Brussels Artisanal Beer Festival, December 9

My experiences with the Capitol of Belgium and beer festivals are rather bad. Belgian Beer Weekend is one of the worst beer events I have ever seen. It is targeted to tourists and people that want to get wasted. Therefore, I wasn’t sure whether another beer festival in Brussels could save this city’s reputation.

Artisanal (Craft) Beer Festival sounded very attractive though. So, I have decided to see what is all about. This time I got some male support (thanks João for joining) and we made our steps to the place close to the Brussels Central Station. No, not to the Grand Place, in the other direction. In fact, I have never been there before. The festival part was carried on the small square and the street next to it was closed for the traffic. Nice. The event was carried in the spacy, army-like tents standing on a Place de la Liberte. Entry price OK. Fresh air priceless. Atmosphere outside great. Outside smokers – shame on you.

Two points that are interesting. As you could have realized, its winter. The wear was great. Not even a single drop of rain and warm outside. Well, it does not change the fact that it is getting dark after 5. When we got there, it was still greyish. An hour later there was pitch black, especially under tents. If you think that the organizers have turned on the light you are wrong. As one of them stated – well, we didn’t think we may need lights. Congratulations.

On the other hand, they have put multiple candles, therefore we could still get a beer without losing our eyes or teeth.

Second point – I have found this event on Facebook, and didn’t know what to expect. After seeing the beer collection and getting some additional information booklets I realize that the whole event was to promote Belgian Beer Box (https://belgibeer.com/en/offer-gift-belgian-beer-box). Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind. I would really appreciate if all promotion events are so natural, friendly and contain beer.

And there we go – the beer…

The Politician

Hof ten Dormaal (Belgium), Belgian Strong Ale

It is not my first contact with this brewery, and every time they tend to surprise me. Their beers are rather experimental than excellent, but always interesting to try. This time the surprise was that a Belgian brewery knows how to produce bitter beer. OK, not an IPA class, still on top of typical Belgian yeast and malt notes there is a clear hoppy finish. What may sound funny for majority of ale-lovers is a major achievement for Belgium. Thumbs up for that one.

Cerezas y Chocolate

Hof ten Dormaal (Belgium), Dark, sour chocolate beer

The brewer told us that the chocolate was added to the beer just for the time of souring – max two days. The effect is a nice sour beer, in fact even very nice with some slight notes of dark chocolate. Clearly some chocolate in, but if you expect the level of chocolate stouts you will be disappointed. Otherwise very interesting sour ale.

Charbon

De Dochter van der Korenaar (Belgium), Stout

Another Belgian brewery that should be interesting for a broader publicity. Their IPA is one of the best Belgian IPAs (which does not mean a lot), but also on my private best of list (means much more for the IPA). Charcoal is very solid and proper stout, black like a coal, clear aromas of coffee and some chocolate, some smoked stuff as well. Very prototypic, classical stout. Very valuable, especially in a country that does not yet realized how to make good stouts.

Black Mamba

Brasserie Sainte Hélène (Belgium), Stout

Another interesting stout in the festival. This time is a bit too carbonated for my taste. But to balance that, it is hopped with Citra and Simcoe. Could have been better but citrus and grass aromas from hops save the day. Nice one.

Single Green Hop

De Plukker (Belgium), Belgian Ale

When describing this beer, I have told to my colleague that usually breweries will buy fresh hops directly from the field to do “fresh hop beer”. The brewer corrected me – the apparently have a hop field and will brew on top. This or that way the effects are quite decent. Nice citrus aroma, well balanced with malt. Some bitterness. Not bad.

Barbe d'Or

Brasserie Verhaeghe (Belgium), Belgian Strong Ale

Very average case of the Belgian strong ale. Malt rules the taste and the aroma. Some biscuits in the taste. Rather sweet moderately carbonated. Unspectacular.

Bitter XX

De Ranke (Belgium), Bitter

Belgian beer that is supposed to have over 60 IBU. Wow. Must be good. And in fact, is not bad at all. Decently bitter, well balanced with malt and yeasty. Some bread and honey. Since this beer is quite easy to get in many shops, I strongly suggest to buy one and try.

Winter Beer Festival - Namur Capitale de la Biere... d'Hivier

There is nothing better to warm up the winter than a solid portion of good beer.

To our surprise, winter have visited Belgium. We also have snow (not a lot, but enough to make a snowman). This simply asks for a Winter Beer Festival.

Floreffe - small, historic city close to Namur. Build around the original monastery (grounded around the year 1100) is hosting the Winter Beer Festival organized by Namur – The Capitol of Beer (whatever this is). I admit that the first look on the monastery is very impressive. Especially in the night, with all the lights it looks amazing. Enjoy the view before we continue with the festival part.

The first impression of the interior is very nice.

Sadly, the event itself is held in school gym. Very old one. On one hand, it is still nice, because it’s a part of the monastery adopted to be a gym, but on the other the best years of the gym are behind. If you combine it with the tables and chairs that remember 1st World War and some ping pong tables standing around, you get the feeling of a certain guerilla of the event. It is not bad, just very specific.

Major points of criticism – there were two spots that sell the beer, even if each of them was served by up to 3 people it is clearly not enough. We have arrived very early in the day therefore, the beginning was very smooth, but after 2 hours there I had to wait more than 15 minutes to get a beer. Much too long.

Another small point is the presence of the food stand in one of the corners of the gym. Yes, it is necessary, but plan for the working ventilation system. On Friday, around 8 pm half of the room was already filled with smoke from the food stand. I doubt that you can enjoy any beer aroma when everything smells like grilled sausage. In fact, I had to leave the room with every single beer…

On a good side the organizer have provided a very interesting collection of the beers for the event. Getting Belgian, Italian, French, UK and Denmark beers under one roof is worth noticing. Very well done guys. After a short moment of appreciation I was getting the first beers and then I have spotted the two list the organizers have provided.

The first one on the small block of paper was perfect for making notes on what the beer you had and contained just the name of the beer and the brewery. Very useful thing.

The other list that kept my interest for longer was containing the name of the beer, the brewery, style of the beer and a short description.

Wait! Rewind. Style of the beer? Why is Santa Gose called blonde? Call it gose, grodziskie of lichtenheiner. But it is not blonde. And Looking on the list I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I have marked some obvious mistakes on the list. Then I have realized that the organizers know only three types of beers – blond, amber and black. Congratulations guys. Very impressive knowledge for a people calling themselves beer nation…

Two possibilities have crossed my mind – either we encounter a typically Belgian arrogance and inability to believe that there are other beer styles that the ones brewed in Belgium; or the organizers wanted to make it easy for them and have just used an appropriate color of the beer to make it easy for the people to choose. Just to make it clear – the second one is no excuse - how can you put a goose, an IPA and a saison together as blonde. People buying them will be misinformed (yes, even if there is a description after). Either way. Shame.

To finish the complaining – after a festival I still wonder, why would you serve the beer almost frozen? Seriously. All bottled beers were served at 4 degree Celcius (No I haven’t seen the number, but it is my best guess, it could have been 5 or 6). Majority of winter beers I know are quite heavy aromatic things, sometimes with a lot of spices. Serving temperature up to 12 degree if you want to enjoy the complexity. Selling them almost frozen is a kind of crime. Major.

Now enough complains, let’s go to the beer, because it was the strongest point of the festival.

Snowball

To Øl (Denmark), saison

Nice hops, fruity flowery aroma. White color, unfiltered, medium body smooth creamy, soft carbonation. I probably wouldn´t consider this as a winter beer, but it gave me a nice summer feeling. Very pleasant in drinking. Will get some bottles for stock. That was a great start of the fest.

Père Noël

De Ranke (Belgium), Belgian Ale/Ambree

Dark amber color, bit hazy beer. A very typical example of what is “in” in Belgium. Smells mostly of yeasts. Some orange in flavor. Maybe some honey aroma if you look carefully.  Quite bitter at the end, what is worth noticing. Overall rather muddy than refreshing. Decent but not particularly great. 

Hoppy Christmas

Brewdog (UK), IPA

Yet another hoppy beer. And I love it. IPA with medium body. Clear hoppy aromas of citrus and flowers. Surprisingly, it was pretty pale. Decent bitterness and very aromatic in taste. Very decent beer for a broader publicity. Wouldn’t win any competition, but is a secure choice if you ever stumble upon it.

Diôle Bière de Nöel (Diôle Brune) 

Brasserie de Carrieres (Belgium), Belgian Ale/Brune

Fruity sour beer with a clear note of black currant in aroma and taste. Some notes of mild spices. Very surprising, but not bad after all. If you can go over the firs sip is certainly worth continuing drinking. It a bit similar to goose, but only a bit. Positively weird. 

Jonna*

Birra Donjon (Italy), Ambree

Yeast and malt. Heavy yeasty. In fact, for me it stinks, with some efforts there is a light peachy aroma. Heavy carbonation. Overall very average beer. Very average.

*this beer was called Jonna Christmas on the official beer list, but, according to a brewery they only have a beer called Jonna…

La Mère Noël 

Brouwerij Huyghe (Belgium), Belgian Strong Ale

Heavily carbonated, no aroma, flat. Very poor case of Belgian beer. Mostly yeast, but generally flat. When warmed up, mostly alcohol. Waste of time.

Editions de Noël

Brasserie du Pays Noir (Belgium), Belgian Strong Ale

Nonfiltered, very smooth on the tongue. I bet on banana aromas coming from yeast. Rather sweet. Very pleasant in drinking. Quite interesting.

Dunham Saison Rustique 

Brasserie Dunham (Canada), Saison

Pale yellow with fine white head. Light warm aroma of lemon and sauerkraut. Yes, sauerkraut; And a bit salty like drinking sea water. No jokes, seriously. But taken together it is not bad. Its great and refreshing. Unusual, but in a positive way.

Winter Mess 

De la Senne (Belgium), Winter Ale

Malty aroma with dried plums and honey, brown bread, toffee, and a light spiciness. As the beer warms up there is some additional light fruity yeastiness as well as hints of warming alcohol. followed again by dried fruits, refreshing bitterness, and slight warming alcohol. Heavy spicy, great winter beer. Best winter beer here.

Santa Gose F&#%-It All

To Øl (Denmark), Grodziskie/Gose/Lichtenhainer

Unusual interpretation of the gose style. Smells and tastes more like diluted lemon juice than a  a gose. Body is light with tingly carbonation dispersible vitamin C tablet. I liked it to start but got quickly tired with the one-sided taste.

Santa Paws (Baby Dogma?)

Brewdog (UK), Brown Ale

Medium sized beige colored head. Aroma of sweet malt, toffee, and spices. Medium body and carbonation. sweet malty finish. Would be simple but it’s also a little thin.

THE END

La brasserie artisanale de Nice - Calena

Calena (edition 2016)

chocolate milk stout

Honestly, I was eagerly waiting to try this one. When I have received a bottle of this beer from Oliver at the end of November, it was still not ready to go. At least 3 weeks. I have patiently waited 5. And here we go.

For the introduction - Calena (edition 2016) is a chocolate milk stout made by the only craft brewery in Nice. Because of the non-beer area, the owner and master brewer of the company produces beers that are more acceptable for the masses. In fact, Calena perfectly fits in this picture.

After opening there is delicate aroma of dark chocolate. A plus for the chocolate part of the stout. When drinking, there is a clear, delicate caramel and chocolate coming out in the flavor. Not too heavy, but pleasant. The overall feeling for people used to Imperial Stouts could be a little disappointing in the beginning, because Calena has rather low to medium body and is a bit watery. But it does not mean it is not a good stout.

Let’s not be picky, it’s a beer made for people who normally drink light lager style. If you give them RIS – they will just pour it to the sink. I can easily understand that Calena contains as much stout in stout as it is possible in the hard situation Oliver is. Therefore, very positive beer. Well done again.

Meantime Winter Sun

  Winter Sun

Brewed by: Meantime, London, UK
Style: Oktoberfest beer

December in London – cold, no snow. Sunday evening was dry and I had a chance to take a nice, long walk along the Thames. As usually before Christmas, these types of excursions end up in the Christmas market. And with the winter beer.

Having a lot of choice – I have decided to go for the Meantime Winter Sun. Meantime is one of my favorite breweries from UK and I thought that I am doing the great choice here. The last thing I was expecting was a watery interpretation of an Oktoberfest-style beer. Some slight notes of caramel, maybe pine. Hops almost not there. How poor. Not a winter beer and the sun did not shine on me.

Holly crap Meantime. You screwed this time.

Please enjoy the pictures of X-mas London for compensation.

Happy New 2017 Year

Dear Readers

Happy New Year!

I wish you (and me) that you always have a problem of choice when it comes to what beer to drink. I also have special wishes to my readers from various countries:

• -     For all the readers from countries, that haven’t discovered the beer (r)-evolution yet – I wish you that the new wave reaches your country;
• -     For readers from Germany – I wish you a sudden death of the German Beer Law, it’s the main thing that binds the hands and imaginations of your brewers;
• -       For Belgians – I wish you that the new year brings the realization that the beer styles does not end with triple, double, and blonde (to simplify). There is a world to discover, and please realize that Belgian IPA is evil;
• -    For all the readers from Poland, USA and Holland – I wish you that the amount of accessible beer starts to be reasonable (number of new beers in Poland debuting in 2016 was around 300), so that you can try all that are interesting.

And for all of us – I wish you a healthy liver and well developed taste buds.

Don’t overdo it!