Herevana – The Ladder – Kereru – Truffle Hound
Kereru Truffle Hound Belgian Quadruppel Ale. I ‘ve had the ‘standard’ version “Untrapped Potential” as Beer #1,099 and it was lovely, and where I thought that it would make a magnificent platform springboard for wonderfully great beer.
I’ve let this warm whilst I’ve been trying the previous beers in the ladder, the Urbanaut and the Three Boys, hopefully to let the flavour grow as it warms. Same glass though, and half the cheese. (see previous posts)
Kereru Brewing Company make the Kereru Truffle Hound in. Upper Hutt, Wellington 🇳🇿in the style that is a Quadrupel / Abt with an ABV of 8.5% with 20 IBU.
I realise that only 2 beers in from 3 that I might have taken on a big task, but you know that this is about me having a beer, as I have a beer, and not some kind of 9-5 review thing. What could possibly go wrong?
I like Kereru beers, not all of them, that would be daft, but I do have a subscription because I think they’re doing good things, and their brew team have great taste in music.
I’m sitting here between the beers, because I have a bit of patience and self control, thinking about what if I made an ice-cream float with the Truffle Hound. I can’t find a reason not to, and also quite a few that makes me wonder how my mind works.
Sugary bubble gum aroma when I opened the can (makes side joke about how thin cans are getting these days, like Policemen getting younger).
The pour is a really dark beer, Stout dark , with a flimsy uninterested head atop. fancifully there’s a leathery aroma in the glass, I may have made this up for effect.
Again I have to resort to ‘wow’ this is quite intense and shocking at first taste. I really frowned and pinched up as there seems to be quite the unexpected going on.
Unlike a sugary sweet candied note this has something thick and almost viscous about it. Not syrupy, not cloying but something thick and forbidding.
This is not the decadence that I wanted to end with, and I get the sense of something quite earthy that I don’t quite understand. Which is actually understandable, because the incidence of Truffles in my my house on any occasion can be counted on no fingers. I think what I wanted was something more steeped fruit rich something slightly fuller and sweeter. I honestly cannot talk to this beer in terms of what a 30% lift in price gave me. I can talk to how smooth and actually nuanced this might be, and how that base ‘untrapped Potential’ is weighing on on this.
There’s no edges, or sharpness, no surprise, but an overarching taste that I have no familiarity with, Truffles, that rarely (never) make an appearance at my house. (think at this point about Raspberry beer and how you ‘get’ that) and what you have its a really smooth, properly smooth without edges smooth, easy drinking beer, and that in itself is brilliant, but I just don’t have a connection to Truffles to make a call.
Long story short: Not the beer that I would want to end an evening on, but I think I reached the top step of this particular ladder in fine style and in fine form.
The Pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 on the arbitrary number scale. I think the disappointment is mine on this one, I’d worked up a lather thinking this was going to be something that it could not possibly have been, which is more in my head than what’s in the glass. This is really nice beer, it’s really is, make no mistake, it is alarmingly smooth and easy going, it needs a bit of attention and adds a lot to what you’re having around it, but it it long on sugary sweetness and short on that undefined decadence.
For Music, Death of a very good Machine – EEP. IF you’re into a bit of the Shoegaze then this is a bit of you.
Herevana beers are those I drink at home, I’m not at some beer festival, like, for instance, Beervana, but am just in my kitchen, usually, dining room table, sometimes, or outside, occasionally, where I can take an average picture and write in real time about the beer that I’ve invested in, both in a monetary and emotional way.
Philip himself.
Kereru – Brewers Notes
Truffle Hound Belgian Quadruppel Ale is dark amber ale fermented with an Belgian abbey ale yeast for great depth of yeast character.
We added kilos of NZ Black Perigord Truffles from our friends at Te Puke Truffles.
This is a special beer to enjoy at any occasion.
Quadrupel / Abt
The Quadrupel, or Abt is a dark, complex, rich, smooth and dangerous strong Belgian ale with a delicious blend of malt richness, dark fruit flavors, and spicy elements. Like a larger dubbel, with a fuller body and increased malt richness. Not as bitter or hoppy as a tripel, but of similar strength. They sometimes tend to be drier than Belgian Strong Dark Ale, which can be rather sweeter.
A life just as ordinary 