KAAPSE BROUVERS VS BEERLANDER PART 1: TESS, HARRIE & PARKHEUVELS

HARRIE - SAISON
TESS - WHITE WINE SAISON
PARKHEUVELS BIER VAN DE OVERKANT - PALE ALE

Parkheuvels Bier van de Overkant

Style: Pale Ale

Hops: Sladek, Amarillo, Columbus, Citra, Mosaic

This beer was made extra for a restaurant Parkheuvels using a combination of Czech (Sladek) and American (Amarillo, Columbus, Citra, Mosaic) hops. Two things that are interesting about all beers from Kaapse Brouwers is that they brew using Sladek – which in the age of using American hops is unusual. Second is that they really say what is in the beer (dear Belgian brewers – please learn!).

One more rather confusing thing – Ratebeer claims that this brew was barrel aged. I haven’t found any info on that on the bottle. Maybe Kaapse could add something? It could be important, because all people all beating the shit out of “Parkheuvels…” because they cannot sense barrel aging…

Still, it is very decent pale ale, amber red in color, big thick head that stays long. Combination of herbal fruity-Sladek and citrus from American hops is clearly there in aroma and taste. As a freak, I would prefer to have more than 46 EBU (European Bitterness Unit), but this small detain does not change the fact that it is very good beer, very drinkable one. Worth tying.

Harrie

Style: Saison

Hops: Sladek

Ok, very hard to write long story about that one. Harrie is a mono-hop beer, very surprising in our times and it works. I was rather skeptically how would the fruity-spicy-herbal Sladek go along with the saison beer, but no worries here. Harrie is orange colored beer with small head and medium carbonation. Aroma is a mixture of spicy and herby nots and so is the taste. It is different from any saison I have tried before and a very pleasant surprise. Nice!

Tess

Style: Saison with the white wine

Hops: Apollo, Saaz, Sladek and Hallertau Blanc

What makes Tess potentially interesting is the combination of Czech-American yeasts (for me especially Saaz is surprising, it’s a canonical Czech hop) and Hallertau Blanc (aroma compared to the white wine). Sadly, the combination does not really work.

Tess is red/amber in color, has a thick red head (stays really very long). Beer smells and tastes mostly like a combination of some malts, bit citrus and some cheesy notes. Overall feeling is that using the broad palette of hops have killed the beer, I cannot smell American hopes, also herbal notes from Sladek are mostly gone and the white wine is only on the label. Below average. I was expecting it much better.