#281 Dale’s – Belgian Ale

Name: Belgian Pale Ale
Brewery: Dale’s Brewing Co. (brewed at West Coast)
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
ABV: 5.4%
Source: Dave Kurt

The first time I had this beer I was seriously distracted by the smell of chicken – I had it outside the Hop Garden which is right by KFC – and this time I was seriously distracted by something else.

I swear to god, it tasted so much like mine and Dad’s homebrew Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone. The hops and the malt were different, yet the beers shared this really distinctive, unique flavour which is hard to describe – sort of a hard candy-like sweetness. Was it a fault? Something to do with the plastic bottles? I don’t know. It wasn’t bad, just a little odd. Like seeing my better looking, better dressed doppelgänger in the street.

Anyway poor Dale, I don’t mean to offend him by comparing his beer to my first-ever homebrew, this is a lot better after all. I tried to put the comparison out of my mind in order to come up with something constructive, and with some effort I detected some notes of orange and passionfruit, warm wintery spices and golden syrupy malt. Mostly though, it just tasted like de ja vu.

#241 Westvleteren Extra 8

Name: Extra 8
Brewery: Westvleteren (Vleteren, Belgium)
Style: Trappist Ale
ABV: 8%
Source: The Beerstore

I found this random unlabelled bottle in the back of Dad’s fridge some time late on Saturday night. I wasn’t sure what it was but I was already too hammered by then to care, so I opened it up and used it for the Circle of Death drinking game we were playing.

What did it taste like? Lord knows! I had to scull it back and I’m pretty sure it had some tequila and white wine mixed in with it by then, but I do remember thinking (as I threw it up the next morning, not at the time) that it might have tasted a bit Belgian.

Relax – I jest! I jest! Imagine if I’d actually sculled a Westvleteren beer as part of a drinking game! Would any readers have killed me if I had?

For the non beer-geeks, it’s funny because the three beers from the trappist Westvleteren brewery are rated online as some of  THE BEST IN THE WORLD (booming, thunderous voice), with the holy grail being the Westvleteren 12 – ranked number 1 on Ratebeer.com.

I think the mystical aura surrounding Westvleteren contributes to it’s appeal – by which I mean, the fact the monks only produce very limited amounts, and that they don’t sell it to any wholesalers. You can go and buy it from the abbey, but each person is only allowed one or two cases every two months, and you have to phone ahead and reserve it first. Talk about playing hard to get!

And that’s why it seems a bit strange that my dad was able to get me this bottle, simply by visiting The Beer Store and parting with $55 or so. Too easy, right?

Some people would probably argue that Westy isn’t meant to be exported to the other side of the planet.  That you can’t be sure all the middle-men have handled it properly, and that the bottle you have in your hand in the end is only a shell (albeit a much more expensive one) of it’s former self. All quite true probably, but I’m not concerned. I may never make it to the Belgian municipality of Vleteren, and so if it weren’t for this grey market import, I might never get to try it at all.

And anyway, it was still very very delicious by the time it reached me.

I got malty aromas of raisins, marzipan, and brown sugar. In the mouth it wasn’t the massive sweet beast I was expecting, but one of the more refined, dry trappist ales I’ve had. I got a delicious blend of spices, leather, yeast, and stonefruits, a tiny hint of tartness and a medium, smooth mouthfeel. The dryness of it meant that it went down easy and, not helped by the fact I had to share it with about 5 people, disappeared in 3 minutes flat.

Had I not been aware of all the hype around Westvleteren beers, I can’t say I would have instantly declared this the 10th (or whatever it’s ranked) best beer in the world. That’s partly because I’m not enough of an afficianado, and partly because it probably did lost a little of its magic along the way.

Despite that, I heartily recommend forking out for a bottle to try on a special ocassion – or just to pour into a beer bong if you want to watch a beer geek sweat.

#238 Mikeller – Mielcke & Hurtigkarl

Name: Mielcke & Hurtikarl
Brewery: Mikkeller
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 8.7%
Source:  Shiggy from Hashigo

On Tuesday night I went to Galbraiths to taste some beers with Ian the head brewer, Dave the manager, and Shiggy – who works at Hashigo Zake in Wellington and had bought a few beers up to taste. Ian spent a lot of time trying to convince me to break the rules of my blog so that I could post about all the beers, but I insisted that my weird self-imposed rules were set in stone (I think this exasperated him).

I chose this one to write about because the chance of me having it again before the blog ends are pretty much nil. Also because it’s one of the most goddamn beautiful beers I’ve ever tasted.

This beer was brewed especially for a Mikkeller and Three Floyds dinner at a restaurant named Mielcke & Hurtigkarl (try and pronounce it, I dare you!) in Copenhagen. It was aged in Château d’Yquem barrels,  Château d’Yquem being the world’s most famous (and probably the most expensive, too) dessert wine.

This might sound like being fancy for the sake of it (like edible gold – wtf?), but I can tell you that the resulting beer was out-of-this-world delicious. I’m going to find it hard to decribe because it seemed to be so many contrasting things – full of flavour but subtle, boozy but delicate. It was just so… so damn elegant.

If it were a food, it might be liqueur-soaked peaches with freshly whipped cream. There were definite stone fruit flavours -peaches, apricots, mangoes too, as well as floral notes and a little lemony tartness. The mouthfeel was excellent – creamy yet dry like champagne. I felt instantly pissed after having one sip (granted this was the fourth strong beer we tasted), but the alcohol wasn’t that obvious in the taste. It was – and I don’t say this lightly – my idea of a perfect beer.

Thanks so much to Shiggy, Ian and Dave for sharing with me, and apologies again for spilling that other Mikeller beer all over the table. I’m just bloody glad it wasn’t this one.

#231 Hoegaarden – Verboden Vrucht

Name: Verboden Vrucht (Forbidden Fruit)
Brewery: Hoegaarden
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 8.5%
Source: The Beer Store

Verboden Vrucht (or Forbidden Fruit, if like me you’re no good at guttural hacking sounds), is certainly one of the more enticing beer names I’ve seen, but it also rings particularly true if you’re a resident of the U.S.A.

I remember Yeastie Boy Stu telling me way back ages ago about the Forbidden Fruit, and how it was banned in the US because Adam and Eve were depicted (close your eyes kids) butt nekked on the label.

Americans sure know how to brew good beer, but Goddamn they can be prudes sometimes.

Anyway, they’re missing out big time because this is, in my opinion, the most delicious of all the Hoegaarden beers.

If you’ve ever tried the Hoegaarden Grand Cru, this is basically it’s evil alter-ego. It’s dark and wickedly rich, tasting  fruits (berries, dates, apples), banana, toffee, brown sugar, spice, and all things nice. It’s quite heavy and sweet, but with a little bitterness at the finish  to round things out.

I’m not sure if this insane ban still exists in the U.S or not (they’re wearing leaves for christssake – practically beach attire!) but if so, I’d say it’s worth building an underground tunnel to Mexico in order to smuggle some in. No really.

 

#211 ePICO – Something

Name: I’ll get back to you on that
Brewery: ePICO (Auckland, New Zealand)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale perhaps?
ABV: Pretty strong
Source: Epic Brewing Co.

As you may have inferred from the above beer desription above, I have no f**king clue what this beer was.

You see, this was an ePICO beer (experimental Epic homebrew thingee) that didn’t have a label on it. It did have a tiny little bit of paper around the neck which had the name (I want to say Galaxy but I think that’s probably wrong), the ABV and possibly the style, but in the five days that passed between then and now, some bastard tidied up our kitchen and threw the bottle away away.

That’s OK though because I always make super-detailed notes that tell me everything I need to know, right? Wrong. Looking back at my notes I see I have written “Wow. Super sweet! Strong. Belgian. Banoffie. Marmite?? Drinkable. Crisp. Dry. Bit too sweet.”

So Kelly or Luke, can you please decipher those notes and tell me what I drunk so that I can update the information about this beer accordingly? Probably not because those notes are rubbish. 

In conclusion – some experimental beer that Epic made was nice but a bit too sweet for me. It’s a good thing nobody’s paying me to do this – amirite?!

#202 Het Anker – Lucifer

Name: Lucifer
Brewery: Brouwerij Het Anker (Mechelen, Belgium)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 8%
Source: Belgian Beer Cafe

A few weeks ago I was at the Belgian Beer Cafe, looking at the menu and feeling a bit bored at the prospect of having a Leffe or a Hoegaarden or a Kreik, when I looked behind the bar and spotted all these other crazy beers in the fridge.

“What’s all that!?” I asked. “Have you got beers that aren’t on the menu?”

“Oh,” said the girl behind the bar. “Those are on our cellar list”.

And then she handed me, from behind the bar, this black menu that had six or so pages of beer on it – all a lot more exciting than the stuff in the main red menu, albeit a little more expensive.

Was that exciting enough to warrant a blow-by-blow reenactment? I don’t know, but the point is this: how long have the BBC had this ‘cellar menu’? Why do they keep it so hidden? And am I the only one that didn’t know about it?

But instead of asking all those questions, I ordered this Lucifer – it was a hot afternoon and a blonde that tasted of peaches (according to the menu) sounded just the ticket.

It was pretty good, but also kind of disappointing. It tasted like a fairly typical blonde ale – some yeast, cloves, banana, candied sugar, but quite dry and with a little lemony tartness at the finish. There was nothing wrong with it per se, but it was a little light in mouthfeel and the flavours seemed to fall flat somehow.

I will continue to plow through the BBC’s little black book, but I suspect people may be better off ordering the fresher beers from the tap. The cellar ones seem to have come via The Beer Store, and obviously aren’t being moved along quickly at the bar, so it’s hard to know how long they’ve been sitting there.

Or, another idea: we spread them word and get them moving along. Go forth and drink Belgian beer! (Tell your friends.)

#176 John Martin – Gordon Finest Gold

Couldn't get my photo off my camera!

Name: Gordon Finest Gold
Brewery: John Martin
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 10%
Source: Te Aroha Countdown

OK, OK. I know what you’re thinking. First DB Export Dry, then Becks, and now whatever the hell this is. The blog is going downhill.

You’re absolutely right, it is, but I assure you we’ll be uphill very shortly (not in the next post though, the next one will be crap too) just as soon as I get out of the Coromandel.

I’m in Te Aroha at the moment, which is a rather lovely thermal town just a couple hours away from Auckland. And while it really is rather lovely (bush walks n mountains n that), the beer of choice is Waikato Draught and there isn’t much else on offer.

I was going to have a Waikato Draught, but then I just went to the supermarket and bought this strange thing instead.

I had one sip and then decided it wasn’t worth the hangover.  It was like someone had put 10 teaspoons of sugar and a shot of vodka into a Golden Ale, albeit a Belgian one with a little bit of fruit flavor. Possibly that sounds excellent to some people, but for me it was just a mess.

On the plus side, if you wanted to get drunk for $10 then two cans of this would do it. Also, it comes in a large yellow can so uhhhh… I guess it would always be easy to spot at parties??

#137 Yeastie Boys – Red Rackham

Name: Red Rackham
Brewery: Yeastie Boys
Style: Belgian Ale
ABV: 6.8%
Source: Waiheke Wines

It’s Christmas! Woooooooo! Yeah! Alright!

But before I get on to that (next post), a few words about my Christmas Eve beer – Red Rackham. (And I’ll just be very quick because I’m going to Mexico tomorrow and I still need to learn Spanish before I go to bed.)

This was a great little Belgian Ale, though I’d struggle to properly describe it. On one level I thought it had a typically Belgian nose – candy, bubblegum, yeasty bread and banana and LOADS of caramel… but there was something else. Something quite definitely pink. 

It’s possible it was just the label (which Stu will tell me is Magenta), but all these pink things came to mind when I sniffed it – pinky bars, turkish delight, and marshmallows. It didn’t taste like any of these things exactly, it was more of a vibe, you know?

There were hops too, or at least something sharp at the finish – a little bitter, slightly tart, balancing the sweet Belgian flavours and keeping things fresh.

I drank it with some extra special cheese – Kapiti Ramara (my fave) that had been washed in Epic Hop Zombie. It seemed almost criminal given how rare that stuff is these days – but I decided it was a worthy sacrifice once I tasted it.

To be honest I couldn’t detect a definite Hop Zombie taste (others with more astute palates say they can), but it was excellent nonetheless – with a sharp and stinky rind and creamy gooey deliciousness inside. An excellent way to kick off Feastmas!

#134 Brasserie d’Orval – Orval

Name: Orval
Brewery: Brasserie d’Orval
Style: Belgian Ale
ABV: 6.3%
Source: Belgian Beer Cafe (Ponsonby)

Dear Orval,

I’m just going to come right out and say this: I think I love you.

I don’t know why it took me so long to find you (or why I wasted so much time with Leffe Brune at the Belgian Beer Cafe) but now that I have I’m not going to let you go ever.

I know people love the bigger, stronger Trappist beers – but I like it that you’re a little smaller. Not too small of course, but small enough that I can comfortably have you a few times in one night.

It’s not like you’re not manly, either. In fact you’ve got that leathery, earthy smell – like a well-worn pair of Lederhosen.

Mmmm…. Lederhosen…. 

I don’t like my beers too macho, which is why I really appreciate your fruity side. And your gentle sweetness, which doesn’t ever get too icky.  You’re not like any other Trappists I’ve tried Orval – you’re refreshing. 

I know all my friends would love you. Everyone would –  even my Dad who is quite picky about what I should and shouldn’t drink. Would you like to meet them? No probably not yet, I’m rushing things…

The truth is that the next 8 months are a bit complicated for me anyway. I have a lot of other beers to try, and I can’t guarantee I won’t fall for any of them (I’m only being honest because I like you so much).

But I have a plan. Meet me on August 10th (the day after I finish the blog) at the Belgian Beer Cafe. If you’re as good as you were last night, then it’s on.

A x

PS – Just remembered you’re a monk! Doh. Disregard all of the above.

#71 Emerson’s – JP 2011

Name: JP (2011)
Brewery: Emerson’s (Dunedin, New Zealand)
Style: Tripel
ABV: 9%
Source: Regional Wines (Wellington)

I can hardly believe that after writing my first ever post on Emerson’s Bookbinder, and declaring it to be the beer I would like to marry, it’s taken me 70 beers to get to the next Emerson’s brew. Pretty good sign that I’m not gonna run out before I get to 365, eh?

Emerson’s is one of my favourite breweries. Partly because the beers are consistently great, partly because it makes me nostalgic for my Dunedin youth (which ended a whopping four years ago). To be honest, financial circumstances meant a fair whack of my student loan went towards Chasseur cask wine during that time, but I did work at a Restaurant that sold Emerson’s (The Reef), so I was lucky enough to score a few bottles when the boss was feeling generous.

Every year Emerson’s release a ‘JP’ – named after the late Professor Jean-Pierre (JP) Dufour. He was the Dean of Food Sciences at the University and apparently a bit of an icon in the brewing world, as well as an all-round top bloke.

Every year the JP is different, but the 2011 version is a Tripel – which is a strong, Belgian-style ale first popularized by the Trappist monastery at Westmalle.

It poured a deep copper colour – though probably a bit lighter than it looks in my photo – with a big creamy head. It smelled really Belgian (of course) – some banana and warm spices, caramel and a hint of yeasty dough.

On the tongue I got a hit of caramelly malt up front along with a warm hit of booze. Toward the finish it sharpened up slightly and finished with a dry, mellow bitterness, with those lovely Belgian flavours lasting for the whole ride.

It was lighter in the mouth and more carbonated than I was expecting, but I think that suited it well. It was easy to drink – probably too easy given the whopping 9% ABV – so it’s lucky I’d had my dinner first for once.

I’m feeling so warm and fuzzy about Emerson’s right now that I’ve just but a rigger of Brownville in the fridge. Stay tuned for more gushing (from me, not the beer – although it did travel up from Wellington) tomorrow!