FESTIVAL DES BIERES ARTISANALES
&
DES PRODUITS DU TERROIR
Being for more than a year in Belgium, it is slowly time to present
you the town I live (and some beer on top).
Nivelles is located in the Wallon-Brabant region of Belgium
and its population is almost exclusively French speaking (and they mean it).
Its rather small town (28000 people) with a long history. According to
Wikipedia the first settlers started to work here around 4000 bc. Then it
suffered from Roman and German invasions. 
The important part however starts with a woman named Gertrude, who became
first abbes of the monastery founded here by her mother. As the Gertrude was
venerated a saint upon her death, the place required space to handle the
growing numbers of pilgrims. That’s how the impressive collegiate church of
Saint Gertrude was build. The area around the collegiate is the cultural and leisure
center of the town until today. In fact, the collegiate itself is worth seeing
(on top you can see the sarcophagus of St Gertrude and listen to a famous
49-bell Carillion here).
Welcome to Nivelles.
Now why would I write in the beer blog about the small city in
Belgium. Well, since recently we also have a beer festival. Yes, I know it’s
also about food, but, sincerely, who give a damn about the food if you can get
beer. The festival was held on last Saturday, which made me going to the center
of the town.
There was one significant problem about this (and any other festivals)
– the amount of beer to try. I strongly believe that trying everything is
impossible, and even if possible that would have some consequences.
Therefore, I have decided to spend some time in upfront and took
a look on the lists of beers/breweries that were supposed to be present. Then I
looked on the rate beer and decided to drink the ones that I haven’t so far seen
in the local supermarket and they are not (or little) present in the RateBeer (I will try
to add them ASAP).
L'IMPERATRICE
Style: Triple Blonde
Brewed: Brasserie De Leval-Trahegnies
www.imperatrice.be
I have to admit that I was very eager to
get and try this one, and in fact not only me. I have seen people buying whole
boxes. Triple blonde is very unusual as a style (did you ever see triple
Pils/Lager?) and I was quite curious to see how does this tastes.
The answer is: Heavy.
First of all, probably because it’s a
triple – L’imperatrice does not really look like a blonde. Its dark amber in
color. Head is large and stays for long. Beer is unfiltered and you can clearly
see some yeast remnants swimming inside. Aroma is very weak, mostly malt. Taste
is dominated by a mixture of malt and alcohol. It’s not a bad beer, but for my
taste way too heavy alcoholic and vastly lacking any hops to compensate. Bit
one-sided, but worth trying. If you like strong beers add to must try list.
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BOURLETTINE
Style: Belgian Ale/Ambree
Brewed: Brasserie Brootcorens Erquelinnes (?)
www.facebook.com/bourlettine
Big surprise. After having almost no aroma
(maybe some malts), the taste was really a blast. Do not expect fruity American notes, still, there is a nice combination of malts, some bitter notes and some
extraordinary effect of the beer foam. The feeling is like drinking a beer with
whip cream on top. Foam is very stable, and its gives this smooth feeling on
the palate. Totally crazy, pleasant feeling. My favorite one in this fest and one of the most tasty beers I know.
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Abbaye des Villers IX
Style: triple
Brewed: Abbaye de Villers
www.villers.be
Definitely
an average triple style beer. Please remember that an average beer in Belgium
may have a higher quality than an average beer in any other country. But this
one is an average of the style – medium sweet, medium bitterness, medium aroma.
Mediocre to the bone. It won’t hurt you, but there is no major pleasure to get
one.
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La Gertrude Ambrée
Style: Amber ale
Brewed: Bruno Vandendriessche and Emanuele Corazzini
www.gertrudebeer.be (?)
Based
on the taste of that beer, St. Gertrude must have been a person that I wouldn’t
like – mostly tasting of metal and oxidation and very small hints of
caramel. Really, not my favorite one. Bad balanced. Had to throw it
to the sink.
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