The End...Sort Of.

Day #721 Westvleteren 12 / Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren, Westvleteren, Belgium
Previously from this brewery:  The blonde and the 8

First, before the review allow me to announce that there are changes coming to your favorite beer blog.  No, not that one.  This one here.  Going forward, you are likely to not see a post every day, as you have for the past 721 days.  The writing staff have agreed that after nearly two years, we've lost some steam and maybe some passion, and schedules are currently making it difficult to drink, review, and write on an every day basis.  This by no means spells the end of this blog.  Quite the opposite.  There will still be reviews and commentary, but on a more manageable pace that fits in with our lifestyles.

So, to close out this phase of the blog, I'm going to pull out my last review that I had stashed from Belgium; quite possibly the rarest of the white whale beers, the Westvleteren 12.  Regardless of what source you consult (like this one, or this one, or this one), Westy 12 is likely to be the #1 ranked beer in the world, and if not, then somewhere near the top of the list.  That lofty - and let's face it - cult status stems from the fact that it is delicious (more on that soon), but also because they don't distribute their beer anywhere other than a cafe across the street from the abbey.  So, unless you have some well connected friends or a plane ticket to Belgium or the abbey has a serious financial need, you aren't having one of these.  And that makes it special. A running joke I have with some beer friends is that if you want your beer to become famous in the increasingly crowded world of craft beers, make a good beer.... and then don't sell it to anyone.  Might be some truth in that.

This may actually be the Westy 8... but go with it

So, the review.  In the glass, this quad pours a dark brown color, with a thick and lingering off white head. The aroma is an intoxicating mix of dark fruits, sweet malt, and Belgian yeast.  You could inhale this beer all day.  But even better than that would be actually drinking the beer, and when you do there are wonderful flavors of apple, raisin, and malt, with some caramel and spice in there as well.  Rich and complex, this beer definitely got even better as it warmed up a bit.  I'm probably not doing this beer justice, but trust me when I say that this is indeed an amazing, world class beer.

But is it the best ever?  I guess it all depends on your definition and what styles you prefer.  I've had more complex beers, I've had more flavorful beers, I've had more unusual beers.  All that being said, this is a very delicious beer, and the inability to get this beer easily definitely ratchets up the value.  However, I'll leave it up to you to decide if this is the best beer on earth when you drink one yourself.

As we leave this phase of the blog and move into the next phase, allow me to pause and again say thank you to you, the readers, who stopped by frequently, liked posts on Facebook, and every now and then would mention in person that you took our advice on a beer.  That means a lot.  And of course, thank you to Marci, my co-author, who had the crazy idea to launch this blog in the first place.  Been quite an adventure, and thank you for that.

Thing to Think About Today:

<This space intentionally left blank>

Cheap

Day #666 Jacobins Gueuze / Brouwerij Bockor, Bellegem, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Jacobins Rouge and another Jacobins Rouge

Long weekend finally (almost) over.  Good news; Mom liked her gifts.  Back to the grind tomorrow.

Tonight I leave you with a review of Jacobins Gueuze from Brouwerij Bockor.  Had this one with dinner at Hotel de Brouwerij, a B&B that used to be a brewery back in the day.  Food was good, frites were plentiful, and beers were dirt, dirt cheap.  The beauty of life on the farm in the exceptionally small town of Zwalm.  In the glass this one has a clear, dark gold hue (like apple juice) with a puffy white head.  Aromas of tart fruit and flavors of tart and sweet fruit and grain.  A solid beer, particularly considering the amazingly low price, but definitely not something in the same universe as the gueuze from Cantillon.  Worth a try, though.

Hi there.

Thing to Think About Today:
A cheap bottle of Jacobins with a white head gets you Jack White, and Honey, We Can't Afford to Look this Cheap.

Um, or not.  Mysteriously, no video for this song anywhere on the youtubes.  So, here's what you can do. = Go to the iTunes store and search for it.  Or, click this link to listen, if that's more your speed.  Just do it. It's a good song and it fit perfectly and I like it.

Night, friends.  Miss you all.

Yes I Can(tillon)

Beer #663 Sampler  / Brasserie Cantillon, Brussels, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: a Lambic, a Gueuze, and a Gueuze

I wrote this a while back, but haven't published yet.  So here we go:

After we dropped the touring bikes off, we reclaimed our luggage and took the train back to Brussels.  Our cycling tour was over, but not officially over until we made a stop at Cantillon, a 113 year old brewery not far from the center of Brussels.  So cool to meet the people there and see that while the world changes around them, they have no intention of changing absolutely anything.  They just want to produce the best beer they can, made in a traditional style.  And, let me tell you, mission accomplished.  If you ever get a chance to order a Cantillon, do it. Please. I 100% guarantee you won't be sorry. In addition to being able to drink Westy 12 from Sint Sixtus, the visit to Cantillon was one of the reasons I wanted to go on this trip.

If only I could get one of these barrels in my carry-on bag....

After touring their ancient machinery and crawling around in the attic (see above) where they age beer, I found myself at the best point of any brewery tour: the tasting room.

Lunch is served!

In addition to trying a young spontaneously fermented lambic and a gueuze (which  is a blend of young and old lambics), I was able to sample most everything else they had available in bottles, as the Beercycling group purchased one of literally everything they had.  Some of the more rare and unusual beers sampled were:
Saint Lamvinus - a lambic made with Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes and aged in Bordeaux barrels. An absolutely unbelievable blend of tart fruit, grapes, and oak
Vigneronne - a lambic made with white Muscat grapes from Italy and barrel aged.  Funky with some grape sweetness, this may have been my favorite all day.
Zwanze Day 2012 - a rare lambic brewed for a special simultaneous release at a limited number of bars around the world.  The 2012 version was a lambic brewed with rhubarb, which created a really unusual but pleasant tart taste that I loved.  First time I ever had rhubarb in my beer.

Those are the three beers in order on the right in the photo, for the life of me I can't remember what was on the far left.  Had to be a one off beer that they produced for something special, as it didn't have a label on the bottle.  There were others sampled as well, but at some point you just have to stop taking notes and pictures and sit back and appreciate one of the great destinations in the entire beer world.  And the best part of visiting Cantillon in person?  The bottles were something like 8 Euro, which is less than $12.  Good luck finding some of the rarest and most coveted beers in the world for $12 at your local bar.  And yes, three bottles came home in my suitcase.....

Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of Cant(illon), I'm giving you some Can't.  As in, Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrPxc-r3KSs

"You're just too good to be true...."

Duck Goes Kwak

Day #654 Kwak / Brouwerij Bosteels, Buggenhout, Belgium

Previously from this brewery: Deus, a Tripel Karmeliet and another Tripel Karmeliet

Today's beer du jour is a glass of Kwak from Brouwerij Bosteels, well known for the carriage glass you see in the picture below.  I had this one at a cafe in Ieper, waiting for the Last Post ceremony.  The Last Post honors the British and Allied soldiers who gave their life in the Belgian countryside during the First World War.  The ceremony is held every night at the Menin Gate Memorial, 8pm sharp, every single day of the year.  Hard to see all of the action in the large stone arch that spans the street, but it was clear the amount of respect the people had for those who made the ultimate sacrifice, from the soldier playing the bugle to the children laying wreaths of red poppies at the base of the stone panels etched with the names of the deceased. Didn't have a great picture of the ceremony, but did wander over to take in a nearby cemetery for the war dead.  Very serene spot overlooking a river, very peaceful.

Amen.

On to the beer.  It pours with a dark amber color and lingering white head.  When you take a sip, you pick up notes of caramel and toffee, apple and pear, with hints of bread and spice.  A very enjoyable beer, and one that I frequently saw on the menu in the various restaurants and cafes.  No, you don't need to detach the glass from the wooden base each time you want a sip.  You just pick up the entire thing and go.

FANCY

So the story behind the glass (and the beer) is that Pauwel Kwak was a brewer back in the early 1800s. He owned a tavern and realized that coachmen who drove passengers and mail into town weren't allowed to leave their horses and carriage.  Therefore, Kwak had a special glass blown that could be hung on the side of a carriage, so the drivers could enjoy a beer before heading off to their next stop.  Hence the name "carriage glass" and hence probably the first DUI, somewhere way back when.

Thing to Think About Today:
While the title of this post, "Duck Goes Kwak" suggests you might be getting the smash hit The Fox in this space, it was already used.  So instead I'll refer to the Last Post ceremony honoring the war dead, and drop in some Last Battle, a Scottish band who gave the world this awesome live cover of Regulate.  Yep, that Regulate.  Now, in an effort to contain the awesomeness, YouTube won't let me embed the video.  But I say we don't even need that, when you can just follow this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuDeRWJOI48

Please do.  I love this song, and love this cover.

Just Grand

Day #652 St. Stephanus Grand Cru / Brouwerij Van Steenberge, Ertvelde, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: A lot. Seriously. Just click this link, okay?

Back home after another weekend on the road, and I can say without a doubt that I'm glad to not be getting in the car to drive to State College again next weekend.  Four weekends on the road in a row is quite enough, thank you.  Particularly since yesterday's game was played in a downpour.  I think I'm still soggy.

Sundays are for napping, but I haven't managed to get a nap just yet.  Therefore, I may be going to bed at 8pm tonight, because that's how this old man rolls.  Before I fall asleep, let's get a beer review out there. Today's selection is St. Stephanus Grand Cru, from our old friends at Brouwerij van Steenberge.  It pours a hazy dark gold, and when you take a sip you get a good caramel malt, apple, some bread flavors, and a mild bitterness.  You notice the 9% ABV when you drink it, so beware.  I bought this bottle at the brewery, toted it around all of Belgium, and then decided to drink it in Luxembourg, as I was seriously paranoid that not all of the beer I brought home would make it back safely.  As this one is now available in the States, I decided to pop it open.

I don't have a picture of this beer on my phone (sorry), so instead you get a picture of Fort Thüngen in Luxembourg.  Luxembourg was frequently the center of some war or battle, due to their location in central Europe and everyone around them not liking each other. I walked around the fort on a bright, sunny morning and snapped this picture

Fight for your right to party!

This bottle was the one thing the brewery owner's father-in-law let us purchase during our visit.  Not because he was being mean; because everything else was on the house!  This beer cost me 3 Euro, or about $4. Sigh.... won't find one quite that inexpensive in America any time soon.

Thing to Think About Today:
Something quiet for a lazy Sunday.  Bell X1 and Light Catches Your Face.  Enjoy, I'm off to bed.... I kid. A bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6IL9sfrJUU

Celebrations, Bad Beers, and *Crap* I'm Old

Day #650 Gueuze Lambic / Brasserie Belle-Vue, Sint Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: n/a, this beer is the first out the limo!

It's Friday and I'm not dead.  Oh, and I just happened to pass a difficult certification exam!!  So, that's cause for celebration, right?

Yay!!!

Your beer for the day is a bottle of Gueuze Lambic from Brasserie Belle-Vue. This gueuze poured a dark gold hue, and when you take a sip you get an extremely sweet taste.  Almost like a cough medicine, really. Not a very good example of the style, and not a beer I would drink again.  I also sampled their kriek while riding a seven person bar/bicycle.  That wasn't so hot either.

And after the party it's the hotel lobby....

This brewery started way back in 1913, and in more recent years was acquired by Belgian beer giant Interbrew, which is now part of the Anheuser-Busch InBev conglomerate.  I *think* I had tonight's beer in a hotel lobby while waiting for dinner.  That's how memorable it was....

Thing to Think About Today:
This has nothing to do with anything about this beer or brewery, but it was recently pointed out to me that the Counting Crows album August and Everything After was released 20 years ago.  Sigh, I'm getting old. We close out with an all time favorite of mine, Mr. Jones.  Night, friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oqAU5VxFWs

"we all want something beautiful / Man, I wish I was beautiful"

Creative Studying

Day #648 Grimbergen Dubbel / Brouwerij Alken-Maes, Alken, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: a Hapkin that I forgot about, Grimbergen Blonde, and another Grimbergen Blonde

Nearing the end of the list of beers drank in Belgium.  I know you're probably sick of reading about it, but I may never get back to Belgium in my life, so I'm unloading them all.

Today's offering was a bottle of Grimberen Dubbel from Brouwerij Alken-Maes.  Had this one at a lunch in Brugges, and in the glass it poured a mahogany color with virtually no head.  There's a malt sweetness with some nice stone fruit (say, plums?) flavor and bready notes.  Pretty mellow compared to what I drank on the rest of the trip, and definitely didn't have the same oomph that other beers had.  Not bad by any stretch of the imagination, just not terribly complex or unusual.

Good glass, for what it's worth

One of the really awesome things about Belgium is that virtually every single restaurant has outdoor seating. Who doesn't like to sit outside, enjoy some sunshine, do some people watching, and drink some beer? While this beer didn't blow me away, it gets tons of bonus points for being consumed at an outdoor table, overlooking a canal.  I greatly miss having the option to sit outside in every single restaurant- step up your game, Philly suburbs!

Thing to Think About Today:
I have a four and a half hour exam coming up Friday morning to certify me as a Six Sigma Black Belt.  I'm absurdly under-prepared and really freaking out about it, considering I finished the class back in January and have retained very little since then.  So, I could spend the evening studying... or... I could spend the evening developing elaborate cheating schemes!  Say for example, like this awesome scene from Spies Like Us, where Chevy Chase and Dan Akroyd go above and beyond to pass their civil service test.  Enjoy your evening; I'm getting started working on my fake cast and eye patch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk5R9GmIsAs

No, No, No

Day #646 Diekirch Premium / Brasserie de Luxembourg Mousel-Diekirch, Diekirch, Luxembourg
Previously from this brewery: Grand Cru Ambrée

Allow me to diagram my day for you:

No.

In this video, I am the child, excited to buy some sugary cereal.  My sanity is the box of cereal, and Dikembe Mutombo represents, well, everything that just isn't cooperating.  Do you guys know that I'm friends with Dikembe Mutombo on Facebook? That has nothing to do with anything, but it's a cool fact.  Don't hate.

While it's not the last beer from Belgium I'll review, the last beer I had on the Beercycling trip was a glass of Diekirch Premium, which I had at dinner in Luxembourg.  In the glass, it was crystal clear gold, with a big white head.  There's a light aroma of grain, and the taste is grass, grain, and some bread and light hops.  My notes from the beer sum it up:
1. Bud "Lux"
2. Last beer of vacation.... whew.

Was this beer great?  Not really; it was a somewhat macro produced lager.  Not terribly flavorful or anything I'd fly across the globe to find again.  And that's exactly why I liked it.  After so, so many complex, unusual, rare, strong, interesting, aged, hand crafted, and altogether delicious beers, it was nice to just kick back and relax, and not have to think about flavors or aromas or much of anything.  It was just a beer.  Just a beer, drank outside, overlooking Luxembourg City.  It was cold, and looked pretty, and washed down a day. It was good, because it just was.

Looks good!

I was fairly wiped out by the time I got to Luxembourg, so I don't have much in the way of great recommendations for bars, or restaurants, or much of anything else.  I can say this:  the hop on/hop off bus is a great way to see the city, learn some info, and get from place to place without much hassle.

Thing to Think About Today:
If life pulled a Dikembe Mutombo and rejected everything I threw towards the rim today (or, in this video, the shopping cart), then we let the All-American Rejects (see what I did there?) close things out with Move Along.  Nothing to see here, Dikembe.  Move along, indeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XleOkGsYgO8

C'Mon Ride the Train

Day #644 Saison / Oersoep Brouwerij, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Previously from this brewery: n/a, this beer is the first out the limo!

Today is another football day, so that means you get a short review and I get to drink beer in a parking lot for nine hours.  We all win.

Glad this one is a short review, because I don't have many notes on it.  Why?  Because I drank a glass of this saison from Oersoep Brouwerj out of a plastic cup while riding the train from Menen back to Brussels after we dropped our bikes off at the end of the tour.  This beer is a dry saison, with some solid peppery spice.  I think it had a gold color, but seeing how it was in a plastic cup it's hard to say!  There are notes of grass and grain, and any beer tastes delicious when you're on a warm train.  Thanks to our tour guide Henk for bringing this one along and sharing!

Thanks, Henk!

This brewery name translates from Dutch to English as "Primordial Soup," which is a really unusual brewery name.

Thing to Think About Today:
Today is shaping up to be a gorgeous September day.  Nothing says gorgeous September day quite like Neil Diamond's September Morn does, right?  What, because of the title of this post you thought I was dropping C'mon Ride the Train by Quad City DJ's?  Not this early in the morning, I'm afraid.  So here we go!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVLonpBtkH0

She Mad

Day #643 Dulle Teve / De Dolle Brouwers, Esen, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Plenty! A Dulle Teve, Boskeun, Oerbier, Oerbier, some Arabier, and more Arabier

It's Friday, which means I'm not working and am enjoying a day off getting ready for football. Except.... I am working, even though it's my day off.  Hey, gotta pay the rent.

While I wait for someone to call, let's get into another De Dolle offering, this time a draft pour of Dulle Teve, which translates to "Mad Bitch" in English.  Maybe the best named beer ever, in my book. This tripel shows off a hazy gold color and (no surprise here) a huge fluffy white head. There's a welcoming aroma of fruit and malt sweetness, and the taste is slightly sweet with plenty of apple, honey, bread, and just a few random hints of spice. I fell in love with this beer from the first sip, although you should be careful - at 10% ABV this beer means business.  Last line on my notes for this beer? "Delicious." That about sums it up!

Just beautiful....

Few more quick snaps from the visit, including their super duper awesome koelschip, which is used for cooling the wort in the open air. I think they're awesome and a throw back to an older way of making beer, as very few breweries still use them - and yet I saw many of them in Belgium, because Belgian beer is an old school thing.

That's soon-to-be beer cooling in there!

And lastly, the phrase "Nat en Straf" means "Wet and Strong" in English. Two very, very accurate adjectives for their beers!

Cheers, De Dolle!

Thing to Think About Today:
What else can we use here but the Rolling Stones and Bitch?  Nothing that is anywhere near as appropriate as Mick, Keith, and the boys.  Have a good Friday, friends.  I miss you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N0A2b7nbdM

"Yeah when you lay me out / my heart starts beating like a big bass drum, alright!"

Oer the River and Through the Woods

Day #642 Oerbier / De Dolle Brouwers, Esen, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Dulle Teve, Boskeun, Oerbier, Arabier, and more Arabier

One of my favorite brewery stops was De Dolle, which came at the end of what was one of my favorite days on the bike - we started in Brugges, rode to the coast to visit Oostende, then rode along their version of the boardwalk (tiles, not wood) for several glorious, sun drenched miles.  Nothing like riding with the North Sea as your side view!  Did have to pay attention, though, otherwise kids were going to get run over while I was staring off at the water.

I see you, North Sea.

Once we got to the brewery, we learned that Kris, the owner, wasn't really into socializing, but was however cool enough to let us wander around unsupervised.  Did I mention, De Dolle Brouwers means "the crazy brewers"?  Bad idea!

Free reign of the bottling line!

Let's talk about the beer here, as the beers were delicious.  It poured a dark ruby color with a very typical monstrous foamy head.  There's a wonderful, enjoyable tartness with flavors of green apple, bread, yeast, and some caramel malt sweetness.  There are locally grown hops from Poperinge in there, but you really don't notice them.  Oerbier was the first beer brewed by Kris at De Dolle, and is still fantastic 30+ years later. Just a sensational, world class beer, and perfect after a long, hot bike ride.

Wish I had that glass! Wait, I do :)

This is your incredibly odd fact for the day:  Motown star Marvin Gaye once decided he needed to drop out of society and get away from it all to put his life back together.  Where did he go?  The Belgian beach town of Oostende; home of my seaside bicycle ride.  True story.

Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of a crazy brewer and getting away from all the craziness in your life by going to Belgium, let's wrap up with some Marvin Gaye and Mercy, Mercy Me.  Good night, all....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQu892GGbts

What The Fox?

Day #641 Grand Cru Ambrée / Brasserie de Luxembourg Mousel-Diekirch, Diekirch, Luxembourg
Previously from this brewery: n/a, this beer is the first out the limo!!!

Today has been hectic, and it's getting late, so you get some quick & dirty (shut yo mouth!) today.  While I'm not done with the Belgians, I'm taking a slight detour and writing about one of the last beers on the trip, a bottle of Diekirch.  Did I know the brewery was a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev at the time I ordered it?  No, but it was the only beer from Luxembourg (Luxembourgian?) on the menu at the cafe.  While not excited (in retrospect) to try a macro brew owned by InBev, this truly might have been the only chance I had in my life to try a beer made in Luxembourg, so I went for it.

So, the beer.  In the glass, it pours a dark amber color.  There's a nice malt sweetness, with just enough hops to make you pay attention.  Some floral notes, maybe some honey, but in all fairly mellow.  That being said, it was refreshing after walking around the very hilly yet beautiful Luxembourg City.  Will I ever get to drink another one?  Probably not, which is what makes this beer very interesting in my book.

Had this in a cafe where they only spoke French.
And I made it work!  I am an international wonder.

Luxembourg is a relatively small country, but there are a number of cities.  I only visited Luxembourg City, the capital and largest town, but there are others, such as Diekirch, where this beer is from.  From what I gather, the brewery originally dates back to 1871, and is a merger of two local breweries that came together in 2000. The corporate overlords took over in 2002, and there you have it.  Progress.

Thing to Think About Today:
Luxembourg is a small country nestled between Germany, Belgium, and France.  It's really not anywhere near Norway, where the random guys who sing this wonderfully odd and awesome song, The Fox, are from.  I present Ylvis, just because I can.  I'm European like that.  Come find out what the fox says....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE

"Ducks say quack, and fish go blub"

Japalgium, or Belgipan. Either One.

Day #639 Tokyo / Brouwerij Saint Bernardus, Watou, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Tripel and more Tripel

Today was an unmitigated f'ing disaster.  I won't go into it here, but let's say the best thing about today is that it will eventually end, and I probably won't be dead.  Beyond that... not a great day.

Beer won't fix it, but I need to write about something on this stupid blog, so here goes.  Today's offering is a glass of Tokyo, a St. Bernardus beer that was launched to commemorate them opening a true Belgian beer bar in (wait for it....) Tokyo.  The Beercycling tour took us to this brewery on our next to last day, after spending the night before in a gorgeous bed & breakfast right next door.  Conveniently, it used to be owned by the brewery owner, who interestingly originally started his business by making cheese, not beer. While there were many great parts, the best part of the B&B was the honor bar stocked with every tasty St. Bernardus beer.

A smile; clearly not a photo from today!!

As part of the tour, we got to sample beers from their tasting room, so I made a beeline for a bottle of this new beer.  It poured a hazy gold color with a thin head - a relative rarity in Belgium.  There are really nice flavors of bread and grain, along with a spicy quality of coriander and pepper.  Good citrus flavors coming through, but definitely not overpowering.  In my notes I wrote, "very summery", as it was very light and refreshing, with a great flavor profile.  Great find!

I like how the monk donned a more appropriate robe

This might be available in limited quantities in America, but I've never seen it, so kudos to me for finding a rare beer to sample.  Yay, me.  Also, kudos to Beercycling for being their first tour of the day, at the beer friendly hour of 10am.

Thing to Think About Today:
Going to relax, perhaps with beer, perhaps with bourbon, perhaps with both.  Reaching into my collection of quiet music to unwind and remind myself that everything will be fine.  I'm going deep into the mix for some Sea Wolf and Middle Distance Runner.  It's not really a song about running, but I like it anyway when I want to slow things down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YHB4sycC-U

"So won't you run to me tonight?"

Wipers

Day #636 Ypres / De Struise Brouwers, Oostvleteren, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Elliot Brew

Day before the PSU home opener.  Not sure if it's the fact that the season is already underway or what, but just not yet in the groove for a home opener.  Hope that changes a little between now and noon tomorrow.

Back to the recaps.  One of the best meals of Belgium came from 't Hommelhof in the town of Watou.  The group was treated to a special dinner, where the chef paired unique beers with each course.  One of the beers was a bottle of Ypres, from De Struise Brouwers.  This oud bruin was paired with a gazpacho served with a piece of fried mullet.  The gazpacho was simple yet delicious, which is probably how I could describe the entire meal.  I will say that with a few tiny exceptions the food on the trip was outstanding. However, almost every menu I saw had the same items on; croque sandwiches, lasagna, goat cheese & bacon salads, frites, etc.  Nothing wrong with that, but 't Hommelhof was the first inventive and unique - and therefore most memorable - restaurant of the trip.

And the beer?  It poured a dark brown hue, and gave off aromas of tart fruit with earthy notes.  The taste is a heavenly mix of tart cherries, sour apple, and an earthy, oaky taste that grounds some of the tart and sour flavors.  This beer was aged in two different barrels - Bourgogne wine and Wild Turkey whiskey.  This was a bottle from 2009, and the internet seems to suggest it was only brewed once.  Shame, as it was magnificent.  Speaking of the bottle, the artwork was very cool - it depicted a scene from World War I. Another beer from De Struise that people tried was Black Albert, which was widely regarded as one of the best beers of the trip.  I only had a sip, but I would agree.  We technically "visited" this brewery, which means we drove our bikes by and looked in the windows.  They were closed... perhaps it was a Sunday? De Struise wasn't on my radar before this trip, but after having this beer and trying the Black Albert, I'm a committed fan.

Ypres, Ieper, Wipers.  Just call this beer 'delicious'

Two items you may find interesting.  As with most everywhere in Belgium, there is the Flanders spelling/pronunciation and the French spelling/pronunciation.  In French, the town is known as Ypres, and in Flemish, Ieper.  British forces stationed there during World War I apparently couldn't pronounce either, and instead referred to the town as "Wipers."  The second odd fact for you is that this brewery was started by owners of an ostrich farm.  I kid you not - an ostrich is still featured on their logo.

Thing to Think About Today:
A beer brewed to honor those who fought and died in the First World War means we close things out with Edwin Starr and his protest song, War.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01-2pNCZiNk

Redheads and...Well, That's About It

Day #634 Rookop / Brouwerij De Plukker, Poperinge, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Keikoppenbier and more Keikoppenbier

Fantasy Football draft night, which means I've been spending hours pouring over data and draft magazines and figuring out what the 3rd string fullback had for lunch I'll probably just draft whoever.

Beer always sounds good, and today's beer is the second offering from De Plukker, a bottle of Rookop. This dubbel has a brown hue with an off white head.  There's an earthy aroma with plenty of malt, and the taste has nice notes of caramel and lightly toasted malt.  Not as much malt sweetness as some of the other bruins I drank, but certainly has a nice even flavor.  Well worth a sample if you ever find yourself in Poperinge.  I believe the name of this beer loosely translates to "redhead", if my notes and rudimentary understanding of Flemish are on target.

Smiley beer label = happy beer

From their website, a beer named Rookop "s to be brewed in the St-Joris brewery in Reningelst, Belgium until 1963 when the brewing activities stopped. The brewery was restored back to its original condition in 2012 and now functions as a meeting centre for families with children."  

De Plukker brought this beer back to life, albeit with a new recipe.  I love that an old brewery is now a community center for kids.  De Plukker is for the children!!

Thing to Think About Today:
Beer named after a redhead means... I have no idea.  I guess maybe this means I can drop in some famous redhead Florence Welch and let Dog Days are Over take us home.  Night, folks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsr8oXxzFEI

Agriculture and Old School Rap; Perfect Together

Day #631  Keikoppenbier / Brouwerij De Plukker, Poperinge, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Keikoppen

Back home after a  road trip to New Jersey to watch football yesterday.  Not a perfect day by any stretch of the imagination, but it did include a PSU win, which is always welcome.

I mentioned yesterday that part of the Beercycling tour took us through the region of Belgium famous for growing hops, and right in the middle of this was Brouwerij De Plukker, notable for being the first organic brewery as well as for growing their own hops on the farms next door.  We had a chance to meet the owners, Joris and Kris, who were nice enough to take time out of their day to give a Masters class in hop farming and brewing, share some of their beers, and let us wander around and take pictures.  In case you didn't know (and I didn't):
1. Hops grow on vines that are staked and supported by wires, and the vines grow at least 20 feet high or so
2. There are male and female versions of the plant
3. Having male versions of the plant in your hop field can get you in hot water, as only unpollinated plants have lupulin, the oil that helps preserve and flavor beer (or something like that)
4. Hops enjoy the same soil qualities as potatoes; hence, you often see them in places like Belgium and the Pacific Northwest
5. Hop cones smell DELICIOUS
6. De Plukker uses no pesticides on their farm, instead relying on natural methods to control pests

Grow up delicious!

Enough about agriculture, you're here for the beer.  We sampled a glass of Keikoppenbier, a blonde ale with a huge head and a dark gold hue.  There are light aromas of citrus and pine, and the taste pleasantly reminded me of an American Pale Ale in hoppiness and flavor.  It was dry and earthy, with a touch of bitterness on the finish.  Very enjoyable beer, and I greatly enjoyed meeting the brewers/farmers and hearing their story.

so pretty.....

Per the owner, the name of this beer is derived from a nickname of someone who lives in Poperinge, and describes someone who is stubborn and hard headed.

Thing to Think About Today:
All that learning about hops today means more hops are still needed.  If I need more hops, then I'm taking you back in time to 1993 to let Naughty By Nature drop some Hip Hop Hooray on us all.  Hooray for hops!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA2_-eQ26tY

"cause I'm naughty by nature, not 'cause I hate ya"

Hops on Pops

Day #630 Poperings Hommelbier / Brouwerij Van Eecke, Watou, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Het Kappitel Watou Blond and another Watou Blond

Today marks the first day of the 2013 Penn State football season.  It doesn't feel like the first day.  Maybe it's me; maybe I haven't prepped and planned the way I usually do.  Maybe it's the fact the first game isn't in Beaver Stadium.  However, at 3:30pm today they kick off, so I better get myself ready for football... and fast.

Keeping the wheels turning on the glut of reviews from the trip to Belgium, and today's offering is a glass of Poperings Hommel Bier, a Belgian IPA from Brouwerij van Eecke.  In the glass you get a very bright and clear gold color, with a traditional monster white head.  Compared to other Belgian beers, this one is quite hoppy, both in aroma and taste, with mellow citrus flavors.  Whereas American hoppy beers give you pine aromas and flavors, this one has more of an herbal taste.  Earthy and green and tasty with a touch of malt sweetness, this beer is rather refreshing and enjoyable.  I'm not sure anyone is flying to Belgium to drink Hommelbier, but maybe they should.

This beer is brewed in Watou, a small town near the French border.  You'll hear more about Watou as I continue to go through beers.  This area is famous for growing hops, one of the main ingredients in beer. Therefore, a very important place from a geographic sense in the Belgian beer culture.  In fact, this beer is brewed using only locally grown hops. Outside of the beer world, this area is more famously known for being the nexus of trench warfare during the First World War.

Hi there, sexy.

Hops, in the local dialect, are known as 'hommel', and Poperinge is the name of the region where the hops are famously grown, hence the name of this beer.  If you wanted to learn more about hops than you ever thought possible... stay tuned.

Thing to Think About Today:
A few of my friends and I have recently been discussing a below the radar rap group from the early 90s, 3rd Bass. These guys are sort of like the Beastie Boys Light, although unlike the fun loving Beasties they spend considerable time rapping about the legitimacy of the rap game and societal issues facing African Americans. This is notable, as the two main members of the group were white.

Why am I discussing this?  In the spirit of Poperings and hops, I present some hip-hop in Pop Goes the Weasel, a song that tore Vanilla Ice to shreds for his pop star aspirations.  Plus, I love the hook they stole from Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer, so that + making fun of Vanilla Ice = awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzXI_ApY4dY

P.S.  GO PENN STATE!

Happy Easter (in August)!

Day #629 Boskeun / De Dolle Brouwers, Esen, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: an Arabier and another Arabier (plus great writing on social equality) from the original challenge, an Oerbier and a Dulle Teve "aka, Mad Bitch" from the Beercycling trip

Today marks a huge holiday: Football Eve, the day before the first Penn State football game.  Please celebrate accordingly.

But before football, we get back to the Belgian trip.  One of the best breweries visited during the journey was De Dolle Brouwers, although I'm actually going to drop in a review from a beer I had in a bar rather than as part of the behind the scenes tour of the brewery.  More on De Dolle soon enough, friends.  Today's beer is the Boskeun, which is a seasonal Easter beer.  It poured a dark gold color with a fluffy head, and has that distinctive Belgiun yeast aroma.  There are flavors of green apple, bread, berry, and a touch of honey sweetness. Like most every great Belgian I drank, this one has a wonderfully done balance of malt and hops, which lets those delicious flavors I mentioned shine through.  I bought this because (1) I didn't get to sample this one at the brewery, (2) you don't see many Easter beers, and (3) everything else I had from De Dolle was fantastic.  I chose well.

More rabbits?

The name translates from Flemish to "Rabbit of the Woods" in English.  This is the nickname of the brewer's brother, and stems back from when they were kids.  Fun and cute label, but this beer means serious business - behind the smooth taste is a potent 10% ABV.  Happy Easter, indeed.

Thing to Think About Today:
Is it just me or have we been talking about rabbits quite a bit lately?  Regardless, another rabbit related beer means I think we should think about Frightened Rabbit, the wonderful Scottish band I'm still pissed I haven't seen live (although maybe that will change!).  We close out a Friday with a live performance of Modern Leper.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTMG_TK9sug

"You should sit with me and we'll start again / And you can tell me all about what you did today"

Hangin' Around

Day #628 Le Corne du Bois des Pendus Tripel  / Brasserie d'Ebly, Ebly, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: n/a; this beer is the first out the limo!

Football is starting this weekend; first fantasy football draft happens tonight.  Probably not a good sign that I've done no prep, no homework, no reading, no planning.... no anything.  I'll fix that.  Add that to my list of things to fix.  We're going to get this right.

Tonight's beer is Le Corne Tripel from Brasserie d'Ebly, which I had in a restaurant in Brugge.  Basically, I ordered this beer because it came in the most unusual glass I saw in all of Belgium - a horn shaped glass held in a carriage stand.  The horn is a throwback to the ancient days where bull's horns were used as drinking vessels, and quite frankly, it makes sense because you need to stand out a bit in a crowded Belgian beer world.  Mission accomplished there.  The beer itself was worth the random purchase - a dark gold color with a big fluffy white head, with aromas of bread and yeast, and flavors that balanced malt and mild Belgian hops.  Sometimes random beer purchases work out just fine.

Not my photo.  

My photo from Cambrinus:

My photo. Less exciting.

According to Google translate, the name of this beer means "Horn of Wood Hanging."  This is due to an ancient legend about a seventeenth century brewer named Cornelius, who along with everyone else from the village near Luxembourg, was hung by a band of marauders.  That sucks.  He apparently buried his beer recipe to keep it secret, and his spirit is said to still haunt the woods.  He's represented on the bottle and glass with the noose still hung around his neck.  A bit morbid, but hey, that's just me.

Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of a brewer hung by marauders, I give you the Rolling Stones and Hang Fire.  Have a good evening, dear friends....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xbtlW16Gts

Party in the Put Some Damn Pants On

Day #626 Cuvée / Brouwerij de Ranke, Wevelgem, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: another Cuvée

I haven't really discussed much other than beer lately, and that's not an accident.  But I did feel like there are three things I need to share:
1. I wish all of my pants/shorts had a built in belt.  This would be helpful for when I forget to put one on, obviously.  Which I seem to do a lot, and that obviously causes problems.
2. Dear people who wear sunglasses inside: YOU'RE INSIDE.... you can probably take off your sunglasses.  I get when you wear them in from the car and forget to take them off immediately after walking in the door. Please trust me when I say I do that too.  No worries there.  But unless you just had your eyes dilated, I think you can eventually take them off to conduct your daily business.  The person in the grocery store wearing their sunglasses in the checkout aisle?  Hmmm....
3. So apparently Miley Cyrus lost her mind.  That's unfortunate, but not really unexpected when we make demigods out of marginally talented tweens and teenagers, then feed the beast by documenting their every move of every day until they sort of snap.  Our society and where we place our priorities sucks, really.  Get well soon, Miley.  We'll always have Party in the U.S.A., won't we?

I guess the last item can be today's beer, which is a glass of the Cuvée from Brouwerij de Ranke, another brewery that we unfortunately didn't get to visit, but thankfully did get to sample.  We did ride past the town this brewery is in, if that's worth anything.  Anyway, in the glass this beer showed off an apricot hue, with a wispy white head.  There's a perfect sour tartness, with great citrus notes and noticeable flavors of yeast and green apples.  This is also a rather interesting beer, as it's a blend of 70% oud bruin beer made with Rodenbach yeast and 30% lambic from Girardin.  Or, in other words, two other breweries involved in this beer.  Odd?  Maybe, but who cares, it's absolutely delicious.

Possibly the worst photo ever.  EVER.

Thing to Think About Today:
Free Miley!  Okay, so I've already dropped Party in the U.S.A. on your faces, but I didn't drop the Next Episode mashup with Dre and Snoop, now did I?  NOW I DID.  Is this version on my iPod?  Do you even need to ask?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0vH-CeRMsE