Category Archives: Belgium

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgium, Den Herberg

Den Herberg Cuvée Devillé

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Brewery: Den Herberg
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Brewer Description: I could not find much in the way of any official information.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a notched best before date of what appears to be September 2021. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass (as I read somewhere that it was supposed to be an Orval clone).
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had decent retention and eventually settled to a very thin but replenishing layer, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Lightly funky, light brett, grape, musty, straw, earthy, Belgian yeast and notes of wood.
Taste: Lightly sour, funky, brett, Belgian yeast, earthy, straw, hay, with a bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied, feels a touch watery, and soft carbonation.
Overall: Taste didn’t really work for me with this combination of brett, yeast, funk and earthiness. It was strangely on and off for me. Mouthfeel also seemed a tad watery at times.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille, Farmhouse Saison

Jandrain-Jandrenouille IV Dark Saison

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Brewery: Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Belgian Saison

Brewer Description: I couldn’t find any official information, but as per (beer webshop Etre), this IV Dark Saison has a similar recipe to the IV Saison but with dark malts and oak chips.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.11
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of January 2020. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour with a big four finger rather uncontrollable tanned head that had excellent retention while leaving behind some lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, coffee, chocolate, caramel, nuttiness with a hint of dark fruit.
Taste: Lightly sweet dark fruit, caramel, toffee, roast, coffee, bittersweet chocolate with a light spice.
Mouthfeel: Medium to bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Pleasantly surprised. Although the roasty ‘dark’ part comes through stronger than the ‘saison’ part of this dark saison, it was still balanced enough to feel the Saison portion. Also, the higher carbonation maybe doesn’t go so well with the roastiness, but it was still very enjoyable.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Farmhouse Saison, VBDCK Brewery

VBDCK Kerel Saison

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Brewery: VBDCK Brewery
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: 22 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) Everybody knows that if you want a great Summer body, you need to work on it during Winter. The same goes for this beer’s complex body of flavours. It is traditionally brewed during Winter and savoured during Spring/Summer. It’s usually very fruity with deep earthy yeast tones and a mild tartness. The VBDCK version has all of that, plus a dry character and medium bitterness perfectly suited to bathing-suit-season and beyond.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.21
My ratebeer.com rating: 3

Intro: A 330ml bottle, brew 1823, with a best before date of 27th March 2021. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark golden colour with a just over one finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, yeast, coriander, banana, bread and slight pepper.
Taste: Flavours were a little weak. Sweet malt, yeast, banana, light herbal, watery.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Flavours were quite light and watery while carbonation and pepper spice was not strong enough. But I did like the unique bottle shape.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Fruit Beer, Vliegende Paard Brouwers

Préaris Pomegranates of Love

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Brewery: Vliegende Paard Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 3.5%
Style: Fruit Beer

Brewer Description: (from website in Dutch) Tarwebier gebrouwen met granaatappel 4% abv. Eenmalig gebrouwen in maart 2018.

(translated to English) Wheat beer brewed with pomegranate 4% abv. Brewed once in March 2018.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.97
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a notched best before date of March 2020. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden straw yellow colour with a huge four finger white head that had excellent retention but left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Dusty, wheat, citrusy lemon zest, slight sweet malt, caramel and apple juice.
Taste: Light flavours, wheat, sweet malt, lemon zest, citrus peel and hints of pomegranate.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Considering pomegranate was in the name, it’s a pity that it wasn’t more prominent. I also wasn’t too fond of the ‘dustiness’ in the aroma. Just didn’t really work out for me.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Czech Pilsner, En Stoemelings x Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company

En Stoemelings x Blind Enthusiasm Papy Vandepils

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Brewery: En Stoemelings x Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Czech Pilsner

Brewer Description: (from Belgian Beer and Food facebook post) Papy Vandepils is a collaboration between Brussels brewery En Stoemelings, and Blind Enthusiasm from Edmonton Canada. It’s a simple and delicately balanced beer, with a grainy, cereal like flavor, followed by a long satisfying dryness. As you may have noticed from our editorial, some members of the Belgian Beer and Food team have an emotional attachment to it, since it represents a coming of age for our friends at En Stoemelings, and ranks as the best thing they’ve made so far. But, it’s a worthy choice in and of itself. According to Denys one of the brewers who made it, the trick is to have the right mix between Heidelberg and Pils malt, two weeks of lagering, and three weeks of maturation, plus clinically clean stainless-steel equipment and lots of love. As to what inspires this beer, the brewers mention Tipo Pils and Rulles Pils, but emphasise that the real reference is a classic Czech Pilsner.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.44
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle, with a best before date of July 2019. Poured into a De Struise glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour with a big three finger white head that had excellent retention and left lots of nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, lemon zest, bready, yeast, grass, tea and light floral notes.
Taste: Light bitterness, lemon zest, citrus rind, grass, grains, pepper spice and hints of bread.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking Pilsner but at the same time not as crisp as others that I prefer.