Girardin Gueuze Black Label 1882 Lambic
Belgium is a beer-lover’s mecca, and I could spend the next few months drinking nothing but Belgian beer. But I’m beginning to long for some American craft ales — so after a few more Belgian beers I will be going back to my usual routine.
That’s not to say I’m finished with Belgian beer for the year — quite the contrary, I have plenty in my cellar and will be peppering them into the lineup throughout the rest of the year.
For Saturday, I’ve jumped into the world of lambic beer.
Lambics are “spontaneously fermented” in open-air vats, relying on the natural yeasts and organisms that appear in the air only in the region of Belgium southwest of Brussels. I can’t imagine a more capricious brewing style than “open the windows and let nature take its course”, but it produces quite a unique beer! Because lambic is usually aged for several years, lots of hops are used as a preservative — but older, drier hops are used to avoid adding bitterness.
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Orval
Today concludes my trip through the Trappist ales (at least, through most of them — Westvleteren and Tilburg are unfortunately not represented).
Until this virtual tour of Belgian beer during my “one a day and no repeats” challenge, I had never tried a Trappist beer — and if any of my readers haven’t taken the plunge yet, I hope the past two weeks have inspired you to seek out a bottle. It’s a shame that I waited so long; each of these beers has been strong, memorable, and quite a lot of fun.
But did I save the best for last?
Quote possibly. And many will argue I did.
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Trappistes Rochefort 10
Well. I just finished up Rochefort 10. Let’s hope I can write down my thoughts before the 11.3% ABV catches up to me.
The Rochefort brews really, really fascinate me. These three beers are all based on the same recipe but vary so widely in presentation, aroma, and taste. You could envision them as brothers with a clear family resemblance but driven by sibling rivalry . . . Think of the 6 as the sensitive younger brother who reads poetry, listens to anti-folk music, and is getting a D in algebra because he forgets to study. The 8 is the middle brother, loud and brash and looking for attention. But the 10 is the oldest child, casting a long shadow over the others. It was always good at sports, dated the popular girls, and knows the effectiveness of a good swagger. The others will grow up doomed to be compared to the 10.
And it really is a handsome brew. Dark reddish-brown, the beer poured into my chalice and politely left its sediment in the bottle. (When I finished the beer in my glass, I celebrated by drinking the dredges directly from the bottle — not too bad, actually.) It put up a nice head, but like the other Rochefort ales this head didn’t last very long, fizzing up loudly and fading away over a couple of minutes. The 10 produced a touch of lacing, but only very little.
The aroma was rich and understated. Deep malt, some chocolate, and lots of alcohol dominated the aroma. Undercurrents of brown sugar and fruit are present, but they are not nearly as clear as the sweetness displayed with the 6 or the 8.
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Trappistes Rochefort 8
Drinking Trappistes Rochefort 8 the day after having Trappistes Rochefort 6 is strange in many ways. The two beers are alike, and yet so very different.
The 8 is stronger — stronger aroma, stronger flavor, and at 9.2% ABV it’s even got more muscle to flex. But I’d argue the 6 is more complex and nuanced than the 8.
I poured the Rochefort 8 into a chalice and managed — for the first time with any of these Trappist ales — to keep the sediment in the bottle and out of my glass. The result was a dark but relatively clear brown ale with a great big head.
The aroma was rich and fruity, smelling of figs and yeast and alcohol. The fruit persisted into the flavor, figs and bruised banana melding with brown sugar, nuts, and spice. Medium bodied in the mouth, this was a smooth beer that drank easily and warmed both my tongue and my belly.
I enjoyed the 8 very much, but I couldn’t help but think about Rochefort 6 the entire time. The 6 was like a fruity, flavorful tea that had many of the qualities of the 8 — but presented more delicately. I could hold the 6 in my mouth and pick out many flavors. The 8 was robust and delicious, but overpowered nuance.
Next up — Rochefort 10!
Recommended feviews of Rochefort 8:
Three Months Down!
As I finished tonight’s beer article, it occurred to me that I am now officially one quarter of the way through my year of beer.
Spoils from a recent beer run
In some ways, this challenge has been easier than I thought it would be. I found a great liquor store that has kept me well-supplied with a variety of individual bottles of beer, and the excitement of from all this abundance of new beer has offset the sense of loss that comes with pledging to drink only one beer a day.
Challenges rarely arise from where they are expected. I definitely underestimated how much focus and sacrifice this project would actually require.
You see, I get no time off from this challenge. There’s another beer waiting for me every day. There have been nights — whether tired, sick, or traveling — when drinking a beer was the LAST thing I wanted to do. Exploring the appearance, aroma, and flavor of a new beer every single day has required more time and mental energy during the few hours I have after the workday has ended than I ever realized it would consume.
But it’s worth it. I couldn’t keep doing this every day for a year if it weren’t.
Together, you and I have been discovering new beer every day. My favorite comments are from people who have tried a new beer or style after reading about it on this site. So I want to thank all of you who have been reading, commenting, joining the discussion, and sending me beer recommendations!
Most of all, I want to thank my wife for putting up with all of this nonsense. I truly couldn’t put the time, energy, and money into this project without her full support — even if it does turn her into a self-described “beer widow” for a couple of hours every night.
So to my wife: the beer comes and goes, but I’ll always have you.
And yes, that sounded much sweeter in my head.
Last Consumed:
My wife and I usually select a Christmas Tree during the weekend after Thanksgiving, and we were thrilled to discover the farm down the road from us is selling trees this year. She and I stopped by the farm while walking our Boston Terrier, Caesar, who helped us sniff out a good one. After my wife and I dithered over the best tree for several minutes, Caesar weighed in with his selection by lifting his leg on a plump Fraser Fir.
I hope that means he liked it.
The tree went up on my shoulder, I carried it home (drawing chuckles from several people driving by), and our Christmas season officially began. We’ve been listening to Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate, and generally sickening all humbugs spying through our windows.
So it should come as no surprise that I’ve selected the “Hoppy Christmas Ale” from Belgium’s Brewery De Ranke. The beer — Père Noël (imported by Shelton Brothers) — intimates the reason for Father Christmas’ jolly cheeks and rosy nose; the label depicts Santa embracing the frothy, 7% ABV Strong Pale Ale.
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