Blog Tracker
24-10-2022, 07:30
Visit The Beer Nut site (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/10/back-with-bang.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclRihAwrLCA-WUaEPL40vpkttcnQmbua3C4rrAS_caYASeR0dBjRYhhk14MzyJ zQUznHCZtI7D0fR2-nFa8rnFXCGQ3F9jLH1tHzuy5dJuJM9yTUeGdSCnp-CJk_yHAwnSt7OTimDslZGZn7_D58Sh6SWB8cX58V9TMrDchdab lvSoGJAxXw/w200-h178/borefts_pipers.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclRihAwrLCA-WUaEPL40vpkttcnQmbua3C4rrAS_caYASeR0dBjRYhhk14MzyJ zQUznHCZtI7D0fR2-nFa8rnFXCGQ3F9jLH1tHzuy5dJuJM9yTUeGdSCnp-CJk_yHAwnSt7OTimDslZGZn7_D58Sh6SWB8cX58V9TMrDchdab lvSoGJAxXw/s2418/borefts_pipers.jpg)Despite the two-year absence it all seemed very business-as-usual at the 2022 Borefts beer festival. Once again the De Molen brewery in Bodegraven hosted a hand-picked selection of local and international brewers, with a slight emphasis on what used to be deemed strange and wacky recipes but these days is simply what beer is. It'll take me a while to get through everything and I'm starting today with the host's own beers and whatever else there was from elsewhere in the Netherlands.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBKAp5WjH7sl89S0pcrWhuUOGsnBsM-asVwctmVlXIhLyMYMHHEir7vmfiFnp0P3UN4TVhIIQGdkAbKA0 MqhcCtNbOq4AylaytzEOLGNG3qEoam9L2BvLX73txx6Yo4mkGb _5f_HJnI8Xe_niOy9oswaGTZ31Qi3OzggTJkvHwC9otRDtAYc/w127-h200/de_molen_doric_dutch_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBKAp5WjH7sl89S0pcrWhuUOGsnBsM-asVwctmVlXIhLyMYMHHEir7vmfiFnp0P3UN4TVhIIQGdkAbKA0 MqhcCtNbOq4AylaytzEOLGNG3qEoam9L2BvLX73txx6Yo4mkGb _5f_HJnI8Xe_niOy9oswaGTZ31Qi3OzggTJkvHwC9otRDtAYc/s3545/de_molen_doric_dutch_stout.jpg)De Molen took the opportunity to launch a new beer, a collaboration with BrewDog called Doric & Dutch. I'm happy to have spent enough time in northeast Scotland to understand the name (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doric_dialect_(Scotland)). In the festival programme it's billed simply as a stout at 7.2% ABV and I was concerned that I might have been given the wrong beer when I brought it back to the table. What I got tasted strongly of gingerbread, and subsequent research revealed that it is indeed brewed with "gingerbread spices". That gives it an odd but not unpleasant aftershave aroma and then an even odder ginger and cinnamon taste. The base beer is a light and chocolatey stout which I think would be better without the enhancement. It's fine: far from De Molen's best work and perhaps not deserving of the troop of bagpipers who brought in the first KeyKeg, but as a sweet spiced stout it does the job.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrnENDUp8MaxeLgkdCAzmy-ajmmVbxI2iJeu71SpIR9GKmtIf5TxQYlDyPikR1-TwIJuB1KwfYt6Kbo_03qL1PkoJL6UvRQwrTAvXoGXK6-NL6CjWAnn4RJ04gbjF_YMijtPWzoTqNMY6iwxl0AnZnd2lSCQc 0ANY_k2F6gmJ8dCcCvlanGA/w127-h200/de_molen_hel_verdoemenis_blood_orange_imperial_sto ut.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrnENDUp8MaxeLgkdCAzmy-ajmmVbxI2iJeu71SpIR9GKmtIf5TxQYlDyPikR1-TwIJuB1KwfYt6Kbo_03qL1PkoJL6UvRQwrTAvXoGXK6-NL6CjWAnn4RJ04gbjF_YMijtPWzoTqNMY6iwxl0AnZnd2lSCQc 0ANY_k2F6gmJ8dCcCvlanGA/s3565/de_molen_hel_verdoemenis_blood_orange_imperial_sto ut.jpg)De Molen seems to have got a bulk deal on blood oranges, or possibly blood orange syrup, because it featured heavily in two of the beers. First, good old Hel & Verdoemenis got the Blood Orange treatment which completely buried the imperial stout but created something new and quite fun. The density that comes from 10% ABV gives it an oily Terry's Chocolate Orange effect. There's not much else to it other than big chocolate and big orange, and it's certainly not an improvement on plain H&D. The underlying quality shines through the gimmickry, however.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjPaFWl2oXL95m04aqtWtvggAAi1Y3SvgpoJPMtzp-EqwvulHiFJYZeifh86VUB67WOdSiX35NrUaq-b5hSWPX6_Ix13FfqA_ZootV5Hh1Bf6XvY5Ot7z-qknmsBkiCDGrUdtHss8wUwrHZQzUbOdMgQvxoJVlmOlYFY5hIL fqoOKfrWc3E8/w127-h200/de_molen_kruid_koek_blood_orange_quadrupel.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjPaFWl2oXL95m04aqtWtvggAAi1Y3SvgpoJPMtzp-EqwvulHiFJYZeifh86VUB67WOdSiX35NrUaq-b5hSWPX6_Ix13FfqA_ZootV5Hh1Bf6XvY5Ot7z-qknmsBkiCDGrUdtHss8wUwrHZQzUbOdMgQvxoJVlmOlYFY5hIL fqoOKfrWc3E8/s3555/de_molen_kruid_koek_blood_orange_quadrupel.jpg)The n there was Kruid & Koek, a quadrupel, though a bit of a lightweight at only 8.5% ABV. Here the bonus ingredient comes across as fresh and zesty, giving me an instant flashback to bitty Club Orange or Orangina. Even more than in the stout, the base beer disappears under the fruit onslaught, and really it could be any style at any strength. Quadrupel rarely impresses me, and even making one that doesn't taste like quadrupel isn't helping. A lighter touch on the orange is needed.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhca_t735bDeKnfant_5gcRv0miMf8p_7TYShgUCm_GOJ onfbxqvCqwt2xsGQO3lT2fJYrHegZWP9b0g7ikBzEbdEfH8uyz rcDbGF0fIeYFeya8Z8jhn8RS6Wh7XnUiBi8OAZuN1QqIRkX1cu xsn69nWAiiSUdiezdBaSV7xuZadgTURBICKfU/w128-h200/de_molen_heidi_peter_imperial_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhca_t735bDeKnfant_5gcRv0miMf8p_7TYShgUCm_GOJ onfbxqvCqwt2xsGQO3lT2fJYrHegZWP9b0g7ikBzEbdEfH8uyz rcDbGF0fIeYFeya8Z8jhn8RS6Wh7XnUiBi8OAZuN1QqIRkX1cu xsn69nWAiiSUdiezdBaSV7xuZadgTURBICKfU/s3530/de_molen_heidi_peter_imperial_stout.jpg)Time to get back to basics, and Heidi & Peter is the sort of thing De Molen can be relied upon to do well. It's an 11.4% ABV imperial stout with added honey and aged in bourbon barrels. There's a sumptuous chocolate-cake richness to it, made into even more of a dessert by a hint of coconut which I assume derives from the barrels. It was marked in the programme simply as "vintage" and I don't know how old it was, though I did detect a slight autolytic twang, but very much in the "adding character" sense rather than the "ruining the beer" one.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bmr-beeJwfuJHs_Mo3YLuo9dC08OtsYq7dWjZQcMws0MFqDiiY53__ 9VuxMmSUfl9AFuOV4p4ntzauu7RO9ZCU8emmchJdMiMqbp_Oik 5Enle9wdCUqY1r_CdcKnb4lxyPBZCIRdLWNdXnrJrUT_KmO1ld vxHK6evJoQfc_c_jK3MYnOwcM/w118-h200/de_molen_ice_age_eisbock.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bmr-beeJwfuJHs_Mo3YLuo9dC08OtsYq7dWjZQcMws0MFqDiiY53__ 9VuxMmSUfl9AFuOV4p4ntzauu7RO9ZCU8emmchJdMiMqbp_Oik 5Enle9wdCUqY1r_CdcKnb4lxyPBZCIRdLWNdXnrJrUT_KmO1ld vxHK6evJoQfc_c_jK3MYnOwcM/s1900/de_molen_ice_age_eisbock.jpg)From there we progress to an 18% ABV icebock called Ice & Age. This dark brown number started life as a doppelbock before being strengthened by freeze-distilling. It really seems to have concentrated the doppelbock characteristics too, with an aroma of fig paste and a powerful fruitcake flavour. In fact, more than a German lager it reminded me of Belgian dark ale, with similar sorts of fruity esters. As such, I began to find it difficult to drink after a few sips, though at that strength that's probably no bad thing.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTRAmCBdWbmQkaJhcuoiojw4hdMXfJFO4tGHlvFrnB7 UP1m5xiD2M5DL0cecYpSV1NJF_NP_nEv5or3aoHvFwvLmhWqTe frksyoCc5FEuN5U19dCMxujCkPuh9YXQUvXub02VfxJxYmdXP7 e36_AYn7r3GlKW8NjaZA5dhikyc-xBifHiRxc/w120-h200/de_molen_water_vuur_hazy_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTRAmCBdWbmQkaJhcuoiojw4hdMXfJFO4tGHlvFrnB7 UP1m5xiD2M5DL0cecYpSV1NJF_NP_nEv5or3aoHvFwvLmhWqTe frksyoCc5FEuN5U19dCMxujCkPuh9YXQUvXub02VfxJxYmdXP7 e36_AYn7r3GlKW8NjaZA5dhikyc-xBifHiRxc/s3780/de_molen_water_vuur_hazy_ipa.jpg)I finished my De Molen beers, and indeed the 2022 festival, up at the brewery windmill where De Molen had taken the bar to itself. Here I give my palate a bit of a reset with a 6% ABV hazy IPA called Water & Vuur. This had a bit of dankness, a bit of funk, and some citric high notes, all perfectly acceptable in an IPA. It's not the brewery's forte, however, and it shows. While there's nothing wrong with it, it doesn't really stand out, especially when compared with some other hoppy stuff available from the guests.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfLyyU7BBRAPb91gMNM5PylDgiDpBrSTzsGJv4IZDY1 OYQru8PH-DIN86M4SUvI8k8tdOgYaruv4burA_-M34kK5ex-DWJl2XJxAl_PvbUd7Y23cTYF0n5iXYPdFNrW1LAbMRwwJi4upk KqsUvsSlzbVhzaB_oYLasoa_nQBUpM6SvRdUmUw/w139-h200/de_molen_mill_wherry.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfLyyU7BBRAPb91gMNM5PylDgiDpBrSTzsGJv4IZDY1 OYQru8PH-DIN86M4SUvI8k8tdOgYaruv4burA_-M34kK5ex-DWJl2XJxAl_PvbUd7Y23cTYF0n5iXYPdFNrW1LAbMRwwJi4upk KqsUvsSlzbVhzaB_oYLasoa_nQBUpM6SvRdUmUw/s3270/de_molen_mill_wherry.jpg)Normal service resumes with Mill & Wherry, a 13.8% ABV imperial stout brewed in collaboration with Polish brewer Piwoteka. Rowanberry, I've just read, is the special ingredient here. What I got was a spicy cinnamon, tonka bean and nutmeg kick in the foretaste, with chocolate around the edges and a dry chilli-skin burn. It's a little rough and there's a touch of staleness, however that may have crept in. It's still decent, though, and whetted my appetite for something even bigger.
My last beer, then, was Kaal & Krul, 15.7% ABV and aged on Bowmore whisky casks. The result is soft and devilishly smooth, with warming notes of port and sweet vermouth. Scotch barrels can result in harsh spirit flavours but there's none of that here: the strength is apparent from the texture but not from any heat. There's a honeyish character at the centre which grows as it goes, threatening to make it overly sweet, though fortunately it doesn't follow through. I picked well for a beer to finish on, though appear to have been in too much of a hurry to photograph it.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXKAVXJ5liZAXG_jyRa4I89LcwujwqkCN3AFAMBNTT4 pTqLsnxnzCi0HUTY37uq8xDGX6eaLAuJQZFJIbu9xwx5ach2WS qH5r2FZZOc5pG-nl84ZyuBycPzDShdERMmOawKXuYPPIZhp4ZE8JrjBEf2MvmcXy SQbFQXWL7gZ9ppe6hydypY4/w200-h156/moersleutel_crank_crank_the_juice_juice_nedipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXKAVXJ5liZAXG_jyRa4I89LcwujwqkCN3AFAMBNTT4 pTqLsnxnzCi0HUTY37uq8xDGX6eaLAuJQZFJIbu9xwx5ach2WS qH5r2FZZOc5pG-nl84ZyuBycPzDShdERMmOawKXuYPPIZhp4ZE8JrjBEf2MvmcXy SQbFQXWL7gZ9ppe6hydypY4/s2898/moersleutel_crank_crank_the_juice_juice_nedipa.jpg )But while I'm finished with De Molen for now, there was much else to be sampled from the Dutch guests. An early pick on the second day was Crank Crank the Juice Juice double IPA (the single version is called "Crank the Juice", obviously) from Moersleutel. I was drawn to it because I really only know the brewery for their strong and dark stuff, and wanted to see how they fared with hops. Brilliantly, it turned out. This 8%-er absolutely delivers on the name and genuinely tastes like freshly-squeezed orange juice, down to the slightly bitty texture. Behind this sits a weighty green dankness and a luxurious alcohol heat. In a bigger measure it might get a bit cloying, but I think I'd take the chance.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX28mtzwuPiG1SmCfqPmmRb0z3xGP-hYeEOo_eO89Op49h76bCgqAHPuAMmvzko4OFwkPneN1KjaLAPu MW2z2pyop92ZFOOk3-NHuRz9Ni8OTZ40-N8mUDcBumPJbjx2qpZVzeJxrvzCvsMnK8v6e6oHCtBpjWVMyXr uqQOI-2LmEdWAOQYc/w121-h200/eleven_toko_pedis_lombokbok.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX28mtzwuPiG1SmCfqPmmRb0z3xGP-hYeEOo_eO89Op49h76bCgqAHPuAMmvzko4OFwkPneN1KjaLAPu MW2z2pyop92ZFOOk3-NHuRz9Ni8OTZ40-N8mUDcBumPJbjx2qpZVzeJxrvzCvsMnK8v6e6oHCtBpjWVMyXr uqQOI-2LmEdWAOQYc/s3625/eleven_toko_pedis_lombokbok.jpg)I mentioned Brouwerij Eleven last Monday (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/10/top-to-bottom.html), in reference to their multicollaborational Glamping IPA. It looks like they've also collaborated with a local Indonesian restaurant in Utrecht, Toko Pedis, to create Lombokbok, a doppelbock with added chilli pepper and coconut. It's still copper coloured and more than meets the spec strengthwise at 8% ABV. There's a worrying touch of vinegar in the aroma so it was a big surprise to find the flavour opening on concentrated strawberry jam. Then there's a hard hop bitterness, some herbal spicing and tart berries. All the things, basically. Too many of the things, really, and I'm not sure this beer knows what it's meant to be. It's certainly not a doppelbock any more. Maybe it works with food but on its own it was just too weird.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK0TafUuwaDDcfLEz4R1TM-dcVHECgKEFyitti9mlXY-T5bE7d0NuJdL9j0o3c4QUAnzIqujlPa5WAcCz1YHd_jr-RMJry5KHCYhSrpoRwFxaLXJM0dbGro_KBLvqzQLSJewMSztFdW Hc1G8geA-uJJSWotzyCC28Uku1v5hKXSA2la8cc3E/w160-h200/eleven_ba_kriek.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK0TafUuwaDDcfLEz4R1TM-dcVHECgKEFyitti9mlXY-T5bE7d0NuJdL9j0o3c4QUAnzIqujlPa5WAcCz1YHd_jr-RMJry5KHCYhSrpoRwFxaLXJM0dbGro_KBLvqzQLSJewMSztFdW Hc1G8geA-uJJSWotzyCC28Uku1v5hKXSA2la8cc3E/s2815/eleven_ba_kriek.jpg)Eleven also teamed up with a wine distributor to create BA Kriek, a kriek, obviously, aged in Geodoro barrels. I don't think I know what Geodoro tastes like. Regardless, the end result wasn't up to much. I got none of the oak or wine character I was hoping for, nor any wild sourness or funk. Instead it's a heavy and syrupy beer where at least the cherries taste real, but otherwise isn't a million miles from the heavily sweetened krieks of Belgium's less reputable lambic brewers. I'm sure a lot of effort went into designing and creating this; shame it doesn't seem to have paid off.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Wzk1rqeVsPPsZ1R-jUFtpeIragaZO-w_qzJN-ewdsPR-7GWyKz_ydcfVfJOWhdGZ4gkejZ1MeHoj0Mk_8KDKY7MSbrHR5A o1fsPLugxz_ckRrDU_bdpXyp6tTY9HumgN7zzilI32asuX0JUN HyHhJkLhrP470_cZ_1YE1jF2geYV3YKtb0o/w200-h179/kees_ice_bock_dark.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Wzk1rqeVsPPsZ1R-jUFtpeIragaZO-w_qzJN-ewdsPR-7GWyKz_ydcfVfJOWhdGZ4gkejZ1MeHoj0Mk_8KDKY7MSbrHR5A o1fsPLugxz_ckRrDU_bdpXyp6tTY9HumgN7zzilI32asuX0JUN HyHhJkLhrP470_cZ_1YE1jF2geYV3YKtb0o/s2260/kees_ice_bock_dark.jpg)We'll finish on another freeze-distilled job, and Kees was rationing their Ice Bock Dark very carefully. There probably isn't much of it: getting a beer up to 25% ABV involves removing a lot of the volume, I'm sure. And yet the end result tastes about half that. Yes it's thick and tarry, but not excessively so and it's still very drinkable. That it's based on an imperial stout is apparent from the chocolate sauce foretaste leading on to drier roast later. Everything you'd want from a big imperial stout is here, just at a ludicrous strength. I can see a use for that. Well done Kees.
That's enough for today. We'll start bothering the international visitors next.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVNoZEG2dMnHLkNqx5mWBtbAG8-AVjg1K9htCWCC9V-U85pUrU1tdpyBFQRVs2fmhtBAC3F-u5AxgovgsWMqNFfjxORxQ0PtuOWfmslsnVrndN7kKMA6S2FudB FeEzavBXz1lOIBs5pR6evYlpiKx31jLNhDRmKrnwW-R97L31FXPSRDUtls/w640-h206/borefts_2022_bars.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVNoZEG2dMnHLkNqx5mWBtbAG8-AVjg1K9htCWCC9V-U85pUrU1tdpyBFQRVs2fmhtBAC3F-u5AxgovgsWMqNFfjxORxQ0PtuOWfmslsnVrndN7kKMA6S2FudB FeEzavBXz1lOIBs5pR6evYlpiKx31jLNhDRmKrnwW-R97L31FXPSRDUtls/s4029/borefts_2022_bars.jpg)
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/10/back-with-bang.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclRihAwrLCA-WUaEPL40vpkttcnQmbua3C4rrAS_caYASeR0dBjRYhhk14MzyJ zQUznHCZtI7D0fR2-nFa8rnFXCGQ3F9jLH1tHzuy5dJuJM9yTUeGdSCnp-CJk_yHAwnSt7OTimDslZGZn7_D58Sh6SWB8cX58V9TMrDchdab lvSoGJAxXw/w200-h178/borefts_pipers.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclRihAwrLCA-WUaEPL40vpkttcnQmbua3C4rrAS_caYASeR0dBjRYhhk14MzyJ zQUznHCZtI7D0fR2-nFa8rnFXCGQ3F9jLH1tHzuy5dJuJM9yTUeGdSCnp-CJk_yHAwnSt7OTimDslZGZn7_D58Sh6SWB8cX58V9TMrDchdab lvSoGJAxXw/s2418/borefts_pipers.jpg)Despite the two-year absence it all seemed very business-as-usual at the 2022 Borefts beer festival. Once again the De Molen brewery in Bodegraven hosted a hand-picked selection of local and international brewers, with a slight emphasis on what used to be deemed strange and wacky recipes but these days is simply what beer is. It'll take me a while to get through everything and I'm starting today with the host's own beers and whatever else there was from elsewhere in the Netherlands.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBKAp5WjH7sl89S0pcrWhuUOGsnBsM-asVwctmVlXIhLyMYMHHEir7vmfiFnp0P3UN4TVhIIQGdkAbKA0 MqhcCtNbOq4AylaytzEOLGNG3qEoam9L2BvLX73txx6Yo4mkGb _5f_HJnI8Xe_niOy9oswaGTZ31Qi3OzggTJkvHwC9otRDtAYc/w127-h200/de_molen_doric_dutch_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBKAp5WjH7sl89S0pcrWhuUOGsnBsM-asVwctmVlXIhLyMYMHHEir7vmfiFnp0P3UN4TVhIIQGdkAbKA0 MqhcCtNbOq4AylaytzEOLGNG3qEoam9L2BvLX73txx6Yo4mkGb _5f_HJnI8Xe_niOy9oswaGTZ31Qi3OzggTJkvHwC9otRDtAYc/s3545/de_molen_doric_dutch_stout.jpg)De Molen took the opportunity to launch a new beer, a collaboration with BrewDog called Doric & Dutch. I'm happy to have spent enough time in northeast Scotland to understand the name (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doric_dialect_(Scotland)). In the festival programme it's billed simply as a stout at 7.2% ABV and I was concerned that I might have been given the wrong beer when I brought it back to the table. What I got tasted strongly of gingerbread, and subsequent research revealed that it is indeed brewed with "gingerbread spices". That gives it an odd but not unpleasant aftershave aroma and then an even odder ginger and cinnamon taste. The base beer is a light and chocolatey stout which I think would be better without the enhancement. It's fine: far from De Molen's best work and perhaps not deserving of the troop of bagpipers who brought in the first KeyKeg, but as a sweet spiced stout it does the job.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrnENDUp8MaxeLgkdCAzmy-ajmmVbxI2iJeu71SpIR9GKmtIf5TxQYlDyPikR1-TwIJuB1KwfYt6Kbo_03qL1PkoJL6UvRQwrTAvXoGXK6-NL6CjWAnn4RJ04gbjF_YMijtPWzoTqNMY6iwxl0AnZnd2lSCQc 0ANY_k2F6gmJ8dCcCvlanGA/w127-h200/de_molen_hel_verdoemenis_blood_orange_imperial_sto ut.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrnENDUp8MaxeLgkdCAzmy-ajmmVbxI2iJeu71SpIR9GKmtIf5TxQYlDyPikR1-TwIJuB1KwfYt6Kbo_03qL1PkoJL6UvRQwrTAvXoGXK6-NL6CjWAnn4RJ04gbjF_YMijtPWzoTqNMY6iwxl0AnZnd2lSCQc 0ANY_k2F6gmJ8dCcCvlanGA/s3565/de_molen_hel_verdoemenis_blood_orange_imperial_sto ut.jpg)De Molen seems to have got a bulk deal on blood oranges, or possibly blood orange syrup, because it featured heavily in two of the beers. First, good old Hel & Verdoemenis got the Blood Orange treatment which completely buried the imperial stout but created something new and quite fun. The density that comes from 10% ABV gives it an oily Terry's Chocolate Orange effect. There's not much else to it other than big chocolate and big orange, and it's certainly not an improvement on plain H&D. The underlying quality shines through the gimmickry, however.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjPaFWl2oXL95m04aqtWtvggAAi1Y3SvgpoJPMtzp-EqwvulHiFJYZeifh86VUB67WOdSiX35NrUaq-b5hSWPX6_Ix13FfqA_ZootV5Hh1Bf6XvY5Ot7z-qknmsBkiCDGrUdtHss8wUwrHZQzUbOdMgQvxoJVlmOlYFY5hIL fqoOKfrWc3E8/w127-h200/de_molen_kruid_koek_blood_orange_quadrupel.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjPaFWl2oXL95m04aqtWtvggAAi1Y3SvgpoJPMtzp-EqwvulHiFJYZeifh86VUB67WOdSiX35NrUaq-b5hSWPX6_Ix13FfqA_ZootV5Hh1Bf6XvY5Ot7z-qknmsBkiCDGrUdtHss8wUwrHZQzUbOdMgQvxoJVlmOlYFY5hIL fqoOKfrWc3E8/s3555/de_molen_kruid_koek_blood_orange_quadrupel.jpg)The n there was Kruid & Koek, a quadrupel, though a bit of a lightweight at only 8.5% ABV. Here the bonus ingredient comes across as fresh and zesty, giving me an instant flashback to bitty Club Orange or Orangina. Even more than in the stout, the base beer disappears under the fruit onslaught, and really it could be any style at any strength. Quadrupel rarely impresses me, and even making one that doesn't taste like quadrupel isn't helping. A lighter touch on the orange is needed.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhca_t735bDeKnfant_5gcRv0miMf8p_7TYShgUCm_GOJ onfbxqvCqwt2xsGQO3lT2fJYrHegZWP9b0g7ikBzEbdEfH8uyz rcDbGF0fIeYFeya8Z8jhn8RS6Wh7XnUiBi8OAZuN1QqIRkX1cu xsn69nWAiiSUdiezdBaSV7xuZadgTURBICKfU/w128-h200/de_molen_heidi_peter_imperial_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhca_t735bDeKnfant_5gcRv0miMf8p_7TYShgUCm_GOJ onfbxqvCqwt2xsGQO3lT2fJYrHegZWP9b0g7ikBzEbdEfH8uyz rcDbGF0fIeYFeya8Z8jhn8RS6Wh7XnUiBi8OAZuN1QqIRkX1cu xsn69nWAiiSUdiezdBaSV7xuZadgTURBICKfU/s3530/de_molen_heidi_peter_imperial_stout.jpg)Time to get back to basics, and Heidi & Peter is the sort of thing De Molen can be relied upon to do well. It's an 11.4% ABV imperial stout with added honey and aged in bourbon barrels. There's a sumptuous chocolate-cake richness to it, made into even more of a dessert by a hint of coconut which I assume derives from the barrels. It was marked in the programme simply as "vintage" and I don't know how old it was, though I did detect a slight autolytic twang, but very much in the "adding character" sense rather than the "ruining the beer" one.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bmr-beeJwfuJHs_Mo3YLuo9dC08OtsYq7dWjZQcMws0MFqDiiY53__ 9VuxMmSUfl9AFuOV4p4ntzauu7RO9ZCU8emmchJdMiMqbp_Oik 5Enle9wdCUqY1r_CdcKnb4lxyPBZCIRdLWNdXnrJrUT_KmO1ld vxHK6evJoQfc_c_jK3MYnOwcM/w118-h200/de_molen_ice_age_eisbock.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Bmr-beeJwfuJHs_Mo3YLuo9dC08OtsYq7dWjZQcMws0MFqDiiY53__ 9VuxMmSUfl9AFuOV4p4ntzauu7RO9ZCU8emmchJdMiMqbp_Oik 5Enle9wdCUqY1r_CdcKnb4lxyPBZCIRdLWNdXnrJrUT_KmO1ld vxHK6evJoQfc_c_jK3MYnOwcM/s1900/de_molen_ice_age_eisbock.jpg)From there we progress to an 18% ABV icebock called Ice & Age. This dark brown number started life as a doppelbock before being strengthened by freeze-distilling. It really seems to have concentrated the doppelbock characteristics too, with an aroma of fig paste and a powerful fruitcake flavour. In fact, more than a German lager it reminded me of Belgian dark ale, with similar sorts of fruity esters. As such, I began to find it difficult to drink after a few sips, though at that strength that's probably no bad thing.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTRAmCBdWbmQkaJhcuoiojw4hdMXfJFO4tGHlvFrnB7 UP1m5xiD2M5DL0cecYpSV1NJF_NP_nEv5or3aoHvFwvLmhWqTe frksyoCc5FEuN5U19dCMxujCkPuh9YXQUvXub02VfxJxYmdXP7 e36_AYn7r3GlKW8NjaZA5dhikyc-xBifHiRxc/w120-h200/de_molen_water_vuur_hazy_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTRAmCBdWbmQkaJhcuoiojw4hdMXfJFO4tGHlvFrnB7 UP1m5xiD2M5DL0cecYpSV1NJF_NP_nEv5or3aoHvFwvLmhWqTe frksyoCc5FEuN5U19dCMxujCkPuh9YXQUvXub02VfxJxYmdXP7 e36_AYn7r3GlKW8NjaZA5dhikyc-xBifHiRxc/s3780/de_molen_water_vuur_hazy_ipa.jpg)I finished my De Molen beers, and indeed the 2022 festival, up at the brewery windmill where De Molen had taken the bar to itself. Here I give my palate a bit of a reset with a 6% ABV hazy IPA called Water & Vuur. This had a bit of dankness, a bit of funk, and some citric high notes, all perfectly acceptable in an IPA. It's not the brewery's forte, however, and it shows. While there's nothing wrong with it, it doesn't really stand out, especially when compared with some other hoppy stuff available from the guests.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfLyyU7BBRAPb91gMNM5PylDgiDpBrSTzsGJv4IZDY1 OYQru8PH-DIN86M4SUvI8k8tdOgYaruv4burA_-M34kK5ex-DWJl2XJxAl_PvbUd7Y23cTYF0n5iXYPdFNrW1LAbMRwwJi4upk KqsUvsSlzbVhzaB_oYLasoa_nQBUpM6SvRdUmUw/w139-h200/de_molen_mill_wherry.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfLyyU7BBRAPb91gMNM5PylDgiDpBrSTzsGJv4IZDY1 OYQru8PH-DIN86M4SUvI8k8tdOgYaruv4burA_-M34kK5ex-DWJl2XJxAl_PvbUd7Y23cTYF0n5iXYPdFNrW1LAbMRwwJi4upk KqsUvsSlzbVhzaB_oYLasoa_nQBUpM6SvRdUmUw/s3270/de_molen_mill_wherry.jpg)Normal service resumes with Mill & Wherry, a 13.8% ABV imperial stout brewed in collaboration with Polish brewer Piwoteka. Rowanberry, I've just read, is the special ingredient here. What I got was a spicy cinnamon, tonka bean and nutmeg kick in the foretaste, with chocolate around the edges and a dry chilli-skin burn. It's a little rough and there's a touch of staleness, however that may have crept in. It's still decent, though, and whetted my appetite for something even bigger.
My last beer, then, was Kaal & Krul, 15.7% ABV and aged on Bowmore whisky casks. The result is soft and devilishly smooth, with warming notes of port and sweet vermouth. Scotch barrels can result in harsh spirit flavours but there's none of that here: the strength is apparent from the texture but not from any heat. There's a honeyish character at the centre which grows as it goes, threatening to make it overly sweet, though fortunately it doesn't follow through. I picked well for a beer to finish on, though appear to have been in too much of a hurry to photograph it.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXKAVXJ5liZAXG_jyRa4I89LcwujwqkCN3AFAMBNTT4 pTqLsnxnzCi0HUTY37uq8xDGX6eaLAuJQZFJIbu9xwx5ach2WS qH5r2FZZOc5pG-nl84ZyuBycPzDShdERMmOawKXuYPPIZhp4ZE8JrjBEf2MvmcXy SQbFQXWL7gZ9ppe6hydypY4/w200-h156/moersleutel_crank_crank_the_juice_juice_nedipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXKAVXJ5liZAXG_jyRa4I89LcwujwqkCN3AFAMBNTT4 pTqLsnxnzCi0HUTY37uq8xDGX6eaLAuJQZFJIbu9xwx5ach2WS qH5r2FZZOc5pG-nl84ZyuBycPzDShdERMmOawKXuYPPIZhp4ZE8JrjBEf2MvmcXy SQbFQXWL7gZ9ppe6hydypY4/s2898/moersleutel_crank_crank_the_juice_juice_nedipa.jpg )But while I'm finished with De Molen for now, there was much else to be sampled from the Dutch guests. An early pick on the second day was Crank Crank the Juice Juice double IPA (the single version is called "Crank the Juice", obviously) from Moersleutel. I was drawn to it because I really only know the brewery for their strong and dark stuff, and wanted to see how they fared with hops. Brilliantly, it turned out. This 8%-er absolutely delivers on the name and genuinely tastes like freshly-squeezed orange juice, down to the slightly bitty texture. Behind this sits a weighty green dankness and a luxurious alcohol heat. In a bigger measure it might get a bit cloying, but I think I'd take the chance.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX28mtzwuPiG1SmCfqPmmRb0z3xGP-hYeEOo_eO89Op49h76bCgqAHPuAMmvzko4OFwkPneN1KjaLAPu MW2z2pyop92ZFOOk3-NHuRz9Ni8OTZ40-N8mUDcBumPJbjx2qpZVzeJxrvzCvsMnK8v6e6oHCtBpjWVMyXr uqQOI-2LmEdWAOQYc/w121-h200/eleven_toko_pedis_lombokbok.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX28mtzwuPiG1SmCfqPmmRb0z3xGP-hYeEOo_eO89Op49h76bCgqAHPuAMmvzko4OFwkPneN1KjaLAPu MW2z2pyop92ZFOOk3-NHuRz9Ni8OTZ40-N8mUDcBumPJbjx2qpZVzeJxrvzCvsMnK8v6e6oHCtBpjWVMyXr uqQOI-2LmEdWAOQYc/s3625/eleven_toko_pedis_lombokbok.jpg)I mentioned Brouwerij Eleven last Monday (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/10/top-to-bottom.html), in reference to their multicollaborational Glamping IPA. It looks like they've also collaborated with a local Indonesian restaurant in Utrecht, Toko Pedis, to create Lombokbok, a doppelbock with added chilli pepper and coconut. It's still copper coloured and more than meets the spec strengthwise at 8% ABV. There's a worrying touch of vinegar in the aroma so it was a big surprise to find the flavour opening on concentrated strawberry jam. Then there's a hard hop bitterness, some herbal spicing and tart berries. All the things, basically. Too many of the things, really, and I'm not sure this beer knows what it's meant to be. It's certainly not a doppelbock any more. Maybe it works with food but on its own it was just too weird.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK0TafUuwaDDcfLEz4R1TM-dcVHECgKEFyitti9mlXY-T5bE7d0NuJdL9j0o3c4QUAnzIqujlPa5WAcCz1YHd_jr-RMJry5KHCYhSrpoRwFxaLXJM0dbGro_KBLvqzQLSJewMSztFdW Hc1G8geA-uJJSWotzyCC28Uku1v5hKXSA2la8cc3E/w160-h200/eleven_ba_kriek.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK0TafUuwaDDcfLEz4R1TM-dcVHECgKEFyitti9mlXY-T5bE7d0NuJdL9j0o3c4QUAnzIqujlPa5WAcCz1YHd_jr-RMJry5KHCYhSrpoRwFxaLXJM0dbGro_KBLvqzQLSJewMSztFdW Hc1G8geA-uJJSWotzyCC28Uku1v5hKXSA2la8cc3E/s2815/eleven_ba_kriek.jpg)Eleven also teamed up with a wine distributor to create BA Kriek, a kriek, obviously, aged in Geodoro barrels. I don't think I know what Geodoro tastes like. Regardless, the end result wasn't up to much. I got none of the oak or wine character I was hoping for, nor any wild sourness or funk. Instead it's a heavy and syrupy beer where at least the cherries taste real, but otherwise isn't a million miles from the heavily sweetened krieks of Belgium's less reputable lambic brewers. I'm sure a lot of effort went into designing and creating this; shame it doesn't seem to have paid off.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Wzk1rqeVsPPsZ1R-jUFtpeIragaZO-w_qzJN-ewdsPR-7GWyKz_ydcfVfJOWhdGZ4gkejZ1MeHoj0Mk_8KDKY7MSbrHR5A o1fsPLugxz_ckRrDU_bdpXyp6tTY9HumgN7zzilI32asuX0JUN HyHhJkLhrP470_cZ_1YE1jF2geYV3YKtb0o/w200-h179/kees_ice_bock_dark.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Wzk1rqeVsPPsZ1R-jUFtpeIragaZO-w_qzJN-ewdsPR-7GWyKz_ydcfVfJOWhdGZ4gkejZ1MeHoj0Mk_8KDKY7MSbrHR5A o1fsPLugxz_ckRrDU_bdpXyp6tTY9HumgN7zzilI32asuX0JUN HyHhJkLhrP470_cZ_1YE1jF2geYV3YKtb0o/s2260/kees_ice_bock_dark.jpg)We'll finish on another freeze-distilled job, and Kees was rationing their Ice Bock Dark very carefully. There probably isn't much of it: getting a beer up to 25% ABV involves removing a lot of the volume, I'm sure. And yet the end result tastes about half that. Yes it's thick and tarry, but not excessively so and it's still very drinkable. That it's based on an imperial stout is apparent from the chocolate sauce foretaste leading on to drier roast later. Everything you'd want from a big imperial stout is here, just at a ludicrous strength. I can see a use for that. Well done Kees.
That's enough for today. We'll start bothering the international visitors next.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVNoZEG2dMnHLkNqx5mWBtbAG8-AVjg1K9htCWCC9V-U85pUrU1tdpyBFQRVs2fmhtBAC3F-u5AxgovgsWMqNFfjxORxQ0PtuOWfmslsnVrndN7kKMA6S2FudB FeEzavBXz1lOIBs5pR6evYlpiKx31jLNhDRmKrnwW-R97L31FXPSRDUtls/w640-h206/borefts_2022_bars.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVNoZEG2dMnHLkNqx5mWBtbAG8-AVjg1K9htCWCC9V-U85pUrU1tdpyBFQRVs2fmhtBAC3F-u5AxgovgsWMqNFfjxORxQ0PtuOWfmslsnVrndN7kKMA6S2FudB FeEzavBXz1lOIBs5pR6evYlpiKx31jLNhDRmKrnwW-R97L31FXPSRDUtls/s4029/borefts_2022_bars.jpg)
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/10/back-with-bang.html)