Belgian Beer no.42: Timmermans Lambicus Blanche

I’ll admit I bought this beer purely based on its label. I have done that before, so as such not a new move. The label portrays brewers from the 1900s in front of the Timmermans Brewery. The Timmermans Brewery dates back to 1781 and it remains one of he few breweries in Belgium which still brews Lambic beers.

The Timmermans Lambicus Blanche is a blonde beer, quite fruity and light, probably a very refreshing summer drink (beer) at 4.5%. Again you don’t even want to know how many beers the Lambicus Blanche brought with it in my endless count of Belgian Beers. It seems Timmermans Lambicus Blanche has a series of siblings: the Dominus Double and Tripel, the Bourgogne des Flandres, the Branbant series – the Pils de Brabant, the Blanche de Brabant, and the Rousse de Brabant. And then the Timmermans line, counting nine (!!!) different beers. Have faith Andreea, have faith. At one point the journey will end :)

So the nine other Timmermans are: Gueuze Caveau Lambic Tradition; Gueuze Lambic Tradition; Faro Lambic Tradition; Kriek Lambic Tradition; and the fruit Timmermans - the Kriek, the Peche, the Framboise, and the Agrum (that’s a new one, go figure!).

No recipe.

Belgian Beer no.41: Brigand, the Flemish peasant

Again a beer which links to a former one – the Kasteelbier. Brewed in memory of the brigands (the Flemish peasants), who chased the sans-culottes (the French soldiers) out of Ingelmunster.

I like it so much when history plays its role in defining a drink or a trype of food. Then again, as mentioned before it seems no reason is weak enough for the Belgians to brew a beer for it...

The Brigand is a strong, powerful dark beer at 9%.

Carrot and celery soup, with ham on the bone (serves 4)

400gr carrots
300gr celery
150gr ham on the bone (cooked)
1 onion
2tbsp mild curry
4tbsp oil
0.8l chicken stock
75cl bottle Brigand beer
1dl cream
2tbsp finely chopped celery
salt and pepper

Clean and dice the carrots. Remove strings from the celery and chop. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Heat the oil in a pan, add the vegetables and cook gently stirring from time to time. Reduce the heat, add a little stock and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Remove the vegetables, blend in a mixer and return to the pan. Add the rest of the stock, the curry and the Brigand beer, cook over high heat for ten to fifteen minutes. Then add the cream, season with pepper and salt.
Serve the soup in preheated bowls; add the ham cut in long thin strips and the finely chopped celery.
Serve with a loaf of French bread or an Italian giabatta and a glass of well-chilled Brigand beer.

(recipe from the Brigand website)

Belgian Beer no.40: Het Kapittel Prior

I am not sure I should be discouraged, or if actually all is just pure joy? At a certain point I might just as well stop counting. Now at beer 40, with a lot of lateral ones discovered through the main (tasted) beer.

No difference to the ones tried before, the Kapittel Prior Watou opened the door (well Internet) to 6 other beers. And the numbers just seem to be going up. It will take me a life time to go through all the Belgian Beers.

Kapittel Prior Watou. I liked this beer very much. Starting off as a pure fruity beer lover, it seems my taste buds are evolving and I enjoyed this beer at 9% very much.

If you wonder about the name/ label combination, the explanation is the following: kapittel in Flemish refers to the hierarchical differences made between priests and fathers within a monastery.

The ‘brothers’ of Kapittel Watou are: Kapittel Pater (6%), Kapittel Dubbel (9%), Kapittel Abt (10%), Kapittel Blond (6.5%), Hommelbier (7.5%), Watou’s Wit (5%).

No recipe.

Belgian Beer no.39: Vichtenaar

Same old, same old. Although I never made the connection, but Vichtenaar is brewed by the same people as the Duchesse de Bourgogne.

A dark brown-red beer, the Vichtenaar is quite light compared to the rest of Belgian beers at 5.1%.

No recipe.

Belgian Beer no.38: Sint Bernardus Abt 12

When I said that discovering a new beer is always linked with a Pandora like effect, of discovering another extra 5, I was not joking. At the moment it does seem as if I am in an endless exercise of never-ending beer trying.

Sint Bernardus was such a discovery. In the heat of the evening, I went directly for a St. Bernardus Abt 12 (needles to say it almost tasted like wine, and so good). However it seems that in the village of Watou, the brewery is also producing the St. Bernardus Prior 8 and Pater 6, the Tripel (8%), the Watou Tripel (7.5%), the Witbier (5.5%), and the Grottenbier (6.5%).

What I found interesting about this beer is that till quite recently it was considered to be a Trappist Beer, losing its qualification in 1992 due to the fact that Trappist Beers can only be produced within the walls of a Trappist Monastery.

No recipe.
Tagged with: Belgian Beer Beer Bier Biere Drink

Belgian Beer no.37: Hercule, the detective

Not Hercule Poirot himself, but I have to admit the name was the first reason we bought this beer. The beer was indeed named after him, as the famous Belgian detective is the best-known citizen of Ellezelles (where the brewery is located).

Hercule Stout is one strong beer at 9%. However I loved the malt taste, slight caramel and deep dark colour.

Besides the Hercule, the brewery is producing the Quintine Blonde (8%) and Dark (8.5%), in memory of a famous witch of the region. And two more beers, the Blanche des Saisis (6.2%) and the Saison 2000 (6.5%).

Yey, more beer for me to try out!

No recipe.
Tagged with: Beer Bier Biere Food and Drink Belgium

Belgian Beer no.36: Vondel, the artist

To continue. At the moment it feels like sleep, beer, sleep, beer. Well not as bad as that … Vondel. Isn’t that the coolest label ever? This beer is brewed at the Liefmans Brewery, which like every other brewery in Belgium brews again a whole range of beer. And dates all the way back to 1679

Starting with Vondel. It is a very dark beer, with caramel taste and quite a spicy note. At 8.5% again a strong Belgian beer. However it is just one of the beers brewed by Liefermans. Besides Vondel, they are also brewing the Dentergems (5%), the Lucifer (8.4), the St. Arnoldus (7.4), and finally the Straffe Hendrik Blond (6%) and Dark (8.5%). These are the ‘special beers’. Then the normal range covers the Kriek (cherry), Appel (apple), Framboos (raspberry) and the Perzik (peach). The Gluehkriek which is as much a mulled cherry beer (has to be drunken hot), the Goudenband (8%), the Jan van Gent (5.5%), the Oud Bruin (Old Brown at 5%), and the Abdis Blond (6.5%), Bruin (6.5%) and Tripel (8.2%). These are the new kids on the block!

Oh, and that makes another range of beers to try out. It seems every time I try one beer, happy to count one less, at least 5 other are emerging I didn’t know about…. I probably should start taking orders soon if anyone wants to try one or the other beer out and help me count down!

No recipe.
Tagged with: Beer Bier Biere Food Food and Drink Belgium

Belgian Beer no.35: Gouden Carolus, and the Belgian flag

Now this I like. Yet again though, any reason to brew beer in Belgium will do! Het Anker is brewing beers following the colours of the Belgian flag stating that it’s ‘Great to Beer a Belgian’.

There is the first one, Gouden Carolus Classic (the one I tried), a deep dark beer, at 8.5%, and colour no. 1: black. Then there is the Gouden Carolus Trippel, you guessed it – a deep blonde beer, at 9%, colour no. 2: yellow. And finally the Gouden Carolus Ambrio, as the name says it of an amber colour, at 8%, and with colour no. 3: red, the last one. And voila, you have the Belgian flag.

The brewery’s surprises don’t stop here. Once a year, on the 24th of February, birthday of the Charles V, the Cuvee van de Kaizer 11% is produced in limited quantities (didn’t know this one, might give it a go next year).

Further, there is the Gouden Carolus Christmas and Easter beer, the Anker-bok and Anker-blond, the Blusser and three types of Ankerbeers.

Now why did I ever think trying out all the Belgian beers might be a good idea?!

No recipe, but the brewery is also producing chocolate with the Gouden Carolus beer.

Belgian Beer no.34: Zinnebir, and the carnival

This is how complicated it can get in Belgium with the beers: they invent and brew a different beer just for a special occasion. Like the 12th edition of Zinneke, a carnival in Brussels. I mean hello?!
Zinnebir is brewed since 2002 due to the above reasons. Brewed in Sint Pieters Leeuw, Zinnebir is a relatively weak beer at 6% - all this of course when compared with the ‘usual’ Belgian beer. A quite bitter beer.
The brewery also produces the Christmas Zinnebir, which is only sold between 15 November and 31 December.

No recipe.

Belgian Beer no.33: Arabier

By the same people as the Oerbier, yet again a funny looking bottle. Arabier is a pure malt beer 7° brewed with flower Nugget-hops from Poperinge.

Two more beers to try by Dolle Brouwers, the Boskeun (Easter beer) and the Stille Nacht (Christmas beer).

No recipe.