Tag Archives: Belgium

Jun 8 2013

Beer – #182 – Moon Dog – Dasher’s Envy


Moon Dog Dasher’s Envy, a Fancy Christmas Ale, I was always a bit slow on things. This is Brewed by Moon Dog Craft Brewery in the style of a  Belgian Strong Ale and it’s from the West Island, specifically Abbotsford, Australia

Moon Dog - Dashers Envy330ml bottle of a 25IBU, 8.1% ABV beer, making it 2.1 standard drinks.

Here’s a beer to celebrate the silly season. And haven’t we’ve done it in style with a “fancy christmas ale”. Mmmmmmmmm…. Just the big, sweet, hefty, ruby-brown Belgian ale to tuck into in a sweltering 40C southern hemisphere Christmas.

An it’s now June, so a bit wintery down in the bottom part of the globe. So it works.

Theres not really anything by way of aroma on opening, Pours a dark rich red, and settles to a musty fruit aroma.

There’s a frowning a-going on when I taste this. It’s not, um, overly pleasant. There is a bunch of random spice, all based on a sweet layer, but it’s a bit all over the show.

On top of it all this is a bit thin on taste, short on length and missing any warmth.

It might be styled like a Belgium Strong Ale, and the alcohol is very muted and well hidden, but  sadly this is a bit of  pig’s ear with no defining moment.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this a 5 making it average on the scale of things. It made me frown in a bad way, and left me expecting something more. There should have been a burst of something and the uncharitable me looks at the list of things they put in this and wonders if they had a bunch of stuff coming up to use-by dates. Sorry chaps this isn’t for me.

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May 24 2013

Beer – #173 – Renaissance – Enlightenment Series – The Age of Raisin


AND it’s back home to NZ and ironically a Belgium style beer – Renaissance Enlightenment Series The Age of Raisin. of course Brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style of a  Belgian Ale and that’s in a place I haven’t been – Blenheim, New Zealand

A Belgium Ale being lower in alcohol than other Belgium beer styles (Typically under 7% ABV).

Renaissance - Enlightnement - The Age of RaisinThis one a 500ml bottle of 6.5% ABV beer – which is 2.8 standard drinks- IBU might be 17.5

Age of Raisin is aromatic, spicy, light brown Belgian style ale brewed with raisins and passion (27% passion by volume). Raisins were added to the boil and fermenter to yield a subtle background flavour to this rich and flavoursome brew. The passion was added using our own secret method….

So for a start “Secret Method” I hope they don’t mean succussion or ‘added syrup’, and bejeebus 27% passion? What happened did someone forget or not know what “passion” was?

And who are Enlightenment Brewing ? And why do they have the same beer in the same packaging ?

In brewing this ale we added jumbo raisins from California [to our mind the best kind] to the brewing process, both before and after fermentation. We also used Aromatic malt from Gladfield in Canterbury and Abbey Malt, Belgian Special B, as well as CaraBelge malt from Europe.

The beer was fermented with a special Belgian yeast to impart spicy notes and then filtered and infused with even more raisins.

Which is less scary than “Secret Method”

and……. back in the room …….  On opening there is a fruit aroma (go on I’ll say raisin) This is a dark beer, with not so much of a head as an effort, and the aroma settles to a big raisin base. It doesn’t seem overly carbonated, and looks a bit flat and wine like in the glass.

There is a huge amount of raisin note, a lot of fruit and caramel at the front, but a back note of something burnt that settles on a fairly tart and bitter end. The aroma meanders away from raisin and I’m going to be unkind and suggest wavers towards rubber glue.

This is trying to be fruity and clever, it isn’t and it isn’t. It’s an odd mix of something and another that doesn’t quite hit a spot that it might be aiming for. It’s clever in the way that it’s clever, but it’s not clever in a way that makes you wonder why no one thought of it first. And then you get why.

It’s not actually very pleasant.

The aroma wanders around from raisin and that of rubber glue. There is a tart under note that lingers around being a nuisance, it pours like it’s flat with little carbonation.  As to ‘passion’ that might have been the ‘angst’ that the brewer had and not a reference to a fruit. But then I might not be enlightened enough.

The pdubyah-o-meter hates this a 27% passion at 5. And that’s all I have to say. except :- Average, not a lot of redeeming features. Nothing to write home about.  Too fruity, too tart, bit tacky. Not good.

I’m disappointed Renaissance are a real swing and a hope and the variance in the delivery and quality of beer makes it hard to remain a fan. Their Barley Wine is awesome,the Stout and the Punkin are very good,  their White IPA is a tragedy, as is the Raisin.

As someone that likes a good Belgium style beer I’ve had the unfortunate experience of having nothing a good Belgium beer. I might have a love-hate thing going on, and it’s true you can’t please everyone all of the time.

 

May 19 2013

Beer – #171 – Verhaeghe – Duchesse De Bourgogne


Sunday, I’ve just been to the movies, I’ve switched on the UFC, and I’ve decided to have a single beer – this on the Verhaeghe – Duchesse De Bourgogne.

Brewed by Verhaeghe in the style of a Sour Red/Brown and it’s made in Vichte, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Verhaeghe - Duchesse De Bourgogne

Duchesee de Bourgogne is the traditional top fermented reddish-brown ale from the West-Flanders region of Belgium. This refined ale also known as “The Burgundies of Belgium” is a blend of 8 and 18 months old ales following careful maturation in oak casks. 100% natural and unpasteurized.

250 ml bottle of a 6.2% ABV beer (1.2 standard drinks). And the last time I had a sour beer it was a long drink, and although not really my thing I rated it very well (the Lindemans Gueze)

Sour and Cidery on opening, dark red brown and very lively beer (like 50/50 beer head pour, but it’s settles back to a 70/30). Head holds itself too. Sour aroma remains, but tending to a more sweet note, sort of like a fruit chutney. (bet you never read something like that in a wine review, or possibly any other beer review)

It is sour, but not puckering up sour, and it’s somewhat refreshing on the palate. There is a lovely fruity base and plenty of carbonation to make this overall a pretty nice drink.  I liked the last sour beer in a strange change of pace kind of way, and this is as good as if not better than that.

They’re a bit similar and dis-similar at the same time, this appears to have it’s roots in a fruit beer that aims to be sour other then a straight up sour beer.  Fruity beer done punk rock. I like it.

The pdubyah-o-meter says 8 things in it’s scale, making it “very good” on the arbitrary scale of things. As a change of beers and as a exploration this is a nice find. It has many elements of other fruit typle beers and ciders. I’d easily go another

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May 2 2013

Beer – #161 – Brewaucracy – In Triplicate


Brewaucracy  - In Triplicate is an Abbey Tripel beer from a new brewer in the ‘Tron.  Brewaucracy Brewed at Shunters Yard Brewery in the Style of an  Abbey Tripel in the glorious Waikato town of Hamilton, New Zealand.

500ml of a  10.3%ABV beer, and at 35IBU things (bitter/stout bitter).  Oh it’s 4.1 standard drinks.  Thse website says 9.6, the bottle says 10.3, these boys are onto it with batch measurements, I do say well done to that!.

Brewaucracy - in TriplicateA Belgian-inspired beer, roughly straddling the Tripel and Belgian Golden Strong styles, if we’re being all style nerd about it. If we’re not, it’s a warming, spicy, zesty, and disturbingly drinkable beer for 9.6% abv. It’s a beer designed for celebrating the good times in life, and to toasting the eventual defeat of every wowser who would try to tell you how you may or may not enjoy those times.

Share In Triplicate with the people you love, and try it with a crisp summer salad, ideally featuring chorizo, or perhaps corn fritters or crab cakes.

Of just with some cheese and a cracker, which is all I have left.  That and the Rolling Stones on Spotify.

There doesn’t appear to be a rush of sweet aroma / alcohol with this. It’s very pale, well carbonated and again nice white fully head on the pour. Still not a sweet aroma but a touch of yeast perhaps. O hit really is pale translucent pale.

Gosh though how do they do that. There is a massive amount of caramel and sweet in the taste, I’d thought it was going to disappoint, and whilst it didn’t stun me it surprised me. The alcohol that you expect from a Tripel is there making itself known, it’s a little sour and not as sharp as I’d expected.

It has a fair length of taste in it too, and I’m comfortable that this is hitting the spot. And I’m also a bit amazed they’ve got the taste into such a pale beer. Oh and I’m glad I’m at home because this is a fairly strong beer that could become quaffable and get you into trouble .

There is thought a disappointing lack of any aroma in this, there is one, you have to work hard to get it though, it’s delicate for no reason I can figure,  and frankly I’d rather there was one. I’d like the nose of caramels and sugars before the crash of tastes onto the tongue.

It is a little sour and might not sweet enough, the alcohol note might be just right, I like that the batch ABV is measured and noted. But you know what it’s a chuffing good beer, and it made me smile.

I especially like that Brewaucracy haven’t picked an IPA, or plain old Lager to kick off with and have taken a high ground in craftiness, I especially like that the “Smoko” and this are totally different beers and not beers on a theme of…  I just like it.

The pdubuyah-o-meter loves this a lot at 9. it’s fairly decent and something I’d buy again, and that makes it ok. I’m not going to offer you money back if you don’t like it, you just will, it’s good.

Apr 26 2013

Beer – #158 – Lindemans – Gueuze Cuvée René


Ok don’t judge me,  Lindemans – Gueuze Cuvée René. It looked pretty on the shelf.  Brewed by Brouwerij Lindemans in the style of a  Lambic – Gueuze and that in the mysterious St Pieters Leeuw-Vlezenbeek, Belgium

375ml of a 5.5% ABV thing (thats all of a 1.48 standard drink unit) in a bottle.

Lindemans - Gueuze Cuvée RenéAfter 6 months the Gueuze obtains a golden color and a cidery, winey palate; reminiscent, perhaps, of dry vermouth with a more complex and natural flavour. It is often served as an happy hour drink in Brussels. It is the traditional beer for carbonade, as well as a beautifully based beverage with seafood or other salty meals. It’s also delicious with cream sauces.
Beside the traditional Gueuze (the Gueuze Grand Cru “Cuvée René”), there is also a more commercial Gueuze that dominate the market. It is filtered, pasteurized and has a more sweet taste.

It’s babycham!  No it isn’t it’s just a sour bubbly drink. And the weird face thing was before I opened it.

There is no expectation with this at all, none. I get what I get and I’ll be darned it I know what that’s going to be.  Except I should say that my experience with “lambic” beer has been nothing but positive, although I have it in my head that “limbic” and “fruit” beer goes together and that lambic beer is that of being produced by spontaneous fermentation of  the being exposed to the wild yeasts and bacteria. Just like nature.

So you open the cap, and there’s a cork. So wasn’t expecting that! And it popped like a champagne thing, or a fizzy wine. And there are sour apples on the aroma.

Pours a very pale  golden yellow, and hell’s teeth that’s fizzier than a fizzy thing. all head and bubbles, in a rush. the aroma is then of dusty mould fruit, apples mostly, but fruit. the taste is sour beyond the pale. This could be a long drink.

I don’t know on what menu that this would be something you’d liven up the evening with, this must be a local thing that only about 9 people get, or those that a pretending to get something that isn’t a thing.

I’ve not had a sour beer like this for since ages, and I’m thinking now I wish I’d done my homework a bit more before this managed it’s way into the house.

The sourness stomps all over anything that might be considered a sweet, and it had a bitter ping at the end that reminds you that it is control of the all.  I can imagine that if you said this was the  ”tradition” and said it long enough you could fool all of the people all of the time.

I can only then judge it in and of itself.  Cidery yes. Sour yes. Sparkles yes. Delicious not for me. The pdubyah-o-meter scouts around and comes back with 8. This is all it says it is. There’s nothing that isn’t announced or declared, it is the label.

The most bizarre beer I’ve had for a long long time, one that might take me the rest of  the evening to finish.  I would like it to have had more body and not to have been so thin, but then I’m a newbie to this and this may be the benchmark.

It might be the weirdest and sourest beer I’ve ever had but it’s not unfinishable, close but I’ll soldier on.

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Apr 14 2013

Beer – #149 – Renaissance – Tribute Barley Wine (2011)


Renaissance – Tribute Barley Wine (2011) , at 10.8% ABV in a 330 0ml bottle (2.81 standard drink units) this is a bit of a finisher. Brewed by Renaissance Brewing in the style of a  Barley Wine  from Blenheim, New Zealand

Renaissance - Tribute Barley WineTribute is brewed by hand using an Elizabethan ‘DoubleWort Mashing’ process that yields very high gravity wort.  In this process the mashing and sparging process that yields a normal beer is repeated a second time.  The second mash and sparge is done using the wort collected from the first mash instead of water.

Tribute is an intense and rewarding vintage ale, made to be sipped and savoured slowly, preferably after a few years maturation in the cellar. 

Crikey, they call for matching this with Rich venison dishes, Hearty beef stew, Belgium truffles, or even Crème brûlée.

I think I mentioned previously, or not, that my youthful experience with Barley Wine (I’m talking 18 years old) was on a Sunday in the public bar of the Blythe Tavern in Catford, having Guinness for lunch session and finishing with Barley Wine added to it just before closing for the lunch.  (I may not have mentioned that before)

Anyway. Expecting full body, full malts, heavy, layered, dark beer.

You get a very dark, somewhat cloudy pour, and for me, no head, but you know I’m a novice. VEry low on carbonation, it’s not flat but it’s very under-stated.

Fruit aromas, I get cherry (!)  chocolate from the roasting, more fruits, – raisins? Strawberry? You could probably just sit and inhale this and be happy.  I went to taste it. smelt it, smiled and put it down again.

Taste is heavy, dark treacle, sweet, syrupy thick, stunning! Lots of length to go with the body too.

I’m not going to let the pdubyah-o-meter dither on this it’s a 10. Straight up.  Dead set fair square this is a bit special in a bottle.  There’s a lot of drinking in a such a small bottle, this is sipping beer :-) Perfect for a strongly matched food, end of an evening, not something you should take lightly or drink quickly.

You’d probably find the intensity of the overall taste that would stop you quaffing this. Which is a good thing, it hides the alcohol easily, and you’d be wanting to pay attention when drinking this, as you could get it all wrong, and  that leads to you saying things that you either didn’t mean, or things that end up with you declaring love unbounded. Enjoy it.

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Apr 1 2013

Beer – #140 – Harrington’s – Big John Special Reserve


Harrington’s Big John Special Reserve, which after the disastrous Belgium Tempest I’m slightly wary of.  This however a Limited Edition, and at the same time a Special Reserve !  Cover both bases.

Brewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch) Styled as a Dunkler Bock and as always that’s al majicked in Christchurch, New Zealand.

500ml of a 6.5% ABV beer, (2.6 standard drinks), in a standard brown bottle.

Harrington's Big JohnDunkler Bock – The dark Bock has a deep copper to dark brown color. Medium to full-bodied, malt sweetness and nutty or light toasted flavors dominate. Hop flavor and aroma can be light to non-existent.

but they say in the notes – Strong dark ale, full flavoured brew with a hint of spiciness. Smooth roast malt flavour balanced well with hops.

Sets some expectations.

Aroma is sort of chocolate, and I thought faintly of orange  but it’s not insistent, or overpowering, dark beer, reasonable head, not overly excitable carbonation.

They’re right that the flavour in this is mellow and low key, you can get the roasted/chocolate -notes, you get a mouth of fizz, and a linger on the palate. There’s a fairly decent lacing on the glass as well, not something I mention enough.

The top of this though carries an alcohol note, and that’s not something you generally look for in a beer of any kind, sure some have it and you know that you’re likely to find it, but I wasn’t expecting it with this.

The pdubyah-o-meter finds it a struggle to get to a 6 from 10 on this in it arbitrary way or all thing. My bottom line with this is that I have a friend, oh yes I do, called John, and would I give it to him as a novelty gift? And I think not.  I rate it better than ‘meh’ as it really isn’t very offensive, it’d be ok to share with a friend and might spur you forward to try other dark beers, the porters, stouts etc.

But I’m glad I don’t have another if I was being honest.

Mar 31 2013

Beer – #138 – Maredsous 8 Brune/Bruin


The second of a pair for this afternoon – a Maredsous 8 Brune/Bruin. Brewed by Duvel Moortgat in the style of a Abbey Dubbel Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium.

Maredsous - Brune300ml of an 8% ABV beer – Bottle conditioned.

A brown or brune ale brewed under the supervision of the monastic community of Maredsous. Top fermented beer, brewed according to Benedictine tradition. Refermented in the bottle;, and conditioned for two months. Maredsous Brown should ideally be served at a temperature of 6-10 C

I’m really hoping for more malts and sweets in this and less alcohol note.

There is a fruit aroma, like sultana, and it’s a very dark brown pour, with a magnificent fully head. The aroma settles to a rich malty note, but like the Tripel it carries a sourness about it.

There’s nothing of anything in the palate for this, it’s fairly soft, and unassuming. I could get why you loved this beer, it’s not a challenge and it’s fairly strong, you could impress your mates with it.

However when push comes to shove this is a struggle to get to the same 5 on the pdubyah-o-meter  that the Tripel did. This is a beer that’s comes with a reputation, one that I might have even made up in my own head, but I was expecting something with a bang and got a whimper.

I can take that it’s a beer brewed at commercial levels if it ended up being true to itself, but this isn’t that, it seems to be brewed to be inoffensive and to maximise an audience. The dinky bottle and the indication that it should be special are just  not enough.

Mar 31 2013

Beer – #137 – Maredsous 10 Tripel


Back to the Belgium beers with a Maredsous 10 Tripel - Brewed by Duvel Moortgat In the style of a Abbey Tripel in Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium.

Maredsous - TripelA bottle conditioned  Golden beer with a characteristically fresh bouquet and sweet after-taste. 330ml of a 10% ABV beer.

There’s quite an alcohol aroma up-front. It’s a lovely chestnut golden with loud carbonation that gives up a decent head,

The aroma, as I can discern it changes to sour almost a vinegar.  There’s a maltly sweetness that you expect but it’s not prominent or pushy.

I’m a bit underwhelmed by the sour note in this, and by loudness of the alcohol. Not something that you expect to get, and frankly a bit difficult to enjoy. The strength of this beer does not make up for the shortcomings that are in it.

As a consequence the pdubyah-o-meter only slides to a 5, making this an also ran beer in the big scheme of things, which doesn’t make me happy at all. But then I come to this expecting fireworks and that’s not what I’m getting.

I’m having the sister beer the Maredsous 8 Brune next, I hope that puts more a smile on my dial

Mar 29 2013

Beer- #136 – Harringtons – Belgium Tempest – revisited


I did this already - Beer #32 – June – a while ago, and I wasn’t that impressed.

But clearly I wasn’t that miffed, or disappointed or this might not have made it back to the shopping basket, unless it was under one of those buy one get one free things.

Harrington - Belgium ™ t TempestBrewed by Harringtons Breweries (Christchurch) in the style of a  Abbey Tripel from the deep south as far away as Christchurch, New Zealand.

Brewed using Belgian Ale yeast makes this beer big, rich and full of fruitiness. Palate is rich and subtle malty. Full bodied sweetness dominates most of the palate but dies to a dryer finish with a herbal/phenol crisp hop bitterness.

And because it was like 9 months ago, I start again, They set themselves a big bar, and a big expectation for this. So what do I want/expect: Golden or Chestnuet \ Malts and sweets \ Alcohol to the back\ citrus to the front. A s 500ml of an 8% ABV beer – thats 3.2 standard drinks in old money, it looks inviting with it’s electric blue label this may have been what drew me back.

Stand by …

The aroma isn vague  bit musty..  Well carbonated, chestnut colour no head, it looks like day old beer in  a glass, but it might be that’s doing it wrong.

The aroma is dank, musty, yeasty, not so good, a bit plastic, and perhaps a bit of banana.

And the taste is a bit sour, and alarming, it’s not inviting, and the malts take like forever to make a fleeting appearance, there is something not quite right about this.

I think that I gave this a 4  on the pdubyah-o-meter before, age or experience have not improved either this beer or my opinion of it. There is not even the begin of a head, carbonation or lacing, and this hasn’t changed. Either the brewer is working to a schedule or this must be the last harrarh for this, who likes it? Even at a 2 for 1 deal your’re being sold short.

Avoid