the local recreation ground to partake in this year’s celebrations, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready for some mulled wine and/or cider! But there was none! And it wasn’t even raining or particularly cold… Shock! Horror! Sacrilege! Reluctantly[1] Happily, we settled for the local ale, Loose Cannon’s Abingdon Bridge[2] and eventually made our way home.
If you’re still reading this, you’d probably wonder why I am telling you all this: well, our mulled wine, mulled cider, mulled everyTHANG season didn’t start until the 26th of November this year with the purchase of a hot mulled cider in Belgium! Yeah, I know, that’s almost a month without mulled drinks! And I had to leave the country as well… I know…
But, begun it had – we found ourselves in a Covid-passport controlled[3] Christmas Market in Bruges and finally got a taste of the liquid gold! Feeling safe, sipping hot cider – ‘appy days!
Belgian Beer Appreciation
And guess what, being in Belgium also means access to Belgian beers! And again, the Belgians do it so well! And even more exciting than all this was the access to no and low Belgian beers!
Being an advocate for low and no alcohol beers, this was a beautiful sight! I am talking Belgian Wits, lagers, Tripels, you name it, they have it! But that’s a story for another time! But boy, what an incredible feeling as a no and low drinker to be seen in the land of high-octane brews!
A visit to Bruges is not completely without visiting Bourgogne des Flandres and having a glass of their traditional Flemish beer – Bourgogne Des Flandres.
So, without our #DesignatedResponsibleAdult present, @Chimp.Rocket and I ordered a flight of the complete tap list[4], to ensure we sampled all the goods on offer:
· Saisons in the Sun, Bourgogne Des Flandres, Farmhouse Ale / Saison, 7%
· Bourgogne des Flandres, Bourgogne Des Flandres, Flemish Red Ale, 5%
· Bruinen OS, Bourgogne Des Flandres, Belgian Strong Dark Ale / Brown Ale, 8%
· Martin’s IPA, Brewery John Martin & Brewery Timmermans, American IPA, 6.5%
· *Seasonal Tap* Gordon Xmas, Brewery John Martin & Brewery Timmermans, Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, 8.8%
· *Timmermans Tap* Timmermans Oude Geuze, Brewery John Martin & Brewery Timmermans, Lambic / Geuze, 6.7%
· Blonden OS, Bourgogne Des Flandres, Flemish Blonde Ale, 6.5%
Some thoughts:
_Appearance: As expected from a great saison, Saisons in the Sun was a delight:
Yeast forward, it presented an amazing hazy gold to amber-gold, with a hint of copper, had a thick off-white, ivory, long lasting head, leaving beautiful lacing behind. (Yes, I am a sucker for lacing….)
_Aroma: On the nose it is fruity and spicy, hinting at oranges, with moderate mellow hop character, overall peppery but with subtle herbal notes.
_Taste: In the mouth it has a light to medium body, grainy and yeasty, lovely smooth, although highly carbonated with an effervescent quality. It has a dry finish, and a bitter and subtly spicy almost earthy aftertaste, which doesn’t linger too long.
In a nutshell: Coming in at a respectable 7% ABV, Saisons in the Sun is a great example of a farmhouse ale which needs to be respected. Recommended
_Appearance: Bourgogne Des Flandres – a surprising blend of mixed fermentation:
Yeast forward, it presents a clear, deep burgundy colour, with a very pale, off-white head. Head retention is average to low, with no lacing.
_Aroma: The nose is complex, fruity-sour to sweet and sour, almost wine-like due to the subtle malt character in the background.
_Taste: In the mouth it is intensely fruited, with an acidic bite, some tannins, but balanced overall. Medium bodied. Malty, with sour and fruity impressions. Quite low on carbonation, with a prickly acidity at first, making way for a short, sweet finish. Bourgogne Des Flandres is a blend of young and old beer for the perfect balance: a young Bruinen OS is blended with Lambic from Timmermans Brewery, which has aged for over 12 months, creating the perfect liquid result.
In a nutshell: Bourgogne Des Flandres rocks a complex aroma and flavour profile, and a medium alcohol content of 5% ABV. Approved and recommended
_Appearance: Meet Bruinen OS, a Belgian Dark Strong Ale – I have found my Kryptonite:
Malt forward, it poured a hazy coppery-brown, with a small, yet very dense cream almost tan-coloured head.
_Aroma: On the nose it is complex, with sweet, malty character, strong fruity esters reminding of warm cooked banana and toffee, caramel notes and hints of dark chocolate.
_Taste: In the mouth it is moderate sweet and malty-rich on the palate, which results in a beautifully complex, yet balanced brew, with a light, smooth finish. Medium-bodied and warming due to the alcohol.
In a nutshell: Bruinen OS is rich, complex, smooth and dangerous with an ABV of 8%. Bourgogne Des Flandres describe the beer as: […] a liquid version of fried banana with brown sugar flambéed with bourbon and finished with chocolate sauce. […][5] and I have nothing else to add. *Drool* #DrinkiesWithTheChimp approved
_Appearance: Martin’s IPA – An American style IPA, the odd one out?
Hop forward, medium to dark gold with a hint of red. Hazy with an off-white head with good retention.
_Aroma: The nose is intensely citrus, with grapefruit being dominant. Bold and bitter, with hop oil coming through every now and then.
_Taste: Medium body, with a smooth clean texture.
Lingering bitter and/or hop flavour, but pleasant. Dry to medium-dry finish, with no residual sweetness. Refreshing, yet challenging.
In a nutshell: Sporting a reasonable 6.5% ABV, Martin’s IPA appears almost out of place amongst the Belgian ales, but it works. Hoppy and in your face! Recommended
_Appearance: Ho! Ho! Ho! – Season’s Greeting with Gordon’s Xmas:
Malt forward, this Wee Heavy presents clear, dark copper with red highlights. Tan-coloured head, which disappears quickly. No lacing.
_Aroma: On the nose, it is rich and malty, hints of caramel, like and English Christmas Pudding.
In the mouth it offers hints of cherry, boozy warmth, and Christmas spices! Gingerbread and woodiness, followed by sweetness which lingers.
_Taste: Medium-bodied, chewy and complex, with moderate carbonation and balanced sweetness.
In a nutshell: a Christmas Ale, with an ABV of 8.8%, sporting a lingering sweetness and a boozy, almost drying warmth. Approved and recommended
_Appearance: The champagne of beers, bringing the funk – Timmermans Oude Gueuze:
Yeast forward, clean and golden in colour, this wild fermented ale presents with a thick head, which disappears quickly.
_Aroma: The nose is sour and complex, with hints of farmyard and horse stable, but in a pleasant, almost hugging and welcoming way. Sweet and tart, with hints of apple and herbs.
_Taste: In the mouth, it is crisp and dry, with a light body. Well balanced, with a tart finish and no lingering aftertaste.
In a nutshell: Timmermans Oude Gueuze is a great example of blending a three-year old Lambic, aged in wooden barrels, and a young Lambic, which is refermented in bottles for four months. At 6.7% ABV, it needs to be respected! #DrinkiesWithTheChimp approved
_Appearance: And last but not least, as expected from a Belgian Blonde Ale, Blonden OS ticked all the right boxes:
Hop forward, presented a clear light gold colour, with a dense off-white head, and attractive lacing.
_Aroma: Subtle yet complex on the nose, spicy, clean and yeasty, with fruity esters reminding of oranges.
The flavour is grainy-sweet and malty, with a light to moderate hop character, which creates a balanced beer. A bit perfumy due to the yeast, but not unpleasant.
_Taste: Medium body, with pleasant warmth and bubbly sensations on the tongue, with yeast complexity, slightly malty-sweet flavour, and dry finish.
In a nutshell: A moderate-strength golden ale with an ABV of 6.5%, elegant and pure, with slightly fruity and spicy hops notes, a warming aftertaste. Recommended
Dark Days, Dark Beers
Dark beers are made for dark days, but I’m not talking about stouts today. I am talking about those special Christmas brews that keep getting releases around late November early December. You know, the ones that taste of sugar and spice and all things nice!
A Christmas beer is, by commonly accepted definition, a dark seasonal beer brewed to be enjoyed around the Christmas period. They are typically on the stronger side and spiced with a variety of ingredients including cinnamon, orange peel, cloves and/or vanilla.
A Winter Ale, while not really being a style in its own right, is a seasonal ale brewed for the consumption in winter. Winter ales also tend to be stronger-than-normal, dark and spiced or flavoured to some degree.
The BJCP[6] defines a Winter Seasonal Beer as follows:
[…] Winter Seasonal Beers are beers that suggest cold weather and the Christmas holiday season, and may include holiday spices, specialty sugars, and other products that are reminiscent of mulling spices or Christmas holiday desserts. […]
Now, the question on our minds was: is there a better place to seek dark Christmas brews on tap other than the probably worst kept secret in Bruges – De Garre? Nope – we didn’t think so and headed straight there!
This place is one of my to-go places when I’m in Bruges, so make sure you get yourself down there for a beer when you’re in the city. They have an amazing curated beer list, with 100s of beers, from fruity to funky, from Geuze to Tripel – you name it, they are very likely to have it!
But, if you want the full De Garre experience, you need to order the house beer: De Garre Tripel.
This golden beauty with its thick creamy, lasting head is brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge, and is a great example of a sneaky Tripel: The nose hints at oranges and banana and in the mouth, it is spicy, boozy and fruity, but at the same time well rounded, with sweet maltiness over bitterness. As I mentioned, it is a sneaky Tripel (the best kind I might add!) and needs to be respected due to its 11% ABV. It is amazing!
But back to the task at hand – Christmas and winter ales at De Garre:
· Bush de Noël, Brasserie Dubuisson, Winter Ale, 12%
· Gulden Draak Christmas, Brouwerij Van Steenberge, Winter Ale, 12%
Lisa’s Christmas & Winter Ale Checklist
Available for Christmas / Winter? Check
On the stronger side? Check
On the dark side? Check
Sugared & spiced? Let’s find out!
_Appearance: Hitting hard with raisings and spice – Bush de Noël
Malt forward, medium to dark amber and clear, with a thick tan-coloured head, and some lacing.
_Aroma: caramel and fruity on the nose, appears balanced and rounded, but complex and inviting.
_Taste: caramel sweetness over a background of subtle hops flavours, reminds of molasses and honey, toasted nuts and raisins, with good measure of Christmas spices.
In a nutshell: Warming, rounded, boozy and powerfully fruity, this ale is chewy, full and satisfying! As with other Belgian ales, I found that one was enough (palate fatigue anyone?!) …
Bush de Noël is a special seasonal beer, rocking a respectable 12% ABV, best shared with friends and family – it’s what Christmas is about, eh?!
_Appearance: Gulden Draak Christmas – taking the dragon for walkies
Malt forward, medium to dark amber and hazy, with a large, robust creamy to tan-coloured head.
_Aroma: spicy malt and alcohol on the nose, followed by some dried fruit – raising or currants perhaps?
_Taste: Smooth, sweet and warming, nicely rounded and wintery, although less of Christmas and more wintery nights by the fire. Full of toffee sweetness and a bit chewy due to the malty background.
In a nutshell: a strong Belgian winter ale – sporting 12% ABV- which wants to be drank somewhere cosy – De Garre is a perfect example – perhaps after a long walk in the forest or even a bimble thought the city.
Given the high percentage of both ales, we decided to call it a night and not sample N’ice Chouffe (10% ABV)[7].
However, we made sure we got our hands on some N’ice Chouffe and some other Belgian Classic Christmas beers[8] before we left the country.
Beers fit for Sinterklaas himself
Gordon Xmas, Brewery John Martin & Brewery Timmermans, Christmas Ale, 8.8%
N’ice Chouffe, Brasserie D’Achouffe, Winter Beer, 10%
Tongerlo Christmas, Brouwerij Haacht, Winter Ale, 7%
Kerst Pater, Brouwerij Van den Bossche, Winter Ale / Christmas Ale, 9%
St Bernardus Christmas, St.Bernardus , Christmas Ale, 10%
Delirium Noël, Brouwerij Huyghe, Christmas Ale, 10%
La Goudale de Noël, Brasserie Goudale / Les Brasseurs de Gayant[10], Winter Ale / Christmas Ale, 7.2%
These are obviously not to be consumed all in one session[11], but to be sipped throughout December, ideally with our #DesignatedResponsibleAdult present – better safe than sorry!
Brewed to perfection – to be enjoyed responsibly!
As you may have noticed from the generally higher ABV’s, Belgian beers are brewed to be enjoyed with friends! Drinking a Belgian ale is more than just imbibing, it’s about experiencing the beer, the culture, friendships, brewers’ intentions, ingredients, history, and so much more.
And more often than not when drinking in Belgium, you end up talking to some other drinkers, either locals or thirsty travellers from afar. I love Belgium for that, because they are truly THE European place to be: Je spreekt Nederlands? Hallo vriend 😊 Oh, you speak English? Hello there 😊 Oh, tu parles Français? Bonjour mon ami 😊 ….
Our conversations drifted towards Covid restrictions, as the following morning the Belgian government was meeting to discuss the next steps in Belgium’s fight against the virus. Would there be curfews? Would they introduce a limit on how many people could meet in a bar or restaurant?
I certainly have missed sharing a space with other nationalities, hearing their opinions, and setting the world to rights! But I digress…
After visiting Bruges, we headed straight towards Leuven – the home of AB InBev’s Stella Artois, an original Christmas beer. That’s right, this golden lager was actually brewed as a Christmas Special one upon a time. But, more on that, our tour and the rather important task of quality control next time 😊
Cheers! Santé! Op uw gezonheid!
xx
[1] Not really, the local ale was spot on!
[2] If you haven’t had it, I urge you to try it – it everything you could want from an English bitter
[3] The Belgians do it so well!! Makes me proud being European!
[4] As mentioned, our #DesignatedResponsibleAdult was not with us. We did share, however. Belgian Beers are brewed to perfection and should be enjoyed over time, not chugged down!
[5] Bruinen OS, An authentic Flemish Brown Ale https://www.bourgognedesflandres.be/en/bruinen-os [Accessed 06/12/2021]
[6] Beer Judge Certification Programme, Winter Seasonal Beer, https://www.bjcp.org/style/2015/30/30C/winter-seasonal-beer/ [Accessed 06/12/2021]
[7] Yeah, we can be responsible …. sometimes…
[8] Rude not to, and as mentioned our #DesignatedResponsibleAdult remained in England and wasn’t with us unfortunately….
[9] Stay tuned for some updates on how we got on with them soon!
[10] Yes, I know, Brasserie Goudale is actually in France, but somewhat close to Belgium, so I’ve included it in the list
[11] Stay tuned for some updates on how we got on with them soon!
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