Tag Archives: belgium

VBDCK Kerel Saison

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.

Préaris Pomegranates of Love

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.

En Stoemelings x Blind Enthusiasm Papy Vandepils

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.

L’Ermitage Théorème de L’Empereur

Brewery: Nanobrasserie de l’Ermitage
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.4%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Pale ale thé jasmin.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 24th October 2019. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a big three finger white head that had good retention and left lots of sticky lacing.
Aroma: Lemon zest, pear, tea, floral, jasmine and a touch bready.
Taste: Lightly sweet, pear, tea, grass, floral, touch herbal and peppery, with a light bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate but prickly carbonation.
Overall: Aroma was nice, while taste was easy drinking.

De Struise Aardnon / Earthnun

Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Belgian Flanders Oud Bruin
Other Notes: 17 IBUs. Flemish Sour Ale, FSA blend in barrel, Vlaams Oud Bruin

Brewer Description: (from bottle) First blend was mastered from existing bottles in 2007 at Ebenezers Pub USA by Christopher Lively and our team. This blend occurred in barrel and has aged for seven years on Margaux barrels from Château Haut Breton Larigaudière. Enjoy!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.47
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 18th February 2016, with a best before date of 17th February 2021. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: Deep dark brown in colour with a ruby hue and a one fingered tanned head that had decent retention and faded to a ring but left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, cherry, chocolate, coffee, lightly tart, grape gummy candy, fig and plum.
Taste: Sweet and tart, plum, cherry, fig, grape, blackcurrant, jammy berries, with hints of vinegar, wood, light roast and chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: Excellent, great aroma and flavours. Good complexity and extremely balanced.