eddie Posted June 4, 2018 Share Posted June 4, 2018 Had a day in Gent today - the home of Gruut. I tried 5 beers I had never tried before, including the Gruut, of course. Strange to think that for all my life, hops was synonymous with the bittering in beer - yet there are no hops in Gruut. Instead, you get a long, spicy tangy aftertaste, perhaps a little like the herbs used in a wit. The other beers I tried on a rather experimental day were saisons and geuzes - all fairly local breweries. Back at the hotel in Oostende now, finishing the evening off with an Augustijn Grand Cru (van Steenberge beer, like Gulden Draak, brewed just outside Gent). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animal is a Ram Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I am Gruut? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TuffLuff Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 If anybody fancies a beer festival in Bakewell in a few weeks. Reckon I’ll do the Saturday afternoon and a bus back to Sheffield in the evening http://www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/things-to-do/whats-on/cowshed-festival Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TuffLuff Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 What other beer festivals are we going to? This year might be the first time I can get back to Elton beer festival. Had a cracking time about five years ago there... McRainy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 9 hours ago, TuffLuff said: What other beer festivals are we going to? This year might be the first time I can get back to Elton beer festival. Had a cracking time about five years ago there... I'm back in Brugge next February for the beer festival there - but before then, we are going to the Christmas Market, which is pretty much the same thing. Did I ever mention I like Brugge? Today, we went to the Bourgogne Des Flandres brewery. Back to the UK tomorrow - my liver needs a holiday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePrisoner Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 Just signed up for my first box at Mikkeller. Bit pricier than Beer52 but 9 beers a month with free shipping via UPS from Denmark. Mostly one offs and short runs. Half price code for first box is ilovebeer https://shop.mikkeller.dk/collections/mikkeller-beer-mail TuffLuff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 On 05/06/2018 at 10:38, TuffLuff said: What other beer festivals are we going to? This year might be the first time I can get back to Elton beer festival. Had a cracking time about five years ago there... The Black Bulls Head (inc Bedlam Bar) at Openwoodgate have their Beer Festival this weekend. TuffLuff and McRainy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 Last night and this lunchtime saw me going through a few Keizer Karel beers from Charles Quint. Fabulous. Last beer in Belgium for us was good old Westmalle Tripel at Brussels station at 5:00 pm tonight. Just got back home an hour ago, and I'm now sucking down a Chimay White before planning the next trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Just been to do the weekly shop at Lidl, Chaddesden. For those of you who just might be interested, they have boxes of 6 Belgian beers in, the contents of each being as follows (each bottle 330 ml): 1 bottle Gulden Draak (10.5%) 1 bottle Golden Draak 9000 Quadrupel (10.5%) 1 bottle Bornem Dubbel (7.2%) 1 bottle Bornem Tripel (9%) 1 bottle Piraat (10.5%) 1 bottle Piraat Triple Hop (10.5%) £11 a box. I was quite restrained and just bought 4. Be warned - these sell out VERY fast. They also have some Corsendonk (I think). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 What I neglected to add is any opinion or notes about the beers. All are brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge, a brewery just north of Ghent, hence the box set. I had heard of Lidl stocking these boxes for about the last 3 years, but this is the first time I have been fortunate to be in a shop at the same time as the beer. So here goes... Gulden Draak - the colour resembles dark honey or caramel. It is highly carbonated and forms a luscious, thick white head with good lacing. The taste is malty, fruity (think plums, raisins, cherries) with a hint of banana and clove - typical of Belgian yeasts. It is an utterly world-class beer. Gulden Draak 9000 Quadrupel - basically a slightly maltier version of the above, a little lighter in colour too but equally magnificent. A little more complex - the secondary fermentation uses a champagne yeast. Although both are labelled as 10.5%, the Quad actually tastes a little stronger. Bornem Dubbel - a typical Belgian Dubbel Abbey beer - dark brown and very lively. One of the best beers to use (in my opinion) if you are making a Flemish stew - or any sort of stew, for that matter. The usual dubbel flavours are there - fruit, demerara sugar etc. I'm not going to praise this beer to the rafters, but it is definitely ok, and it compares favourably to the more readily available Leffe Brune, and the hoppy aftertaste is much better. Like Leffe Brune though, it tastes a bit 'thin'. Bornem Tripel - again, typical of the style for a Belgian Abbey Tripel - amber or straw-coloured, lively with a big head. The taste is apple, pineapple, a nice citrus tang that lasts for ever and which is perhaps more typical of a witbier as opposed to a tripel. Definitely an entry-level tripel. Not bad. Piraat - an amber beer that actually looks more English than Belgian - but there any resemblance ends. Beautifully balanced between malt and hops, it is absolutely full of complex fruit flavours and has a long, hoppy after-taste. I love this beer. Piraat Triple Hop - I must confess that I have never tried this beer at all (yet). I read on the brewery's website that hops are added three times (once in the boil and then twice dry-hopped) and there are actually 4 types of hop (saaz, tetra, aurora and cascade). I'm pretty sure it will have citrus/grapefruit notes from the cascade which will complement the maltiness (it seems to be the same grainbill as Piraat). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i-Ram Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 4 hours ago, eddie said: What I neglected to add is any opinion or notes about the beers. All are brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge, a brewery just north of Ghent, hence the box set. I had heard of Lidl stocking these boxes for about the last 3 years, but this is the first time I have been fortunate to be in a shop at the same time as the beer. So here goes... Gulden Draak - the colour resembles dark honey or caramel. It is highly carbonated and forms a luscious, thick white head with good lacing. The taste is malty, fruity (think plums, raisins, cherries) with a hint of banana and clove - typical of Belgian yeasts. It is an utterly world-class beer. Gulden Draak 9000 Quadrupel - basically a slightly maltier version of the above, a little lighter in colour too but equally magnificent. A little more complex - the secondary fermentation uses a champagne yeast. Although both are labelled as 10.5%, the Quad actually tastes a little stronger. Bornem Dubbel - a typical Belgian Dubbel Abbey beer - dark brown and very lively. One of the best beers to use (in my opinion) if you are making a Flemish stew - or any sort of stew, for that matter. The usual dubbel flavours are there - fruit, demerara sugar etc. I'm not going to praise this beer to the rafters, but it is definitely ok, and it compares favourably to the more readily available Leffe Brune, and the hoppy aftertaste is much better. Like Leffe Brune though, it tastes a bit 'thin'. Bornem Tripel - again, typical of the style for a Belgian Abbey Tripel - amber or straw-coloured, lively with a big head. The taste is apple, pineapple, a nice citrus tang that lasts for ever and which is perhaps more typical of a witbier as opposed to a tripel. Definitely an entry-level tripel. Not bad. Piraat - an amber beer that actually looks more English than Belgian - but there any resemblance ends. Beautifully balanced between malt and hops, it is absolutely full of complex fruit flavours and has a long, hoppy after-taste. I love this beer. Piraat Triple Hop - I must confess that I have never tried this beer at all (yet). I read on the brewery's website that hops are added three times (once in the boil and then twice dry-hopped) and there are actually 4 types of hop (saaz, tetra, aurora and cascade). I'm pretty sure it will have citrus/grapefruit notes from the cascade which will complement the maltiness (it seems to be the same grainbill as Piraat). All of them would seem like they might taste better with a splash or two of Lemonade. froggg, Steve How Hard?, Parsnip and 1 other 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsnip Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 On 07/06/2018 at 14:46, eddie said: 1 bottle Gulden Draak (10.5%) 1 bottle Golden Draak 9000 Quadrupel (10.5%) 1 bottle Bornem Dubbel (7.2%) 1 bottle Bornem Tripel (9%) 1 bottle Piraat (10.5%) 1 bottle Piraat Triple Hop (10.5%) I'd be crapping through the eye of a needle after that lot! froggg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 12 minutes ago, Parsnip said: I'd be crapping through the eye of a needle after that lot! And there is the fundamental difference between a European beer drinker and a British one. 'That lot' would last me 3 days, not half an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsnip Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 15 minutes ago, eddie said: And there is the fundamental difference between a European beer drinker and a British one. 'That lot' would last me 3 days, not half an hour. True dat. I'd have that lot away by 9, move on to something else, regret it terribly until approxinately 4pm the following day... and repeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 6 minutes ago, Parsnip said: True dat. I'd have that lot away by 9, move on to something else, regret it terribly until approxinately 4pm the following day... and repeat. Seriously, no, you don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 I've not had a beer since last Wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 On 07/06/2018 at 14:46, eddie said: Just been to do the weekly shop at Lidl, Chaddesden. For those of you who just might be interested, they have boxes of 6 Belgian beers in, the contents of each being as follows (each bottle 330 ml): 1 bottle Gulden Draak (10.5%) 1 bottle Golden Draak 9000 Quadrupel (10.5%) 1 bottle Bornem Dubbel (7.2%) 1 bottle Bornem Tripel (9%) 1 bottle Piraat (10.5%) 1 bottle Piraat Triple Hop (10.5%) £11 a box. I was quite restrained and just bought 4. Be warned - these sell out VERY fast. They also have some Corsendonk (I think). I went there today. None of those boxes but they have 4 Corsendonk for £6.99, Bought 4 Brune and 4 Pale, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 What do European beer farts smell like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozza Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 3 minutes ago, Boycie said: What do European beer farts smell like? You're weird, you are.. Europes a big place , Women's farts smell worse than mens.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 5 minutes ago, mozza said: You're weird, you are.. Europes a big place , Women's farts smell worse than mens.. So you don’t know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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