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17-10-2022, 09:08
Visit The Beer Nut site (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/10/top-to-bottom.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWc68jgkPD4Bt31eiTR4tvjANWiTRNuN6I-R9DAWGJRFaUNShiamyTWanaH0ndbBf6PAC9cKLZkNNnYEu2FTs OKuSiAyCATdTUGw4WHCD-aGvviLUdx6eo8NEtnZl6ISbtsY1pmzuCzzMxkzKQVvZviFxnh5 fVQ2Blz-PyoBVHKrWXl__MuNY/s320/groningen_sign.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWc68jgkPD4Bt31eiTR4tvjANWiTRNuN6I-R9DAWGJRFaUNShiamyTWanaH0ndbBf6PAC9cKLZkNNnYEu2FTs OKuSiAyCATdTUGw4WHCD-aGvviLUdx6eo8NEtnZl6ISbtsY1pmzuCzzMxkzKQVvZviFxnh5 fVQ2Blz-PyoBVHKrWXl__MuNY/s3276/groningen_sign.jpg)Groningen is a tightly-packed and bustling little city in the north of the Netherlands, home to a university so, in mid-September at least, packed with students in a way that gives it a youthful energy. I visited for the sole reason I had never been to this part of the world before and wanted to give it the once-over.
From a beer perspective, however, it's not very exciting, at least based on my quite possibly flawed investigations. I expected local macro Grolsch to be utterly dominant in the way that local big breweries tend to be, but that one seems to be suffering hugely under the relentless onslaught of Heineken and AB InBev whose signage and big brands were omnipresent.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0g4b2GeKwLrN_Q353SDqFH0HnM_s2tNI_HhBbaXMx1C w9SQo_4m5loJuQWHgHe-fnTImCQgb01JBWpWXFG5MYhxA2XT4hTVXBD2ZKA9Rx1GjHMkLu bojGS4u9DrX7gueglTAmoeIqJB_C5OCl-EEpRmk-veUOJabHQW6b9YCxqbDvI5hN0T8/w151-h200/duchesse_de_bourgogne.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0g4b2GeKwLrN_Q353SDqFH0HnM_s2tNI_HhBbaXMx1C w9SQo_4m5loJuQWHgHe-fnTImCQgb01JBWpWXFG5MYhxA2XT4hTVXBD2ZKA9Rx1GjHMkLu bojGS4u9DrX7gueglTAmoeIqJB_C5OCl-EEpRmk-veUOJabHQW6b9YCxqbDvI5hN0T8/s2985/duchesse_de_bourgogne.jpg)The only pub of note I have for you is a slightly shabby but still charming Belgian-themed café called Pintelier, and even then I'm not sure I'd recommend that you go out of your way for it. I opened with a beer I'm sure I've had on occasions in the past but don't seem to have ever written a review of: Duchesse du Bourgogne. This commonplace Flanders red is 6.2% ABV and a dark garnet colour. It's thick and sparkly, like some kind of liqueur-infused champagne cocktail and tastes of raspberry balsamic with a dash of soy sauce and lots of sweet-sour oak seasoning for a mature vinous note. What it's not is sour: where I was expecting a proper tang I found it smooth and warming, and as such I wouldn't place it above the likes of Rodenbach. It's decent though, and worked well at an otherwise bare table in a dusty corner on an autumnal afternoon.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQQOYk9q6blmU09POamFeLurfmzG3NOCh9KoRtqkzNw tbTwZicuhd23GSqOnbzAcPhMW3GSdTmdj7FBMazuEAvk467t-mpjC6aHE7kPdwIlMNe5xhNhPZppRQDBbG8IYhmHwFgmoGGke7o NfN6OwZtMx83FWyyvJ3XD_suR-vMAnDRxOkKmI/w144-h200/mallust_de_vagebond_vienna_bier.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQQOYk9q6blmU09POamFeLurfmzG3NOCh9KoRtqkzNw tbTwZicuhd23GSqOnbzAcPhMW3GSdTmdj7FBMazuEAvk467t-mpjC6aHE7kPdwIlMNe5xhNhPZppRQDBbG8IYhmHwFgmoGGke7o NfN6OwZtMx83FWyyvJ3XD_suR-vMAnDRxOkKmI/s3125/mallust_de_vagebond_vienna_bier.jpg)The single vaguely local beer I drank was from Brouwerij Maallust in nearby Veenhuizen, a Vienna lager called De Vagebond. It's a beer style which can be a point of some contention, and this one was a very strong representative of how it's popularly understood: dark amber and with a huge biscuit aroma, leading into flavours of rich chocolate, oatcakes and raisin. A pinch of noble-hop vegetation adds to the Mitteleuropa feel, although I detected a whiff of Belgian esters too, which is much less typical. Overall, I enjoyed it, and the bigness of its character in general. If this is broadly what you'd expect Vienna lager to be it won't leave you disappointed.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimE2pXJqRz-VVEO5NBqJn7twFOH_J6ZEXiw_e8ssOhaCSmDSINpAHB4Br9Y5-RWBBPcr9hljP_Si5jcRLTQ6L2rmVIOTP3fWeh2rblBhaRdvt7L cDUDZHe71LVAi4gsO9kN9nm4tI7QJNYTdo1b0HlbziQQwjQAwa ka5uHjRbSDigzuvCtegE/w132-h200/gulpener_ur-weizen.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimE2pXJqRz-VVEO5NBqJn7twFOH_J6ZEXiw_e8ssOhaCSmDSINpAHB4Br9Y5-RWBBPcr9hljP_Si5jcRLTQ6L2rmVIOTP3fWeh2rblBhaRdvt7L cDUDZHe71LVAi4gsO9kN9nm4tI7QJNYTdo1b0HlbziQQwjQAwa ka5uHjRbSDigzuvCtegE/s3435/gulpener_ur-weizen.jpg)Large independent Gulpener is about as far from Groningen as a brewery can be while still being Dutch, situated away down in the tail end of Limburg. I happened across their Gulpener Ur-Weizen in one restaurant, finding it a patriotic shade of orange and rather basic in the flavour department, with mild banana and subtle cloves, set on a base that's far too thin for 5.3% ABV. I guess they're aiming to copy the more severe north-German sort of Weizen, rather than any luxurious Bavarian. As such, it's decent but not very distinctive, even by weissbier standards.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZauylJ_y9_9p12pQ2tV8_DTDxOWPEWiDGkCWexAman CHd-m5S8Tg4yt-2sjNtjpLUOcOCYrcyC9hVIFrjWssXHa0LClfgps2K0dzk37iX3-wRkkAIO8lmEXxhtLB4OATtXxd4yoiO0hO4rwc5pVcLZncoVvje g3l3mnmjY2FY-Gik2Jwkyk/w131-h200/coopers_xpa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZauylJ_y9_9p12pQ2tV8_DTDxOWPEWiDGkCWexAman CHd-m5S8Tg4yt-2sjNtjpLUOcOCYrcyC9hVIFrjWssXHa0LClfgps2K0dzk37iX3-wRkkAIO8lmEXxhtLB4OATtXxd4yoiO0hO4rwc5pVcLZncoVvje g3l3mnmjY2FY-Gik2Jwkyk/s3470/coopers_xpa.jpg)And if that's not far enough south, the next two should be, found on the menu of the pleasant antipodean theme restaurant Pacific. Coopers XPA defies the basic requirement of Extra Pale Ale by not being pale at all, but a deep shade of orange. It's quite strong at 5.3% ABV and murky in the old-fashioned naturally-conditioned way, rather than deliberate haze. It may be a function of the distance it's travelled, but the hops seemed to have been aged out of this, leaving that orangey boiled-sweet effect which always suggests expired freshness to me. There's lots of sweet malt left, however, which has a certain charm but renders it unbalanced. I had hoped for zing, but either traditional old Coopers doesn't do zing, or else the zing disembarked somewhere around the equator.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy3rdyw-jlE1p9qY03GgCqKl5Z77NunFgYhcqMRlyWP8Jb05VOt2Oe09Wu VDkzmAZW38kSy5L9IkhAwRjYWrcM7lWVUW5WDIkayu8UU3R9YU sBHyo6bAnwKHVXKYznO2OX_GPdXzXX24d6nYbZW6u6B2gG_pPk zDgQxUi99IBqA0WdT_MyJE/w136-h200/coopers_session_ale.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy3rdyw-jlE1p9qY03GgCqKl5Z77NunFgYhcqMRlyWP8Jb05VOt2Oe09Wu VDkzmAZW38kSy5L9IkhAwRjYWrcM7lWVUW5WDIkayu8UU3R9YU sBHyo6bAnwKHVXKYznO2OX_GPdXzXX24d6nYbZW6u6B2gG_pPk zDgQxUi99IBqA0WdT_MyJE/s3100/coopers_session_ale.jpg)Let's see if they fare any better with a Session Ale. The pale haze gives it an altogether more modern look, and at 4.2% ABV meets the sessionable specification. I got a little hint of zesty zing in the aroma but the body isn't big enough to carry that into the flavour, and there isn't the malt character to offer anything much else. The haze does make itself felt as a savoury grittiness that didn't help the overall picture. It wasn't unpleasant but is one of those beers where "sessionable" comes dangerously close to "boring".
And that's it for Groningen. It was stop one on a two-week, six-city jaunt about the Low Countries, featuring side-trips and events all of which I'll get to in the forthcoming posts. A week after we started we found ourselves in Breda, down where the Netherlands borders on Belgium.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTY4gwMQt9hRreV8PFLtGfxvSbGz45SbcbiQTm6jWbxB NRQ9RhoQqZRdBa097hdfbHGVsg7zKaRCv_DjufdGO834ERFKxf _I9Uj7t4WTrWaHZjgsUILl4hsKPVeNtD0MtBIdwfqjCIuJI1OW yyaqoyZVgrkWaE8RGoFtBDc7Y56D9Y-j_JZhs/w126-h200/swinckels_superior_pilsner.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTY4gwMQt9hRreV8PFLtGfxvSbGz45SbcbiQTm6jWbxB NRQ9RhoQqZRdBa097hdfbHGVsg7zKaRCv_DjufdGO834ERFKxf _I9Uj7t4WTrWaHZjgsUILl4hsKPVeNtD0MtBIdwfqjCIuJI1OW yyaqoyZVgrkWaE8RGoFtBDc7Y56D9Y-j_JZhs/s3580/swinckels_superior_pilsner.jpg)Here the local giant Swinckels does a better job of holding on to bars' patronage, and on arrival at the hotel a complimentary glass of Swinckels Superior Pilsner was offered. It's a bit of a disaster, even by industrial lager standards, though analytical beer-judge types may find it instructive. Primarily there's a overriding flavour of buttered popcorn, which suggests both diacetyl and dimethyl sulfide to my untutored palate. It presents thickly and unpleasantly, thanks to a weighty gravity resulting in 5.3% ABV. Swinckels rebranded a few years ago from the former name of their flagship beer, Bavaria, and I'm wondering if this is the same stuff under a new label. I don't remember Bavaria being quite this awful, however.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp73CB9rSX1alx2k_djlV7vfBO88F4LF8q_GsGjOSw7_ QNz2zpCXtoQXM0AXu2rBKMaoOhfXIGQ_-BLEUUikp_TeSZUzgyDdNQdFyysyL_G7Eqi7lUMZASTD9viQ9uu urmwjCSK6NocH4D_QhBOuoEVTunjgzb1jUcUA2sFLzEW87WKPH Rrb4/w157-h200/st_joris_witte_geit_witbier_koppige_draak_tripel.j pg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp73CB9rSX1alx2k_djlV7vfBO88F4LF8q_GsGjOSw7_ QNz2zpCXtoQXM0AXu2rBKMaoOhfXIGQ_-BLEUUikp_TeSZUzgyDdNQdFyysyL_G7Eqi7lUMZASTD9viQ9uu urmwjCSK6NocH4D_QhBOuoEVTunjgzb1jUcUA2sFLzEW87WKPH Rrb4/s2870/st_joris_witte_geit_witbier_koppige_draak_tripel.j pg)As with many Dutch cities, there's a stadsbrouwerij in the centre: a grand municipal building housing a restaurant, function rooms and a brewer of mediocre beer. Breda's is in the Boterhal on the main market square and uses the St Joris marque. There's a witbier by the uncertain name of Witte Geit?? which is a clear dull yellow colour and tastes stale and sweaty, completely missing any of the soft wheatiness, citrus tang or exotic spicing that makes witbier worthwhile. At best it's dull; at worst acrid and moldy-tasting. Perhaps my expectations were too high with "mediocre".
To the right of it is the stubborn dragon Koppige Draak, a tripel which is 8.5% ABV but you'd never know from drinking it. The flavour is so understated as to resemble a basic pale lager, only the whiff of esters in the aroma marking it out as warm-fermented. There's some functional but nondescript banana and candy, but no warmth and no spice, again missing the fundamentals of the style. Were it not for that ABV it could pass as a middling Belgian-style blonde ale, though an entirely forgettable one. Did I mention the building is nice?
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTifOHGiRDUoGyWvGwn2Dnpim6olH-qVc6tre7gR8CFJllScczJ5focCsGajq4qBK27OKOGAKvgTUw5y RJUO8etqCJvYOjzSxoYbUrT-RHCh3VwFQ9j11RldM1ydSRvz4obtDprU6BHlIM4OGoJCMfjR80 9bi7aam_Wq5lb2DMaPH3atE_nE/w200-h189/amundsen_seven_island_blurred_emotions_ipa_drowned _lands_river_swell_dipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTifOHGiRDUoGyWvGwn2Dnpim6olH-qVc6tre7gR8CFJllScczJ5focCsGajq4qBK27OKOGAKvgTUw5y RJUO8etqCJvYOjzSxoYbUrT-RHCh3VwFQ9j11RldM1ydSRvz4obtDprU6BHlIM4OGoJCMfjR80 9bi7aam_Wq5lb2DMaPH3atE_nE/s2255/amundsen_seven_island_blurred_emotions_ipa_drowned _lands_river_swell_dipa.jpg)At the top of the restaurant-lined square is a fairly simple looking café called Zeezicht which happens to have the most interesting beer list in town. I opened my account here with Blurred Emotions, a 7% ABV New England-style IPA from Norwegian brewer Amundsen in collaboration with Seven Island of Corfu. This confirmed that my senses of smell and taste were still intact as there's a powerful and glorious fresh mandarin aroma. The flavour starts there but gets progressively bitterer, turning pithy but staying clean, bright and fresh. This is one of the too-rare sterotypical juicebombs; uncomplex but mouthwateringly good at what it does.
River Swell, to the right of it there, is a double IPA from The Drowned Lands brewery in New York state. This one is darkly hazy with a fruit candy aroma suggesting weighty richness to come. Surprisingly, then, it tastes quite serious and savoury, with elements of grass and spring onion, laced with a little nutmeg. It's fine as it goes, but doesn't compare at all favourably to the other one. I guess freshness is a factor again: northern European haze will always have the edge here in northern Europe.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcJ1mHr2LAf95Y1bY-CmKBVWxVwrZC-ForyX2mnQQbN_XKCAroXH_NRrlK5-AWxGtpG8FD5R2pBQwPHvxZk_7YjYfcyP_BVXhUhZAFPH_PnSy6 bJM-m0ZL5sOM9quRBbhDXSW3VeGouL7RbBpzQzyqm86yATTYN5gAOi lYsT_oM2CSKJw-TQ/w147-h200/beersalis_tripel.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcJ1mHr2LAf95Y1bY-CmKBVWxVwrZC-ForyX2mnQQbN_XKCAroXH_NRrlK5-AWxGtpG8FD5R2pBQwPHvxZk_7YjYfcyP_BVXhUhZAFPH_PnSy6 bJM-m0ZL5sOM9quRBbhDXSW3VeGouL7RbBpzQzyqm86yATTYN5gAOi lYsT_oM2CSKJw-TQ/s3065/beersalis_tripel.jpg)A Belgian followed: Bersalis Tripel, one from the non-sour arm of lambic brewer Oud Beersel. A bit like the one from down the street, this didn't look much like a tripel, served in a straight glass and looking for all the world like a clear golden lager. It is absolutely a tripel, however, being 9.5% ABV and brimming with esters and spices. The alcohol carries a lot of clove sweetness with a pinch of black pepper to bring a sharper balance. It's a satisfying sipper and nicely characterful in its own sweet and boozy way. I approve.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWJzG_MU9S11Zvm5JWDb_qBaWFwqzDl7QhGmjdLDxWD dl85nOtw3Q6ku6FkdgogvRrZUhLU3Ou91VXv44n3Wix2aFEDGH yMg9ra0tC4ohC2VCOnw8HSaGS1KzQtr3e38Pb4-uAuPz63RUWzQ-Er5u35FQ4xHnDyDpbjcUH8TKoSa8Ggnd37w/w147-h200/two_chefs_makeatutara_milkshake_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWJzG_MU9S11Zvm5JWDb_qBaWFwqzDl7QhGmjdLDxWD dl85nOtw3Q6ku6FkdgogvRrZUhLU3Ou91VXv44n3Wix2aFEDGH yMg9ra0tC4ohC2VCOnw8HSaGS1KzQtr3e38Pb4-uAuPz63RUWzQ-Er5u35FQ4xHnDyDpbjcUH8TKoSa8Ggnd37w/s3080/two_chefs_makeatutara_milkshake_ipa.jpg)Not far away is Studio Dependance bar, which seems a bit clubby but does open during the day and has a very decent beer list. So why I ordered a milkshake IPA remains a mystery. This is Makeatutara from Two Chefs, 6% ABV and an opaque orange colour. There's a sharp citrus zest in the aroma, while the flavour piles lemon and grapefruit over any lactose sweetness. A sticky smack on the lips is the only milkshakey thing about it so I feel I got off lightly. What remains is a tasty hazy IPA, one that's possibly even a little more bitter than the norm. Fine by me.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ouGSw9AvdbxhjomkIwQts2OPbXvAuxrRRLnW94xLnn gBHNmRvuU2itYdteQIc491T5dJ4DWe9AjvngSKtdVEGvVbIZIS SSYUo_LKSADsLg-MMz0jPjMy2ihAH1wHOi0lJ_HnZGbTMIJxzNJV8E5IofO2f5JcV gLEGAmY8F1ztr1BcORHNzU/w200-h164/eleven_beer_camp_glamping_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ouGSw9AvdbxhjomkIwQts2OPbXvAuxrRRLnW94xLnn gBHNmRvuU2itYdteQIc491T5dJ4DWe9AjvngSKtdVEGvVbIZIS SSYUo_LKSADsLg-MMz0jPjMy2ihAH1wHOi0lJ_HnZGbTMIJxzNJV8E5IofO2f5JcV gLEGAmY8F1ztr1BcORHNzU/s2225/eleven_beer_camp_glamping_ipa.jpg)Finally, in one of the town's good beer shops (Bier Lokaal, the other being Het Bierhuis) I picked up a can of an intriguing 16-way collaboration beer called Glamping IPA, brewed by Brouwerij Eleven in Utrecht but with input from, well, everyone who's anyone in Dutch microbrewing. So it was a surprise how tame it was. If anyone brought silly ideas to the table they were shouted down, resulting in a 5.5% ABV hazy number, broadly juicy with a dry and crisp finish. The name comes from a purported suitability for going camping, and I can see that: it's for drinking when your mind is on other things, like the weather and the holes in your tent.
Breda's own local microbrewery was not on the Glamping list. What we found on our visit there follows next.
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/10/top-to-bottom.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWc68jgkPD4Bt31eiTR4tvjANWiTRNuN6I-R9DAWGJRFaUNShiamyTWanaH0ndbBf6PAC9cKLZkNNnYEu2FTs OKuSiAyCATdTUGw4WHCD-aGvviLUdx6eo8NEtnZl6ISbtsY1pmzuCzzMxkzKQVvZviFxnh5 fVQ2Blz-PyoBVHKrWXl__MuNY/s320/groningen_sign.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWc68jgkPD4Bt31eiTR4tvjANWiTRNuN6I-R9DAWGJRFaUNShiamyTWanaH0ndbBf6PAC9cKLZkNNnYEu2FTs OKuSiAyCATdTUGw4WHCD-aGvviLUdx6eo8NEtnZl6ISbtsY1pmzuCzzMxkzKQVvZviFxnh5 fVQ2Blz-PyoBVHKrWXl__MuNY/s3276/groningen_sign.jpg)Groningen is a tightly-packed and bustling little city in the north of the Netherlands, home to a university so, in mid-September at least, packed with students in a way that gives it a youthful energy. I visited for the sole reason I had never been to this part of the world before and wanted to give it the once-over.
From a beer perspective, however, it's not very exciting, at least based on my quite possibly flawed investigations. I expected local macro Grolsch to be utterly dominant in the way that local big breweries tend to be, but that one seems to be suffering hugely under the relentless onslaught of Heineken and AB InBev whose signage and big brands were omnipresent.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0g4b2GeKwLrN_Q353SDqFH0HnM_s2tNI_HhBbaXMx1C w9SQo_4m5loJuQWHgHe-fnTImCQgb01JBWpWXFG5MYhxA2XT4hTVXBD2ZKA9Rx1GjHMkLu bojGS4u9DrX7gueglTAmoeIqJB_C5OCl-EEpRmk-veUOJabHQW6b9YCxqbDvI5hN0T8/w151-h200/duchesse_de_bourgogne.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0g4b2GeKwLrN_Q353SDqFH0HnM_s2tNI_HhBbaXMx1C w9SQo_4m5loJuQWHgHe-fnTImCQgb01JBWpWXFG5MYhxA2XT4hTVXBD2ZKA9Rx1GjHMkLu bojGS4u9DrX7gueglTAmoeIqJB_C5OCl-EEpRmk-veUOJabHQW6b9YCxqbDvI5hN0T8/s2985/duchesse_de_bourgogne.jpg)The only pub of note I have for you is a slightly shabby but still charming Belgian-themed café called Pintelier, and even then I'm not sure I'd recommend that you go out of your way for it. I opened with a beer I'm sure I've had on occasions in the past but don't seem to have ever written a review of: Duchesse du Bourgogne. This commonplace Flanders red is 6.2% ABV and a dark garnet colour. It's thick and sparkly, like some kind of liqueur-infused champagne cocktail and tastes of raspberry balsamic with a dash of soy sauce and lots of sweet-sour oak seasoning for a mature vinous note. What it's not is sour: where I was expecting a proper tang I found it smooth and warming, and as such I wouldn't place it above the likes of Rodenbach. It's decent though, and worked well at an otherwise bare table in a dusty corner on an autumnal afternoon.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQQOYk9q6blmU09POamFeLurfmzG3NOCh9KoRtqkzNw tbTwZicuhd23GSqOnbzAcPhMW3GSdTmdj7FBMazuEAvk467t-mpjC6aHE7kPdwIlMNe5xhNhPZppRQDBbG8IYhmHwFgmoGGke7o NfN6OwZtMx83FWyyvJ3XD_suR-vMAnDRxOkKmI/w144-h200/mallust_de_vagebond_vienna_bier.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQQOYk9q6blmU09POamFeLurfmzG3NOCh9KoRtqkzNw tbTwZicuhd23GSqOnbzAcPhMW3GSdTmdj7FBMazuEAvk467t-mpjC6aHE7kPdwIlMNe5xhNhPZppRQDBbG8IYhmHwFgmoGGke7o NfN6OwZtMx83FWyyvJ3XD_suR-vMAnDRxOkKmI/s3125/mallust_de_vagebond_vienna_bier.jpg)The single vaguely local beer I drank was from Brouwerij Maallust in nearby Veenhuizen, a Vienna lager called De Vagebond. It's a beer style which can be a point of some contention, and this one was a very strong representative of how it's popularly understood: dark amber and with a huge biscuit aroma, leading into flavours of rich chocolate, oatcakes and raisin. A pinch of noble-hop vegetation adds to the Mitteleuropa feel, although I detected a whiff of Belgian esters too, which is much less typical. Overall, I enjoyed it, and the bigness of its character in general. If this is broadly what you'd expect Vienna lager to be it won't leave you disappointed.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimE2pXJqRz-VVEO5NBqJn7twFOH_J6ZEXiw_e8ssOhaCSmDSINpAHB4Br9Y5-RWBBPcr9hljP_Si5jcRLTQ6L2rmVIOTP3fWeh2rblBhaRdvt7L cDUDZHe71LVAi4gsO9kN9nm4tI7QJNYTdo1b0HlbziQQwjQAwa ka5uHjRbSDigzuvCtegE/w132-h200/gulpener_ur-weizen.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimE2pXJqRz-VVEO5NBqJn7twFOH_J6ZEXiw_e8ssOhaCSmDSINpAHB4Br9Y5-RWBBPcr9hljP_Si5jcRLTQ6L2rmVIOTP3fWeh2rblBhaRdvt7L cDUDZHe71LVAi4gsO9kN9nm4tI7QJNYTdo1b0HlbziQQwjQAwa ka5uHjRbSDigzuvCtegE/s3435/gulpener_ur-weizen.jpg)Large independent Gulpener is about as far from Groningen as a brewery can be while still being Dutch, situated away down in the tail end of Limburg. I happened across their Gulpener Ur-Weizen in one restaurant, finding it a patriotic shade of orange and rather basic in the flavour department, with mild banana and subtle cloves, set on a base that's far too thin for 5.3% ABV. I guess they're aiming to copy the more severe north-German sort of Weizen, rather than any luxurious Bavarian. As such, it's decent but not very distinctive, even by weissbier standards.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZauylJ_y9_9p12pQ2tV8_DTDxOWPEWiDGkCWexAman CHd-m5S8Tg4yt-2sjNtjpLUOcOCYrcyC9hVIFrjWssXHa0LClfgps2K0dzk37iX3-wRkkAIO8lmEXxhtLB4OATtXxd4yoiO0hO4rwc5pVcLZncoVvje g3l3mnmjY2FY-Gik2Jwkyk/w131-h200/coopers_xpa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZauylJ_y9_9p12pQ2tV8_DTDxOWPEWiDGkCWexAman CHd-m5S8Tg4yt-2sjNtjpLUOcOCYrcyC9hVIFrjWssXHa0LClfgps2K0dzk37iX3-wRkkAIO8lmEXxhtLB4OATtXxd4yoiO0hO4rwc5pVcLZncoVvje g3l3mnmjY2FY-Gik2Jwkyk/s3470/coopers_xpa.jpg)And if that's not far enough south, the next two should be, found on the menu of the pleasant antipodean theme restaurant Pacific. Coopers XPA defies the basic requirement of Extra Pale Ale by not being pale at all, but a deep shade of orange. It's quite strong at 5.3% ABV and murky in the old-fashioned naturally-conditioned way, rather than deliberate haze. It may be a function of the distance it's travelled, but the hops seemed to have been aged out of this, leaving that orangey boiled-sweet effect which always suggests expired freshness to me. There's lots of sweet malt left, however, which has a certain charm but renders it unbalanced. I had hoped for zing, but either traditional old Coopers doesn't do zing, or else the zing disembarked somewhere around the equator.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy3rdyw-jlE1p9qY03GgCqKl5Z77NunFgYhcqMRlyWP8Jb05VOt2Oe09Wu VDkzmAZW38kSy5L9IkhAwRjYWrcM7lWVUW5WDIkayu8UU3R9YU sBHyo6bAnwKHVXKYznO2OX_GPdXzXX24d6nYbZW6u6B2gG_pPk zDgQxUi99IBqA0WdT_MyJE/w136-h200/coopers_session_ale.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy3rdyw-jlE1p9qY03GgCqKl5Z77NunFgYhcqMRlyWP8Jb05VOt2Oe09Wu VDkzmAZW38kSy5L9IkhAwRjYWrcM7lWVUW5WDIkayu8UU3R9YU sBHyo6bAnwKHVXKYznO2OX_GPdXzXX24d6nYbZW6u6B2gG_pPk zDgQxUi99IBqA0WdT_MyJE/s3100/coopers_session_ale.jpg)Let's see if they fare any better with a Session Ale. The pale haze gives it an altogether more modern look, and at 4.2% ABV meets the sessionable specification. I got a little hint of zesty zing in the aroma but the body isn't big enough to carry that into the flavour, and there isn't the malt character to offer anything much else. The haze does make itself felt as a savoury grittiness that didn't help the overall picture. It wasn't unpleasant but is one of those beers where "sessionable" comes dangerously close to "boring".
And that's it for Groningen. It was stop one on a two-week, six-city jaunt about the Low Countries, featuring side-trips and events all of which I'll get to in the forthcoming posts. A week after we started we found ourselves in Breda, down where the Netherlands borders on Belgium.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTY4gwMQt9hRreV8PFLtGfxvSbGz45SbcbiQTm6jWbxB NRQ9RhoQqZRdBa097hdfbHGVsg7zKaRCv_DjufdGO834ERFKxf _I9Uj7t4WTrWaHZjgsUILl4hsKPVeNtD0MtBIdwfqjCIuJI1OW yyaqoyZVgrkWaE8RGoFtBDc7Y56D9Y-j_JZhs/w126-h200/swinckels_superior_pilsner.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTY4gwMQt9hRreV8PFLtGfxvSbGz45SbcbiQTm6jWbxB NRQ9RhoQqZRdBa097hdfbHGVsg7zKaRCv_DjufdGO834ERFKxf _I9Uj7t4WTrWaHZjgsUILl4hsKPVeNtD0MtBIdwfqjCIuJI1OW yyaqoyZVgrkWaE8RGoFtBDc7Y56D9Y-j_JZhs/s3580/swinckels_superior_pilsner.jpg)Here the local giant Swinckels does a better job of holding on to bars' patronage, and on arrival at the hotel a complimentary glass of Swinckels Superior Pilsner was offered. It's a bit of a disaster, even by industrial lager standards, though analytical beer-judge types may find it instructive. Primarily there's a overriding flavour of buttered popcorn, which suggests both diacetyl and dimethyl sulfide to my untutored palate. It presents thickly and unpleasantly, thanks to a weighty gravity resulting in 5.3% ABV. Swinckels rebranded a few years ago from the former name of their flagship beer, Bavaria, and I'm wondering if this is the same stuff under a new label. I don't remember Bavaria being quite this awful, however.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp73CB9rSX1alx2k_djlV7vfBO88F4LF8q_GsGjOSw7_ QNz2zpCXtoQXM0AXu2rBKMaoOhfXIGQ_-BLEUUikp_TeSZUzgyDdNQdFyysyL_G7Eqi7lUMZASTD9viQ9uu urmwjCSK6NocH4D_QhBOuoEVTunjgzb1jUcUA2sFLzEW87WKPH Rrb4/w157-h200/st_joris_witte_geit_witbier_koppige_draak_tripel.j pg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp73CB9rSX1alx2k_djlV7vfBO88F4LF8q_GsGjOSw7_ QNz2zpCXtoQXM0AXu2rBKMaoOhfXIGQ_-BLEUUikp_TeSZUzgyDdNQdFyysyL_G7Eqi7lUMZASTD9viQ9uu urmwjCSK6NocH4D_QhBOuoEVTunjgzb1jUcUA2sFLzEW87WKPH Rrb4/s2870/st_joris_witte_geit_witbier_koppige_draak_tripel.j pg)As with many Dutch cities, there's a stadsbrouwerij in the centre: a grand municipal building housing a restaurant, function rooms and a brewer of mediocre beer. Breda's is in the Boterhal on the main market square and uses the St Joris marque. There's a witbier by the uncertain name of Witte Geit?? which is a clear dull yellow colour and tastes stale and sweaty, completely missing any of the soft wheatiness, citrus tang or exotic spicing that makes witbier worthwhile. At best it's dull; at worst acrid and moldy-tasting. Perhaps my expectations were too high with "mediocre".
To the right of it is the stubborn dragon Koppige Draak, a tripel which is 8.5% ABV but you'd never know from drinking it. The flavour is so understated as to resemble a basic pale lager, only the whiff of esters in the aroma marking it out as warm-fermented. There's some functional but nondescript banana and candy, but no warmth and no spice, again missing the fundamentals of the style. Were it not for that ABV it could pass as a middling Belgian-style blonde ale, though an entirely forgettable one. Did I mention the building is nice?
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTifOHGiRDUoGyWvGwn2Dnpim6olH-qVc6tre7gR8CFJllScczJ5focCsGajq4qBK27OKOGAKvgTUw5y RJUO8etqCJvYOjzSxoYbUrT-RHCh3VwFQ9j11RldM1ydSRvz4obtDprU6BHlIM4OGoJCMfjR80 9bi7aam_Wq5lb2DMaPH3atE_nE/w200-h189/amundsen_seven_island_blurred_emotions_ipa_drowned _lands_river_swell_dipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTifOHGiRDUoGyWvGwn2Dnpim6olH-qVc6tre7gR8CFJllScczJ5focCsGajq4qBK27OKOGAKvgTUw5y RJUO8etqCJvYOjzSxoYbUrT-RHCh3VwFQ9j11RldM1ydSRvz4obtDprU6BHlIM4OGoJCMfjR80 9bi7aam_Wq5lb2DMaPH3atE_nE/s2255/amundsen_seven_island_blurred_emotions_ipa_drowned _lands_river_swell_dipa.jpg)At the top of the restaurant-lined square is a fairly simple looking café called Zeezicht which happens to have the most interesting beer list in town. I opened my account here with Blurred Emotions, a 7% ABV New England-style IPA from Norwegian brewer Amundsen in collaboration with Seven Island of Corfu. This confirmed that my senses of smell and taste were still intact as there's a powerful and glorious fresh mandarin aroma. The flavour starts there but gets progressively bitterer, turning pithy but staying clean, bright and fresh. This is one of the too-rare sterotypical juicebombs; uncomplex but mouthwateringly good at what it does.
River Swell, to the right of it there, is a double IPA from The Drowned Lands brewery in New York state. This one is darkly hazy with a fruit candy aroma suggesting weighty richness to come. Surprisingly, then, it tastes quite serious and savoury, with elements of grass and spring onion, laced with a little nutmeg. It's fine as it goes, but doesn't compare at all favourably to the other one. I guess freshness is a factor again: northern European haze will always have the edge here in northern Europe.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcJ1mHr2LAf95Y1bY-CmKBVWxVwrZC-ForyX2mnQQbN_XKCAroXH_NRrlK5-AWxGtpG8FD5R2pBQwPHvxZk_7YjYfcyP_BVXhUhZAFPH_PnSy6 bJM-m0ZL5sOM9quRBbhDXSW3VeGouL7RbBpzQzyqm86yATTYN5gAOi lYsT_oM2CSKJw-TQ/w147-h200/beersalis_tripel.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcJ1mHr2LAf95Y1bY-CmKBVWxVwrZC-ForyX2mnQQbN_XKCAroXH_NRrlK5-AWxGtpG8FD5R2pBQwPHvxZk_7YjYfcyP_BVXhUhZAFPH_PnSy6 bJM-m0ZL5sOM9quRBbhDXSW3VeGouL7RbBpzQzyqm86yATTYN5gAOi lYsT_oM2CSKJw-TQ/s3065/beersalis_tripel.jpg)A Belgian followed: Bersalis Tripel, one from the non-sour arm of lambic brewer Oud Beersel. A bit like the one from down the street, this didn't look much like a tripel, served in a straight glass and looking for all the world like a clear golden lager. It is absolutely a tripel, however, being 9.5% ABV and brimming with esters and spices. The alcohol carries a lot of clove sweetness with a pinch of black pepper to bring a sharper balance. It's a satisfying sipper and nicely characterful in its own sweet and boozy way. I approve.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWJzG_MU9S11Zvm5JWDb_qBaWFwqzDl7QhGmjdLDxWD dl85nOtw3Q6ku6FkdgogvRrZUhLU3Ou91VXv44n3Wix2aFEDGH yMg9ra0tC4ohC2VCOnw8HSaGS1KzQtr3e38Pb4-uAuPz63RUWzQ-Er5u35FQ4xHnDyDpbjcUH8TKoSa8Ggnd37w/w147-h200/two_chefs_makeatutara_milkshake_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWJzG_MU9S11Zvm5JWDb_qBaWFwqzDl7QhGmjdLDxWD dl85nOtw3Q6ku6FkdgogvRrZUhLU3Ou91VXv44n3Wix2aFEDGH yMg9ra0tC4ohC2VCOnw8HSaGS1KzQtr3e38Pb4-uAuPz63RUWzQ-Er5u35FQ4xHnDyDpbjcUH8TKoSa8Ggnd37w/s3080/two_chefs_makeatutara_milkshake_ipa.jpg)Not far away is Studio Dependance bar, which seems a bit clubby but does open during the day and has a very decent beer list. So why I ordered a milkshake IPA remains a mystery. This is Makeatutara from Two Chefs, 6% ABV and an opaque orange colour. There's a sharp citrus zest in the aroma, while the flavour piles lemon and grapefruit over any lactose sweetness. A sticky smack on the lips is the only milkshakey thing about it so I feel I got off lightly. What remains is a tasty hazy IPA, one that's possibly even a little more bitter than the norm. Fine by me.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ouGSw9AvdbxhjomkIwQts2OPbXvAuxrRRLnW94xLnn gBHNmRvuU2itYdteQIc491T5dJ4DWe9AjvngSKtdVEGvVbIZIS SSYUo_LKSADsLg-MMz0jPjMy2ihAH1wHOi0lJ_HnZGbTMIJxzNJV8E5IofO2f5JcV gLEGAmY8F1ztr1BcORHNzU/w200-h164/eleven_beer_camp_glamping_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ouGSw9AvdbxhjomkIwQts2OPbXvAuxrRRLnW94xLnn gBHNmRvuU2itYdteQIc491T5dJ4DWe9AjvngSKtdVEGvVbIZIS SSYUo_LKSADsLg-MMz0jPjMy2ihAH1wHOi0lJ_HnZGbTMIJxzNJV8E5IofO2f5JcV gLEGAmY8F1ztr1BcORHNzU/s2225/eleven_beer_camp_glamping_ipa.jpg)Finally, in one of the town's good beer shops (Bier Lokaal, the other being Het Bierhuis) I picked up a can of an intriguing 16-way collaboration beer called Glamping IPA, brewed by Brouwerij Eleven in Utrecht but with input from, well, everyone who's anyone in Dutch microbrewing. So it was a surprise how tame it was. If anyone brought silly ideas to the table they were shouted down, resulting in a 5.5% ABV hazy number, broadly juicy with a dry and crisp finish. The name comes from a purported suitability for going camping, and I can see that: it's for drinking when your mind is on other things, like the weather and the holes in your tent.
Breda's own local microbrewery was not on the Glamping list. What we found on our visit there follows next.
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/10/top-to-bottom.html)