Festival des Bieres Artisanales
17
September 2017, Nivelles, Belgium
The festival is being held for a second year in a row. You can
find my last year report here.
https://beerlander.blogspot.com/2016/09/festival-des-bieres-artisanales-17.html
https://beerlander.blogspot.com/2016/09/festival-des-bieres-artisanales-17.html
About Nivelles:
Nivelles is 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. Per the Wikipedia the first settlers
started to work here around 4000 bc. Then it suffered from Roman and German
invasions.
The important part of Nivelles history 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 carillon here).
As the festival in Nivelles is concentrated on a regional food and
drinks, also the brewers come from the area. Observing them is very interesting
– half of the day gives you an excellent opportunity to overview Belgian craft
beer scene.
1.
Belgians love blonde beer. Majority of the beer on the festival
was blonde. Moreover, I have spotted a few new brewers (new for me) that have
offered just blonde beer (see the photos below). If you are surprised why there
no reviews of the blonde beers in this post – blonde is the second most boring
beer style existing (IMHO) and even after two years of living in Belgium, I am
not able to separate good blonde from bad. They are just all boring.
2.
Here beer is the solution... This was the first time I have seen a
social project to be supported by selling its own beer. Somehow beer in my mind
is still connected with causing social problems rather than resolving them. In Belgium,
it is different, Beer is a part of a culture and nobody here would think that
it could be bad for a society to drink beer. Btw. I have tried a framboise and
it was great fruity, not worse from any framboise of famous brand that I could
get in the supermarket. This is the way of support I admire.
3.
Belgians can’t brew… IPA. OK..ok… this clearly is generalization
as there are already a few good Belgian IPAs. Still, the clear majority of the
local IPA-beers should be put in a box called experiments that failed. This one
is no different. Funny earthy aroma, very strange aftertaste, no bitterness. (Hoppy Redskin, Red IPA, Brasserie Hoppy, http://www.brasseriehoppy.be).
4.
The number does not always mean
quality. Belgians are considered beer nation. They produce thousands of beers
and there are approx. 200 breweries in this small country. If you ask an
average Belgian about their beer they think that it is the best thing in the
world (maybe after Belgian chocolate).
Let's just say this is very simplistic
view. Here some examples.
From the left – two beers of a
Brasserie du Renard (www.brasseriedurenards.be).
The one on the left – La Roublarde is brewerd with the use of 4 malts and 5
aromatic hops. La Roublarde is very low in aroma of hops, smelling mostly of
malt and dried fruits. Taste is clearly malty and sweetish, full body and
creamy texture with a metallic aftertaste. Not the first time where adding too
much does not result in anything special.
The one in the middle is La Rousse de
Poire from the same brewery. This one is supposed to be a fruit beer with an
addition of pears. Phew. 3 People in my group have tried and couldn’t smell or
taste pears here. Malt, yeast, heavy carbonation. Yes. Pears. Not.
Bisous M’Chou – called a social drink
since 2015. I was wondering why would you consider this a social drink and I
know it. When people socialize, it is better to avoid controversies. What is the
least controversial taste, where it really is hard to quarrel? it is WATER.
Well, Bisous is a perfect replacement (www.bisousmchou.com).
5.
Every time I try to be negative there
are some beers that are really striking and I must shut up and enjoy. These are
few surprises of the festival. Even more because two of them are beers with
addition of fruits, that usually will not get my attention.
Monkita
Who would imagine that the brewery
that gave us the Bisous M’chou described above would be able to brew such a
kick ass banana beer. There is no sarcasm, it is like eating a banana, not an
artificial powder like many banana-taste things on the market. This is amazing,
real fruit experience. Minions would love it!
---
Pampelmousse
Bertinchamps (http://www.bertinchamps.be/) has
delivered another blast. One of the best grapefruit beers I have ever had and a
great idea of refreshing the traditional blonde beer. When adding a serious number
of grapefruit to a flat blonde, you obtain a sort of grapefruit based
refreshing drink. Almost a soft drink not a beer. Hint of ginger and a soda
feeling. Overall very nice and fresh. I like the idea and the product. The only
worry I have is the timing – this is clearly a summer beer (and only summer),
releasing it so late could kill it.
---
La Robuste Ambree
&
La Redoutable
Sorry this time just a photo of the
stand. Ambree and Triple Brune from the brewery Elfique (www.elfique.be). Whereas the Ambree was quite
OK, with its moderate sweet-bitter taste, caramel and fruity aromas it was
clearly above the average. What I loved was triple brune. Really heavy, liquor,
sweetness. Aroma of malt and some hops. Could as well be a Belgian answer to English
barley wine. Very good beer.
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Belgo Sapiens Triple
Last, but no least the beer of the
festival (at least for me). Belgo sapiens (www.belgosapiens.be) has delivered
an amazing Triple. Smooth, nonalcoholic, but well hopped and aromatic. This is
the best Triple beer I have had this year and probably the best Belgian Triple.
Why, because it is perfect combination of traditional smooth triple and a
modern hoppy beer. What is important – it is not American Triple, a triple
simply loaded with tons of Citra or Mosaic, the bitterness is subtle, but
clear, it does not change the character of Triple style but just adds a new
facet. It just knocked me off my socks. Brilliant.
They should be selling that in 2 weeks
and I will be standing at the door of the brewery waiting for the sale start.
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Last but not least - two extra hoppy (and happy beers)
