Tag Archives: Belgium

Caol Ila 21yo 1984/2006 (58.5%, Dewar Rattray, for The Nectar, Belgium, Refill Bourbon, Cask #6266, 251 bottles)

Caol Ila was founded in 1846 and rebuilt in 1879 and 1972, and in 1974 six new stills were installed. As of 1999 also unpeated whisky is made, which is nice, but also makes you wonder about single casks sold to independents since that date. Mainly used for the Johnnie Walker blends, but more and more used as a single malt due to the popularity of Islay malts. If I’m not mistaken the first official bottlings were the Flora & Fauna 15yo and a few Rare Malt editions. In 2002 the 12yo, 18yo and a cask strength were released and a few years later a Moscatel finish Distillers Edition and Moch were released. During that time also three versions of a 25yo were released, I know were pretty good.

This whisky was distilled on December 12th 1984 and bottled 21 years later on September 6th, 2006, and was bottled for Belgian outfit, The Nectar.

Color: Light Gold.

Nose: Fat Peat with ash. Very leafy, as in fresh, non-musty wet leaves and crushed dried leaves. Sweet and balanced. Green apple skin. Sweaty, tarry and with distant flowery perfume. Hints of wood. Crushed beetles, (not Beatles). Sea with some smoke and late (dare I say unexpected) fruitiness.

Taste: Sweet and chewy, with elegant peat. Nutty, almonds and some walnut. Some white pepper and plants. Also the sweat returns which fits the profile. Nice balance. It has some unexpected fresh sourness in the warming finish. No wood to speak of, but it has the wood spice. Finally, some salt on the lips, during the yellow fruity finish (apricots and peaches obviously). Astonishing.

I quite like this. Due to its perfect sweetness this is dangerously drinkable. Not as complex as I might have hoped, but hey, it’s not a super old Islay, and we don’t drink those for their finesse do we? Caol Ila in al its guises is a very nice alternative to all the other (increasingly expensive) brothers from Islay.

Points: 90

Corsendonk Agnus – Tripel (7.5%, 33 cl)

Let’s try another Tripel. Yesterday I was a bit harsh for a beer from one of my favorite categories, The Tripel. So let’s try another Tripel, but this time from Corsendonk. Corsendonk Agnus – Tripel ís an Abbey beer. The Abbey brewed beer themselves in the 17th century. Today the Corsendonk beers are brewed under license elsewhere. The Agnus is brewed by Du Bocq in Purnode Belgium.

As you know life is hard. For this review I had to drink three bottles of the Corsendonk Agnus. I bought a couple of bottles a long time ago that were brewed in august 2006. I tried one of those earlier when it was around three years old, and this time I’m trying two, of the same batch, that are now six years old. Yes you can drink Tripels well past their dont-drink-or-you’ll-die-of-food-poisoning-date. Finally I also bought a new one that was brewed in february 2012. Following notes are for the aged ones:

Color: Orange. Gold with Copper

Nose: Fresh and refreshing. Peaches and lemons. Apricots, very fruity and estery. Lateron spicy and very balanced. Yeast and somewhat perfumed.

Taste: Fruity. Slightly bitter and hoppy. Velvety texture, very smooth. Very drinkable! Elegant, warming alcohol with peels from orange and red grapefruit.

The new bottle was full gold with nice cream foam. A lot of bubbles are surfacing, and no yeast visible. It’s fresher and more appetizing. Fruits are more in the range of apples, lemons, and hints of orange skin, than the estery peach and apricots in the aged bottles. Obviously the new one is far less complex and ‘lighter’ in style. Typical ‘beer’ finish, and aftertaste. Too young!

Well first of all, after the prolonged ageing period, the beer turned a lot darker, than the same batch at a younger age. Originally it was radiant gold, now it turned a lot more copper. The meaty part on the nose disappeared, but it gained a lot of fruity esters. With this it gained a lot of complexity. The three-year old one was more refreshing (more lemon), but this still is refreshing. It gained more depth, but it didn’t even change that much, tastewise. It is easily recognizable as a Corsendonk Tripel. Personally, I find six years of ageing a bit too long. I think it is at it’s best, around three years old. The new batch was, in comparison, very light and really easy to drink, with an aftertaste you only know of your standard beers. After seeing it’s potential I would recommend ageing your bottles for three years. But if you’re interested, longer can be quite fun too. Drinking this right after you bought it is a waste of your money. Put it in your cellar and be patient!

Points: 83

P.S. The cheese from Corsendonk is lovely too!

Petrus Gouden Tripel (7.5%, 33 cl)

After the fabulous Aged Pale, lets see if this Golden Tripel is any good. Personally I like Tripels a lot, so I have good hopes for this. What’s a “Tripel”? Well fermentation takes place in three stages. Main fermentation and second fermentation we all know, and the third stage is fermentation in the bottle. Tripel, means three, but there are a lot more explanations for the word.

So there you have it. Tripels are usually part of the Abbey and Trappist beers. Petrus is brewed by Bavik in Bavikhove Belgium. Bavik started out in 1894. Even though the range is named after Saint Peter, Bavik isn’t an Abbey or even a Trappist beer. This Tripel is just made in an Abbey style. It also isn’t a coincidence that this Tripel is reminiscent of the heavy blond ales like Duvel, because it once was one of those (Cuvée de St. Armand).

Color: Beautiful gold, like a nectar of the gods.

Nose: Fresh. Typical Tripel. High in alcohol, warming. Citrussy and malty, but that’s it, there isn’t any more.

Taste: Fresh and citrussy as in lemons and limes. Yeast and a slightly bitter and drying finish. But again not very complex.

It’s all right. An example of a typical Tripel. I prefer other Tripels, which will be reviewed eventually. After the Pale Ale this is a bit disappointing. Maybe I had too high expectations for this? It reminds me a bit of a Duvel, but Duvel is better (for me). Don’t get me wrong, this still is a pretty decent beer, but for me it doesn’t add anything to the world of the Tripel. Actually, maybe this isn’t even an Abbey-style Tripel. But a heavy Blond Ale with a third fermentation in the bottle (which a lot of people call a Tripel). It just has to decide which one of the two it really is.

Points: 77

Gouden Carolus Classic (8.5%, 33 cl)

Gouden Carolus, once, only one beer, but since then a lot more versions of Gouden Caroli hit the market. Actually there was an emperor’s beer before 1960, but this is the year the name Gouden Carolus was given to it.

The brewery is called “Het Anker” (The Anchor), and was originally founded in 1471, but it was called Het Anker since 1904. There are also document that showed there was a brewery on site as early as 1369. Het Anker brews several different beers, of which Gouden Carolus is probably the best known.

This review will be of the ‘original’ Gouden Carolus now named “classic”. A Gouden Carolus was a coin with the head of emperor Charles V on it, who spent his childhood in Mechelen. This beer is also from Mechelen, what a coincidence!  It is even a protected regional product from Mechelen.

Color: Reddish brown with cream foam.

Nose: Meaty and musty a bit like a ditch, not very dirty ditch, let’s say: clean ditch. Seems aged in oak.

Taste: Sweet, sugar, candy sugar (the hard brown stuff). Fruity also: Oranges and some banana. Although it has a lot of notes that suggest sweetness, it’s not thát sweet, as you might think right now. It has a depth like you get with roasted malt, although I don’t think this has any. It has a slightly bitter and spicy finish with some dark chocolate, and a hint of burn caramel.

This is definitively a speciality that fits in no Belgian beer group. The brewery itself calls it a brown beer to enjoy. (‘Degustatiebier’ doesn’t translate that well). Also “Dubbel” is sometimes used. It uses one pale and two dark malts. 10 to 15% corn is used nowadays, which made the body lighter, and probably sweeter. This beer can be stored for three years, or maybe more.

Points: 81

Oud Zottegems Bier (6.2%, 33 cl)

What catches the eye with this beer is the statement: “bier met smaakevolutie” thus stating that this is a beer with an evolution in taste. Great! I love that in my drink. Evolution.

Oud Zottegems Bier is made by the Crombé brewery in Zottegem Belgium established around 1800 and is called a (sour) brown beer. To be frank. The installations of Crombé are crap and worn out, so the beer is really made by Strubbe in Ichtegem upholding the original traditions.

Color: Murky brown, not much foam.

Nose: Muddy yeast and toffee. Malt.

Taste: Slightly sour, which adds to the complexity and balance. To be appreciated here. Very tasty and carbonated feel. Toffee with a hint of banana and spice. Mocha and slightly bitter. Citrus.

Ehhh didn’t catch the evolution there… but it has its complexity.

Well some tips then. It is said that this beer get better when you put it in your cellar for a while. Mine was lagered and was quite nice.

I would say. Drink this beer! It’s very nice ánd nearly extinct. It has become a very regional beer and deserves a lot of attention. Losing this would be a shame. I’m definitively buying this again, but sure am curious for the Grand Cru version of this. So thumbs up and a well-earned:

Points: 82

Petrus Aged Pale (7.3%, 11.2 fl.oz.)

Still nice weather and too hot for writing blogs, so hereby I apologize to my readers that it took a few days for a new review. This time a review of beer brewed by Bavik in Belgium called Petrus Aged Pale. This beer was initially intended only for the US market, hence the typical warnings on the label, even though I bought this bottle in Belgium. This Aged Pale is considered by many to be Bavik’s best beer (and thus compared with Rodenbach Grand Cru). It is made with pale malt only and lagered for two to two and a half years in oak casks. Funnily enough its style is the same as with the Rodenbach. So this can be considered to be a “white” red beer.

Color: Gold

Nose: Announces acidity, yellow fruits, apricots and pear (not the skin).

Taste: Sour and woody. Refreshing. Citrussy and is almost a white beer (but it isn’t). Herbal and grassy, and a woody finish.

Initially you might say that it’s simple, sour and very refreshing, so it fits the summer day profile. But when given some attention and your ability to work on it for a while, this simple beer let’s you know it has a lot more going for it. It awards you with a lot more complexity than you would say at first. It is close to a Rodenbach but in my opinion, better balanced and way more complex. You just have to work it a bit. For me this is better than the classic Rodenbach, but I’ll have to give the Rodenbach Grand Cru a go. This Petrus could be an acquired taste, but one I like a lot.

Points: 84

Rodenbach (5.2%, 25 cl)

Here’s something else to put in your mouth!

It’s difficult to say what kind of beer Rodenbach really is. Michael Jackson called it a Red Beer or Burgundy of Belgium. In Flanders they call it a “(Flemish) Old Brown” or “Flemish Red Brown”. Sometimes it’s also called a “West Flanders Red Brown” So take your pick. The brewery started in Roeselare Belgium in 1821, and as of 1998 Rodenbach is part of the Palm group.

Rodenbach Original or Classic is blended from aged (1/4) and young beers (3/4) and married for two years. There is also a Rodenbach “Grand Cru” (6%) wich also is blended from aged (2/3) and young beers (1/3). Besides these two, some less known special editions are released. The vintage 2009 springs to mind.

Color: Red Brown, Mahogany.

Nose: Sour, fruity and yeast. After a while it smelled a bit like sugar syrup.

Taste: Watery (in comparison to the Grand Cru). Sour and winey. Lemon-lime citrus notes and very fresh. Hints of wood which gives the beer some body. Sometimes this reminds me of a Lambic beer.

This one is all right and could be savoured any time. It’s probably at its best on a terrace in the summertime. Really refreshing, thirst quenching. It has its place, and in comparison with other Belgian beers it shure is unique, but if you like more depth and more…well everything, you should go for the Grand Cru. This still is pretty decent and fresh, classic Rodenbach.

Personally I wouldn’t buy this (any more). The Grand Cru is so much better. The ‘Cru’ also is great for outside drinking in the summertime and has some more meat on its bones. If given the choice, a no brainer for me.  Master Quills tip: this beer is still ok, past its best before date…

Points: 74

Caperdonich 35yo 1972/2008 (50.3%, Duncan Taylor for The Nectar Belgium, Cask #7424, 136 bottles)

Duncan Taylor, once Glaswegian brokers in whisky casks. Now of Huntly in the North East of Scotland. These guys have some massive amounts of great casks lying around. I know a lot of bottlings they did that are legendary. For instance: Tomatin 1976, Bowmore 1966 and Bowmore 1968, to name but a few, but there are a lot more. But it’s not only the vast amount of casks, it’s also the quality, and consistency of their whiskies, and grains. Duncan Taylor are definitively among my favourite independent bottlers.

Color: Orange Gold

Nose: Wow, double wow. This is fabulous! Old Bottle and überfruity. Apricots, peaches and sugar-coated oranges. Very organic and even a bit nasty, but all in a very good way. I guess we already have one of those legends on our hand. It has some earwax and wood, but not as much as you would have thought for something that’s 35 years old.

Taste: Sorry, but its wow again! It has a spicy punch after all those years. It’s palate matches the nose. The same fruits for me, and almost no wood and it hasn’t been an inactive cask either, just look at the color. It also reminds me of a very well aged perfect Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer. This would have been almost perfect, (because does perfection exist on our planet?), when the finish would remain somewhat sweeter and retain the fruityness and if it could have kept its balance some more. In the finish, the wood plays a greater, drier and a bit sour and thus unbalancing role. But it maybe nitpicking, because this Caperdonich receives a well earned…

Points: 93