The Belgians I Know

I mentioned earlier about some Belgian beers I had purchased to write about this weekend. Guess what?! Now is the time to discuss.

First up is a top-fermented ale from the Brouwerij De Koninck in Antwerp. This is their namesake beverage that comes in at a light 5.2% ABV, and I'm looking forward to enjoying a little less in the alcohol department.

A medium-bodied amber liquid falls into the glass and produces a thin head that almost instantly falls back into the beer leaving nothing more than a few circles of foam on the side of the vessel.

The beer smells rich with malt flavor ... I'm getting the aroma of a sourdough bread sprinkled with brown sugar and dipped in beef broth (but that's just me). This brew is surprising as it slides down the gullet with the ease of an American macro-brewed lager, but follows with the full flavor of a finely crafted Belgian ale. the De Koninck has a sour finish. I don't think that's necessarily a negative; just a uniqueness. The flavor is appealing, but I would not put this in my list of top Belgian ales.

Don't be discouraged ... this beer is worth trying. If you've read this blog before, you know by now that I'm not a fan of wasting time writing about beers I don't enjoy. I like it, and there's a good chance you will too.

Give it a chance, and as always, please let me know what you think.

Overall score of the De Koninck: 3.0 out of 5.0

Op uw gezondheid!

And finally ... tonight's final selection comes from Brasserie Dubuisson, it is called Scaldis, a.k.a. Bush Ambrée. According to the Wikipedia entry on the brewery, the name translates as, "Bush" (how appropriate!) and is labeled as Scaldis by importers (I wonder if that's because Busch beer is awful, or because the presidential family sucks... hmmmm? Either way, good move).



This brew comes in at a hearty 12% ABV, and will definitely be my last beer of the night. ha ha ha. Based on its appearance, the Scaldis seems a standard ale with a familiar amber hue and quickly disappearing head. With my nose in the glass I can smell a strong scent of alcohol and the fresh smell of hops. I have a feeling this is going to knock me out for the evening.

He drinks ... he scores! Wow. Strangely enough, you can most certainly smell the alcohol, but you cannot taste it. This beer is super smooth with a strong malt character, a dry finish and well ... okay, I admit it ... in the end you can taste the alcohol. Once again, you will have to give me your thoughts on this beer. I've had a few different samples this evening which undoubtedly have had an effect on my judgment. However, I do think this beer proves itself worthy of a taste even if you fear the beers of higher ABV.

Overall Score for the Dubuisson Scaldis: 3.25 out 5.0

Alright, that's it for me. I'm out. It's crazy late for my east coast friends, and I'm preparing for NFL Sunday morning fun tomorrow.

Take it easy everybody. I hope you all have a great weekend of brilliant beers.

Cheers!