Belgian beer and travel

Gunther Bensch...anyone stateside looking for a Belgian brewer? Plus Girardin and Bienvenue a Montaigu

2009-07-11T09:04:00.004-04:00

Gunther Bensch, 32, knows a thing or two about lambic beers. He represents the lambic brewery, Girardin, at several Belgian beer festivals throughout the year. The Girardin Oude Gueuze 1882 is one of the great lambic beers of Belgium. “My mother used to give me a table beer from Brouwerij Haacht, instead of cola, when I was very young” Gunther told me, as we talked after our tour of Girardin in April 2009. “She said beer was healthier than a sweet cola” he continued. Table beer is typically about 1 to 2 percent alcohol by volume; a good training wheels beer.
“Later, I drank Horse ale when I was about 14, and then someone shared a bottle of the Girardin with me when I was 16. By then, I knew I really liked beer. I worked at an Interbrew plant for three summers, beginning when I was 16. I became a disc jockey when I was around 20, and spent a few years doing that. When I was 26, I enrolled in brewing courses at CLT in Ghent. I also joined beer appreciation clubs and started homebrewing. Then in 2004, I first visited Girardin. I really like lambic beers” Gunther said, smiling. “In 2006, I created the world’s first Tripel Gueuze. It was a blend of Girardin White Label Gueuze, and Dilewyn’s Vicaris Tripel, which is brewed at De Proefbrouwerij. Nowadays, my beer is Bienvenue a Montaigu, which I have brewed to my recipe at ‘t Hofbrouwerijke in Beerzel. It has 7.5% abv, and uses some wheat in its recipe. So, it has more body than a normal Tripel, yet is a little lighter in alcohol. You can have two of these in an evening.”
Gunther’s future plans? “I really like the USA. I would like to get a job as a brewer somewhere there, and stay and build a life.” Anybody need a Belgian brewer? Shoot me an e-mail. Seriously.

Beer Connoisseur goes live...with the Belgian Beer blogger

2009-06-29T18:56:00.003-04:00

Well, good news for Belgian beer lovers.

The Beer Connoisseur website is now live at:

http://www.beerconnoisseur.com/

This is a new website, where I will be blogging weekly about Belgian beer.

Beer Connoisseur plans to go live as a magazine late this year.
It will be quarterly.

Look for lots of articles about Belgian breweries, cafes, beers, and
beer-related things!!

My introductory article is at

http://www.beerconnoisseur.com/Discover_Belgium

I hope you enjoy!

Cheers,

Chuck

Photos in the "Good Beer Guide to Belgium"

2009-06-13T10:33:00.005-04:00

Brother Antoine at brewkettle one, Brasserie Trappistes Rochefort.
This image is on page 96 of the new Good Beer Guide to Belgium.
Without the watermarks, of course!

The newest edition of Tim Webb's "Good Beer Guide to Belgium" was just published about 10 days ago, and copies are available at http://www.babblebelt.com/articles/webbnew.html.

This completely revamped sixth edition is probably the best yet. It is very professionally produced, with slick, glossy pages and loads of new content.

It is also very well illustrated, with many superb photos. 25 of the images in the Guide are mine, including several from the Trappist breweries. There are also photos I took at various cafes, beer fests, and other breweries.

I can't recommend this highly enough: if you like Belgian beer, get a copy!

Cheers,

Chuck Cook

Brother Benedict, the brewer at Westvleteren/De Sint-Sixtusabdij
van Westvleteren, at brewkettle one.
This photo is on page 164 of the new Guide.

"Breweries and Cafes of Kortrijk" article in June/July 2009 Celebrator Beer News

2009-06-07T04:03:00.005-04:00

The brewmaster of Bockor in Bellegem, pulling a sample of lambic right from one of their foeders (huge oak barrels.)

I have an article about the breweries and cafes in the vicinity of Kortrijk, West Flanders, in the June/July issue of Celebrator Beer News.
The article, which runs about 1,350 words, covers cafes like Staminee Den Boulevard, Eirekedeirie, and others in the city, as well as the great Rusteel in Gullegem. I also wrote about the breweries in the region, such as 't Brouwkot, Bockor, Gaverhopke and more.
Kortrijk is an under-appreciated city and corner of West Flanders, that deserves more attention for its beery riches.

Toer de Geuze article in June/July Celebrator Beer News

2009-06-01T07:00:00.003-04:00

The new Celebrator arrived on Friday, and I have two Belgian beer articles in this issue.

One is about the Toer de Geuze, held April 26 in the Payottenland. What a great Sunday it was, visiting the lambic breweries!

Well, back to work. I have many more deadlines to meet this month.....

Cheers,

Chuck

Busy, busy, busy....

2009-05-25T20:31:00.002-04:00

Well, two weeks without a post. As you might guess, I have been incredibly swamped lately.
I am writing a number of Belgian beer and brewery reviews for a new book due out later this year. I've written over 6,000 words in the past two weeks, and have about 3,500 more due within a few weeks.
I also am working on a big 2,500 word feature article on Brouwerij Girardin.
I'll be at SAVOR in D.C. this weekend, so I'll be writing during the week.
I also have another 3,000 word feature due for a new magazine by mid-June.
My Belgian beer blog at Beer Connoisseur on-line should go live in a couple of weeks.
Did I mention I was busy? Phew.
One of the beers I am writing about for the book is Moinette Blonde. The photo with this post is Dirk Van Dyck in the cellar of the Bodega cafe, with a Moinette from the 1970's.

Cheers,

Chuck

An aged Trappist beer tasting at Cafe Goede Vrijdag (Good Friday)

2009-05-10T18:55:00.021-04:00

The group at the aged Trappist beer tasting

Trappist beer lover, photographer and reporter Danny Van Tricht, standing

When my good friend Danny Van Tricht told me he had procured several crates of aged Trappist brews a couple of months ago, I was understandably excited. I knew I'd have the chance to taste a few during my trip to "Het Bierland" in April.
Then, fate intervened: a big tasting that Danny had planned for mid-March at Cafe Goede Vrijdag (Good Friday) in Herselt, Antwerp Province, had to be postponed.
The rescheduled date? Why, Friday, the 24th of April, Danny informed me. GAME ON!
I have had the pleasure to taste quite a few aged Trappist beers over the years at places like Bierhuis Kulminator in Antwerp, as well as various other cafes. I've also savored such brews at Danny's home, as well as with beer lovers such as Joris Pattyn, the well-known beer researcher and co-author of "100 Belgian Beers to try Before You Die."
But I've never had the chance to taste so many at one time and one place. Danny, who authors several Belgian beer blogs, such as Trappistbier Beleven, and is a reporter and photographer for Reisreporter really put on a show for the tasting.
He created tasting sheets for each beer, and also reserved the upstairs room of Goede Vrijdag. There was plenty of bread and water as palate cleansers between beers.
In attendance was brewer Jef Goetelen of 't Hofbrouwerijke, whose beers are available now in the USA via Shelton Brothers. See: thofbrouwerijke.be. There were also several beer lovers from the area, including Hans Bombeke, former owner of 't Waagstuk in Antwerp, and now a teacher at a local college. What does Hans teach, you ask? Beer appreciation, of course! I hear his classes are full....Hans also is a member of the local Zythos-affliated beer appreciation club, Antwerps Bier College (ABC)

Hans Bombeke studying an aged Trappist brew

Jef Goetelen, brewer/owner, 't Hofbrouwerijke

The beers on hand for the tasting included Petit Orval and Orval from 1983, which Danny started with; both had aged nicely, and there was still noticeable brett character in both brews. We then moved on to Westmalle Dubbel, circa 1980. One of the 33 cl bottles was spot on, with noticeable chocolate in the taste and little oxidation. Another bottle, which appeared to be from the same batch, was very port/sherry like and more oxidized. Several bottles of Westmalle Tripel from the same era were similarly very sherry like and fairly oxidized. Of course, Westmalle never intended for its Tripel to be aged.

Danny then broke out 75 cl bottles of Chimay Grand Reserve from the late 1980's and the mid-90's, which had aged very well. Next up was Westvleteren Abt, produced before the name was changed to Westvleteren 12. This one, dating to the late 80's, was perhaps the best of the day. It had aged beautifully, with low oxidation and a great depth of malty character. Somewhere in the mix, Danny threw in a 1989 St. Sixtus Pater, which was brewed at St. Bernardus when they had a contract to brew the Westvleteren beers for commercial sale. It had aged well also, though not as well as the Abt.

The next flight was "newer" Westvleteren 8 and 12, from a few years ago. Served with the older Abt, it gave quite an insight on how these beers have changed over time.
The last Trappist beer was also the newest: La Trappe Quadrupel, aged in French oak casks for nine months. "I have been experimenting with aging in French oak for a while now" brewer Lodewijk Swinkels had told us, just a few hours earlier, as we savored his brews on a nice sunny day. The venue was outside seating at the new tasting cafe at La Trappe. The Quad was our lunchtime dessert beer, after a meal of Trappist-raised beef and croquettes, served with La Trappe Blond and Dubbel. Yum!
After the aged Trappist tasting was over, everyone enjoyed rounds of fresh Orval (Cafe Goede Vrijdag is an Orval Ambassador) as well as Jef's Hoftrol, a fine brew of 6.2% abv, with a distinct brett character. Jef must be an Orval fan.....

Cafe Goede Vrijdag carries beers from all seven Trappist Abbey breweries. There are also beers form local breweries Achilles, Den Hopperd and of course 't Hofbrouwerijke. There are others as well, on a menu with 60 brews. See goedevrijdag.com.

Danny Van Tricht with the French oak aged La Trappe Quadrupel

New photos on-line from recent Trappist brewery visits

2009-05-04T20:48:00.009-04:00

The brewhouse at Westmalle

Beer conditioning at Westmalle

Brewmaster Lodewijk Swinkels pouring the French-oak aged La Trappe Quadrupel.

Lodewijk Swinkels, brewmaster of La Trappe, with some of his French oak barrels.

Trappist-raised beef with croquettes at the La Trappe.

I visited Achel and Koningshoeven (La Trappe) for the third time each on my recent trip, and also went to Westmalle for a fourth visit.

Both La Trappe and Westmalle have new tasting cafes, which are very modern and stylish. The old ones were torn down.

I also savored a chalice each of Achel Blond 5 and Bruin 5 on Thursday the 23rd, sitting outside on a nice sunny day. Was this really Belgium?? These brews, available only on tap at the Abbey tasting cafe, paired well with some snacks from the Abbey, such as sausages.

I had much bigger meals at Koningshoeven and Westmalle, as they have full kitchens at each.

Trappist-grown beef and croquettes at La Trappe on a sunny spring day really hit the spot, with Blond and Dubbel paired with the meal.

When brewmaster Lodewijk Swinkels suggested we taste his La Trappe Quadrupel, aged in French oak casks for 9 months....well things got even better. Great beer, and not overdone with oak.

Stoofvlees cooked in Westmalle Dubbel was a fine meal at the Cafe Trappisten at Westmalle.

Look for more on these visits in the future.

inside the tasting cafe at Achel.

Cheese made with Achel beer.

Belgium, trip 19: the last day, plus highlights of the trip

2009-04-30T15:53:00.008-04:00

I visited the Westmalle Trappist brewery for the fourth time on Tuesday the 28th, then had a fine meal at the new Cafe Trappisten.
Later I visited the Domus Huisbrouwerij in Leuven, and tasted the new honey beer created by Mark Knops. Mark is a busy man, as he also brews for Achel, De Haalve Maan, Malheur and other breweries. I enjoyed the new Domus brew, as the honey was not overdone. It's an enjoyable beer of 6.5% abv.

Many thanks to Gunther Bensch (who created the first Tripel Gueuze beer, Vicardin) for being "Bob" for a couple of days. Look for more info about Gunther and another new beer in future posts.

There were many great highlights of the trip, but I have to say that my several hour visit at Brouwerij Girardin was probably the top. Heidi and Paul Girardin were wonderful hosts, and it was a day I won't soon forget. Seeing the beautiful copper brewkettles, copper koelschip, mash tun and wooden casks where the superb Girardin beers, such as the Jonge and Oude Lambik and Gueuze Girardin 1882 are created, was fantastic. The whole brewery is a shrine to lambic beer, and another of Belgium's national treasures.
Due to their extreme rarity, photos from inside the brewery will only appear in my printed articles. None will be shown on the Internet.
A similarly long visit at De Proefbrouwerij, with Dirk Naudts as host, was also very memorable. It's amazing how many great beers De Proef makes, in so many different styles.
The brewery is very high-tech and very clean as well. More on De Proef in the future, such as about a certain collaboration beer with a highly-regarded midwestern brewery. Yum.

Cheers,

Chuck

Trip 19 report...almost over

2009-04-27T20:19:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy trip so far, with 15 brewery visits since Thursday.

I had first visits at Ter Dolen, De Sheldebrouwerij, De Dochter van de Korenaar, Jandrain-Jandranouille, De Vlier, Girardin, De Troch, Lindemans and De Proefbrouwerij.

Second visits at De Cam, Boon, Hanssens, and Timmermans...

third visits at Achel and La Trappe..

two more breweries tomorrow.

home soon....photos to follow.

Cheers,

Chuck

Off to Belgium, trip number 19

2009-04-21T10:52:00.003-04:00

Well, sorry about the lack of posts lately. I've been very swamped getting ready for my 19th trip to Belgium, starting tomorrow. I'll re-visit two Trappist breweries (can you guess which one of them is??) attend the Vilvordia beer fest in Jette this coming Saturday, as well as the Toer de Geuze on Sunday. There also a little aged Trappist beer tasting on Friday.

I'll also visit 6 to 8 more breweries I have never been to before, and get back to the Kulminator in Antwerp.

The weather forecast claims clear weather through Saturday, but as it's Belgium, you never know.

More good news is on the horizon: it looks like I will be writing for 2 or 3 more beer magazines this year. More on that when I return....

Gezondheid and Sante,

Chuck Cook

Oud Beersel article in Celebrator Beer News

2009-04-08T17:40:00.006-04:00

I have a 1,100 word article on the Oud Beersel lambic blendery
in the April/May issue of Celebrator Beer News.

I visited Oud Beersel last November 21st, with my friend
Danny Van Tricht. It was a cold day, but the Oud Beersel
brews soon warmed us!

Gert Christiaens and his father, Jos, took over the historic site a
few years ago. They purchased Oud Beersel from Henri Vandervelden.

Bureaucrats from the European Union forced Vandervelden to close
the brewery in 2002, due to new food and hygiene regulations that
are considered to be a vast waste of time and energy by brewers and
beer lovers in Belgium.

Seems that bureaucrats are the same all over, eh?

I hope that everyone enjoys the article! Hopefully Celebrator
will put the entire article on its website at some point.

Celebrator Beer News can be found at places like Max's on Broadway
in Baltimore, RFD and the Brickskeller in D.C., Monk's Cafe and
Nodding Head in Philadelphia, Sly Fox in the Philly area, and
Mug's Alehouse in Brooklyn, among other places on the East coast.

On the West coast, Celebrator is widely available at better beer bars,
brewpubs and beer stores. See www.celebrator.com.

Photo: Father Jos and son Gert, inside a room filled with old
brewing tools and equipment

Photo: inside the barrel room at Oud Beersel. The lambic beer is HERE!

HORAL's Oude Geuze Mega Blend: a first look

2009-04-02T08:15:00.015-04:00

Photo: Yves Panneels

Here is a first look at HORAL's Oude Geuze Mega Blend. This beer
is a blend of young and old lambics from eight of the nine lambic
producers participating in the Toer de Geuze on Sunday April 26.
These are Boon, De Cam, De Troch, 3 Fonteinen, Hanssens,
Lindemans, Oud Beersel and Timmermans.

Brouwerij Mort Subite is open for Toer de Geuze, but did not give
any lambic for use with this special brew.

Yves Panneels, of the great lambic cafe In de Verzekering tegen de
Grote Dorst, in the village of Eizeringen, had this to say today
about the Mega Blend:

"The MegaBlend is a very promising gueuze. It evolves very
nicely in the bottle. When we tasted it at the last HORAL
meeting, all the brewers agreed that it is an excellent gueuze,
one that people will enjoy even more in a few years' time.
The bottles will all have the same front label, but the back label
will be different for each brewery because of tax reasons. All the
bottles will be numbered. This gueuze will undoubtedly become a
collector's item."

Oude Geuze Mega Blend can be tasted only at the participating
breweries and blenderies, as well as two of Belgium's great beer
cafes: the superb beer cuisine restaurant De Heeren van Liedekercke
in Denderleeuw, and In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst.

Belgian sour ales article in Beer Northwest magazine

2009-03-28T19:32:00.007-04:00

The Spring 2009 issue of Beer Northwest, a quarterly publication
based in Portland, Oregon, arrived in the mail yesterday.

This is my first article for Beer Northwest and Editor/Publisher
Megan Flynn, and I'm happy to say that it turned out well. The title is
"Belgium's 'Extreme' Beers."

I cover Belgium's lambic brews, as well as the Flemish Oud Bruin style.

There is also an interesting article about Farmhouse ales and the new
Upright Brewing Co. in Portland, Oregon.

Copies can be ordered here.

Beer Northwest can also be found at select beer bars, brewpubs and
beer stores in Oregon and Washington state.

Brouwerij Timmermans introduces Oude Gueuze

2009-03-24T20:01:00.014-04:00

I'm happy to say that the world of traditional lambic beers has a
welcome addition.

Dimitri Demol, Key Account Manager for Export for John Martin Group
in Belgium, which owns Brouwerij Timmermans of Itterbeek, told me
today that Timmermans will soon release an Oude Gueuze for sale
to the public in Belgium as well as other countries.

It's possible the Oude Gueuze may make it stateside at the end of
this year, though a decision has not been made yet.

I tasted the Oude Gueuze at the brewery in November and was very
impressed, as were friends who joined me for a lambic beer tasting
on the winter solstice, where I treated them to one of the first
bottles opened on American shores.

Several Timmermans beers, including Kriek, Framboise, Strawberry,
and Bourgogne Des Flandres will be imported to the U.S. by Belukus
Imports of Austin, Texas. The planned release date is sometime
before summer begins.

I hope the Oude Gueuze will be imported to the U.S.

Photo: Dimitri Demol pouring the Oude Gueuze in the tasting room at Timmermans.

Tour de Geuze bus routes/schedules announced on HORAL website

2009-03-20T08:34:00.011-04:00

HORAL has uploaded the routes and bus schedules for the Toer de Geuze (Tour de Geuze) on its website as of today.

There will be eight buses running on various routes. Each bus goes to five of the nine lambic blenderies and breweries that are open to the public from 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday April 26. If you want to ride one of the HORAL buses, you have to choose which one and make a reservation. The fee of 12.90 euros can be paid via Paypal (or bank transfer, though I think this might only work for Europeans.)

The lambic producers that are open to the public April 26 are Boon, De Cam, Drie Fonteinen, Hanssens, Lindemans, Mort Subite, Oud Beersel, Timmermans and De Troch.

Note also that the superb lambic cafe, In de Verzekering Tegen de Grote Dorst, will be open all day and into the evening on April 26, due to the Tour de Geuze.

See: Dorst's website

Brugs Bier fest article in Celebrator Beer News

2009-03-02T12:29:00.006-05:00

Photo: Gunther Bensch at the Brouwerij Girardin booth

I have an article on the 2nd edition of the Brugs Bier fest in the February/March issue of Celebrator Beer News.

I attended the fest, held in historic Brugge (Bruges) on November 15-16 of last year. The event was located in the Inner Court of the Belfry.

You can read the article here:

Brugs Beer Fest

The 3rd Brugs Bier fest will be November 14-15, 2009.

See: Brugs Bier fest website

Max's Taphouse: the Fifth Annual Belgian beer fest is best one yet

2009-02-19T12:01:00.005-05:00

Photo: the draft menu for Friday the 13th. The menu was updated each day of the event, as kegs blew and new ones were put on draft.

Max's Taphouse in Fell's Point, Baltimore, once again held a fabulous festival of Belgian beers on President's Day weekend. General Manager and main fest organizer Casey Hard told me that 126 different beers were offered on draft over the three days (Friday February 13 to Sunday February 15th.)

"Over 300 kegs of beer were served over the weekend, and over 100 cases of bottled beer were also consumed by fest attendees" Casey told me.

He continued: "This was the biggest and best one yet, and we promise next year's will be even better!"

I have been on quite a sour beer kick since last spring, and enjoyed many samples of Cantillon Fou' Foune, Iris, and Grand Cru Bruocsella over the weekend.

Three very special treats from Geuzestekerij Hannsens of Dworp were big hits. The Jonge Lambiek (Young Lambic) and Oude Kriek (Old Kriek) on cask were superb, as was the new Experimental Cassis in 375 ml bottles.

I look forward to the sixth annual Belgian beer fest in 2010!

Photo: Belgian-style cuisine and the bottle list

Trappist Westvleteren gets a new bottling line

2009-02-16T10:09:00.004-05:00

Brouwerij Westvleteren has a brand-new bottling line. A new Seamco machine replaces a circa 1978 bottler that was used previously.

Brother Joris, the manager of the brewery, told me in an e-mail last week that the he and the other monks of De Sint-Sixtusabdij have used the new bottler several times, and that they are very content with the new machine.

Seamco is a Belgian manufacturer. See: www.seamco.be

My friend Danny van Tricht was the first journalist to see the new line, and he has the first photos of it here:
New Bottling line at Westvleteren

Belgian cafes article is the cover feature in Beers of the World magazine, issue 22

2009-02-09T11:59:00.011-05:00

I am very happy to say that I have the cover feature in the newest issue of Beers of the World magazine, which is the premier beer magazine in the United Kingdom.

I last had an article in Beers of the World (also the cover feature!) in issue 16, in early 2008.
In "Beer Country: Belgium" I wrote about 35 great Belgian breweries in a 1,650 word piece, as well as ten great beer fests.

This new article in issue 22 is my fifth overall in the magazine since early 2007. I also have had articles published about Bierhuis Kulminator; Breweries and Cafes in Brussels; and Belgium's female brewmasters. See: Beers of the World author Charles D. Cook

Editor Sally Toms sent me a copy of issue 22 (February/March 2009) last week. My article "Celebrating Cafe Culture" is 2,000 words in length, and a dozen of my photographs were used. All the photos except the one on the first page of the article are mine.

The article is about the great beer cafes that are located outside the well-known, well-traveled cities of Antwerp, Brugge, Brussels and Ghent-though you'll see a couple of photos from cafes in those cities in the story.

Great cafes like De Heeren Van Liedekercke in Denderleeuw, De Gans in Huise, De Rare Vos in Schepdaal, Cafe Yes in Libramont and Le Vaudree in Angleur (Liege) are discussed, among others, as are beer recommendations.

Many thanks to Sally and the Beers of the World staff for their frequent and excellent promotion and coverage of Belgium and its great beer culture.

I'm just one of the many writers that pen articles about Belgium in BOTW.
In 2008, articles were published about 't Brugs Beertje by Jeff Evans; the Achel Trappist brewery by Roger Protz; as well as a big feature on ten great Belgian beer fests that was co-authored by my friend and colleague, Joe Stange of Brussels. There were several other Belgian articles published as well.

I was happy to see that Joe also has a feature on beer drinking in Lisbon, Portugal in this new issue.

There is also a fine article about Russian River brewing in California, by Chris Galvin. It's well illustrated, with ten photos inside the brewery and tasting room.

Copies of Beers of the World are available at many Barnes and Noble stores, as well as other bookstores and newsstands, in the U.S.

It might be 2 or 3 weeks till this issue appears stateside, as copies have to be shipped from the U.K.

Brasserie La Binchoise in Celebrator Beer News

2009-02-04T14:54:00.005-05:00

The February/March issues of many beer publications are starting to arrive at beer bars, beer stores, brewpubs and bookstores, and I'm happy to say I have four new Belgian beer articles coming out this month.

The first is an article about Brasserie La Binchoise of Binche, Belgium. My 650 word piece in Celebrator Beer News covers the brewery, located in Hainaut Province, Wallonia.

I visited with brewer/owner Bruno de Ghorain and his cousin, Benoit, back last May 31st.

Benoit handles sales, marketing and also some brewing. It's a family affair.

The brewery has a very atmospheric tasting cafe open on weekends and by appointment for visiting groups. I really enjoyed the beers, several of which are available in the U.S.

Here in the mid-Atlantic, copies of Celebrator are available at places like Max's on Broadway in Baltimore, Monk's in Philly, Mugs Alehouse in Brooklyn, RFD and the Brickskeller in D.C., and all the Capital Ale House locations in Richmond and Fredericksburg, VA.

Photos:
Top: Bruno de Ghorain at the brewkettle
Bottom: The new La Binchoise Triple, created in 2008

Brouwerij De Graal

2009-01-29T13:55:00.025-05:00

Top photo:Brewer/Owner Wim Saeyens.
Bottom photo:the brewery

One of the smaller Belgian breweries that I have visited in the last couple of years is Brouwerij De Graal, located in Brakel, in the Province of East Flanders. Brewer/owner Wim Saeyens was a homebrewer for years before opening the brewery in 2002. Wim has a Ph.D. in chemistry, and attended the brewing school at the University of Ghent.
De Graal products include Gember, the first commercial beer, brewed with Ginger, as well as Blond, Dubbel, Speciale and Tripel.
I visited in December, 2007, with Belgian beer lover Carl Kins of Kortrijk and Mark Smith of Ohio. The temp inside the brewery was a cool 55 degrees, but we were soon warmed by the De Graal beers!
We found the Gember to be very well balanced and not overly spicy. Its 8% alcohol is well hidden. As to its prime ingredient, Wim had this to say: “I mill (grind) dried ginger root and add it to the beer. It’s a natural ingredient.”
Wim pointed out that he has four brewing kettles, two boiling kettles and two lauter tuns: “This is so I can brew continuously on a brewing day. I usually produce about 550 to 600 liters of beer per batch, or about 2.4 hectos per day.” About 750 hectoliters were produced in 2008.
De Graal also has Bierbrand, a sort of bier schnapps distilled from six of Wim’s brews, produced at a distillery near Oudenaarde. We all found this 40% abv tipple to be very good. Sadly, I don’t believe Shelton Brothers, which imports the De Graal brews, imports Bierbrand.
De Graal has several interesting beers, including Triverius, a strong wheat beer with 6.8% that was commissioned by the town of Brakel to mark an important anniversary. “It could be classified as a Double White beer, as some similar brews are now being called” Wim told us as we enjoyed a sample.
Wim enjoys bitter, hoppy beers, so he was receptive when Carl Kins asked him to brew a special beer a couple of years ago. Carl related the story to us “I travel to the U.S. every year, for the GABF and other events. I wanted to have a special local Belgian brew crafted for my 50th birthday: one with American hops and Belgian yeast. So, I asked Wim to brew SloCK, and it has now become so popular that it is a regular De Graal beer. It has 55 ibu and 6.5% abv, but it’s not really an IPA. It has a fruity character due to the hops used. It’s also very drinkable but not overpowering. There are no herbs or spices used either.”
The De Graal beers are unpasteurized. A centrifuge is used to remove any remaining hop pellets. German Hallertauer hops are used in some of the beers. A different yeast is used for brewing than for bottling conditioning. In fact, Wim uses several different yeast strains for in his beers. Blond, Dubbel and Gember have the same yeast, while the other beers use different yeasts.
De Graal has an Italian bottling line which can fill 33 cl and 75 cl bottles. Shelton Brothers imports only the 75 cl bottles into the U.S.
Wim mentioned lots of plans to expand the brewery and add new equipment during our visit.
I enjoyed the beers of De Graal, and I think this is a brewery to watch in the future.

More photos here: De Graal photos

For more info, see: De Graal's website

Belgium's "Champagne-style" Brut beers and Brouwerij Malheur

2009-01-21T14:52:00.014-05:00

Top photo: Malheur Brut Reserve.

Left photo: Manu de Landtsheer with
Malheur Cuvee Royale Brut beer.

I noticed recently that the url for my article in Celebrator Beer News about Belgium's "Brut" beers, produced in the "Champagne-style" changed sometime last year, and the old, incorrect web url shows on web searches.

The new link is here:

Belgium's Champagne-style beers

I visited Brouwerij Malheur (De Landtsheer) for a second time in May 2008, with owner Manu de Landtsheer once again my host.

I was joined by Stephen Lipps of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, and Belgian beer lover Carl Kins of Kortrijk.

After a pretty late night in Ghent the previous Thursday, we were a little slow getting started. It was a tough morning....

Manu arranged for the four of us to be part of a quality control blind tasting, beginning at 10:30 am on Friday May 23.

The beers were served in dark glasses, making it hard tell whether it was a blond or dark beer being tasted, solely by visual means.

Though we did not know for certain what we were being served, I guessed the first beer was Malheur 10. I was right. The problem: Manu's quality control person told us that the beer was available in 33 cl, 75 cl, and on draft, and that of the three glasses of beer we each had, two would be either 33 cl, 75 cl, or draft, and one glass would be of one of the other two serving methods....though we had no idea which. It could be any combination. The goal was: which beer do you prefer, and is one serving style (33 cl 75 cl, or draft) "better" than the other. Turns out we had two glasses of 75 cl and one 33 cl, in this case.

Malheur 10.....what a great way to start a morning.....while on a beer research trip! We also enjoyed Malheur 12, Malheur Brut Reserve and Dark Brut Reserve.

Manu also showed us the building where the old brewery used to be, and other parts of the brewery complex I had not seen on my first visit in 2006.

I think Malheur is producing a lineup of great beers. It is one of my favorite Belgian breweries.

Cheers,

Chuck

Photos, from top to bottom:

1) Manu with his World Beer Cup awards
2) Manu (L) and Steve Lipps (R) at quality control tasting
3) more quality control tasting
4) entrance to Brouwerij de Landtsheer (Malheur)

Brasserie Authentique

2009-01-18T15:03:00.007-05:00

Photo: brewer/owner Frédéric Baert, with a 75 cl bottle of Blonde.

I had the pleasure of visiting one of Belgium’s smallest breweries back last May 31st.
As part of my tour of Wallonian breweries, Belgian beer lover Carl Kins (of Kortrijk) and I visited Brasserie Authentique in Blaton, Hainaut Province.

“I brewed 60 hectos of beer in 2007” brewer/owner Frédéric Baert told us as we toured the brewery, one of the smallest in Belgium. “I plan to produce about 120 hectos this year (2008)” he continued.

Baert has plans to buy a new brewkettle in February of this year. The present ones are made for dairy use; yes, as in milk! I’ve seen such kettles at other small breweries, such as La Frasnoise in Frasnes-lez-Buissenal, also in Hainaut Province. They must be much cheaper for small breweries than new brewkettles.

The fermentation tanks were brand new in early 2008.

Brasserie Authentique opened in 2004. Up till last year, Baert was brewing just once per week, but he told me plans to brew twice per week in 2009, and has a goal of achieving 500 hl of production in the near future.

The two flagship beers are the Blonde and Triple. The Blonde has 6.5% abv, and is flavored with coriander and white pepper. The hops used are Brewer’s Gold and Hallertau.
I found it a very pleasant and easy drinking beer, with interesting spice notes. The Triple has 9.5% abv, and uses the same hops. Both are offered in 33 and 75 cl bottles. The other brews are all in 33 cl bottles, which are usually purchased new.

I found the Ambrée (Amber) to be a very fine beer, with a lot of body and flavor for its 5% abv. It has only Brewer’s Gold hops in its recipe.

The “621” a Brune (brown) ale with 7.5%, also was a pleasing, malty and yeasty brew.

The Noel (10.5%) uses star anise and Belgian juniper in its recipe. Sadly, though not surprisingly, it was out of stock when I visited .

The Authentique beers have a 6 to 8 week timeframe between brewing and when they are released for sale. There are typically two weeks in the warm conditioning room and two weeks to settle after the warm conditioning. There is also 1 to 2 weeks of primary fermentation and 2 weeks of cold-conditioning (lagering.)

The beers are unpasteurized and bottle-conditoned. A different yeast is used for primary fermentation and bottle-conditioning.

The Authentique brews can typically be found at Delirium Cafe in Brussels and the HopDuvel beer warehouse in Ghent, among other places.

Baert is looking to expand, as he needs more room for warm-conditioning, storage and other things. He also wants to buy a new, larger bottle-filler and better bottle labeler.

Baert told me I was the first English-speaking journalist to visit his brewery, which was a surprise. Authentique was also the 75th Belgian brewery I had visited, so it was a fine little tour and tasting.

The new Trappistbier.be website from Danny Van Tricht

2009-01-13T11:50:00.002-05:00

My friend Danny Van Tricht has created yet another website on the subject of Trappist beers.

This site is www.trappistbier.be

It is offered in English and Dutch versions.

The site is rich in photos at the Abbeys, breweries, Trappist cafes and more. Additionally, much of the Trappist breweriana Danny has collected, such as glasses and signs, are pictured.

Danny and I have made multiple visits to all seven Trappist Abbey breweries.

His other Trappist website is http://trappistbier.wordpress.com/