Beer?

[GrumpyGregry]

Strictly, Gose is German, but this was an idiosyncratic Belgian take on the theme. Nothing to do with gueuze at all.

I'm intrigued. Very intrigued. So what's the story on this one then?

Mühle & Bahnhof is a Dutch brand I think. I could have sworn Brouweril de Molen was in the Netherlands! The label says "Product of the Netherlands" in two languages? Or was this brewed in Belgium and then bottled/labelled by the brewery as theirs?

Gose is a style of sour wheat beer albeit a salty and/or spiced one, from a family of spontaneously fermenting beers once brewed all over the low countries and pre-modern Germany. That makes is a cousin of Gueze in my book if not in yours.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Oh man. I so want to try that!

I expect even a tin of Fosters would do the trick by now...

Just googed massaganian, interesting. For Basingstoke.

 

[smutchin]

I could have sworn Brouweril de Molen was in the Netherlands!

Er... And you'd be absolutely right! I knew that but for some reason got it in my head last night that it was Belgian. Sorry!

Gose is a style of sour wheat beer albeit a salty and/or spiced one, from a family of spontaneously fermenting beers once brewed all over the low countries and pre-modern Germany. That makes is a cousin of Gueze in my book if not in yours.

My (limited) understanding is that Gose is named after the place in Germany where it originated, and came about when some bright spark has the idea of adding salt and spices to stale beer to counteract the sour flavour. And, as you say, traditionally made using wheat beer, though the De Molen take on it is a very different kind of beast.

I'm not going to argue the toss about whether or not it's a "cousin" of gueuze - that's open to interpretation - but I understood that the names, though similar, have no etymological link, and the styles arose entirely separately.

But I may be wrong on all of the above. Sounds like you know more about the subject than me!

 

[smutchin]

Anyway...

The upshot of last night's event is that De Molen make some incredible beer. The Muhle & Baanhof was the most interesting from a tasting point of view, but my favourite from a drinking point of view was the Mout & Mocha - rich coffee and chocolate flavours, with hints of smokiness, very smooth, and far too easy drinking for 11.6%.

And the Pannepeut, which I had to round off the evening, was just sensational.

For some reason, I didn't mind the fact that it was raining heavily as I cycled home afterwards. God knows how I didn't fall off.

 

[User169]

Just googed massaganian, interesting. For Basingstoke.

I shall henceforth be using the acronym (or initialism for the pedantic) "IFB"!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Anyway...

The upshot of last night's event is that De Molen make some incredible beer.

TRUE DAT!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Er... And you'd be absolutely right! I knew that but for some reason got it in my head last night that it was Belgian. Sorry!



My (limited) understanding is that Gose is named after the place in Germany where it originated, and came about when some bright spark has the idea of adding salt and spices to stale beer to counteract the sour flavour. And, as you say, traditionally made using wheat beer, though the De Molen take on it is a very different kind of beast.

I'm not going to argue the toss about whether or not it's a "cousin" of gueuze - that's open to interpretation - but I understood that the names, though similar, have no etymological link, and the styles arose entirely separately.

But I may be wrong on all of the above. Sounds like you know more about the subject than me!

I wasn't arguin' from a linguistic standpoint but rather from how it is made

once upon a time nearly all beer in northern europe would have been part of the spontaneous fermentation family and was probably as sour*as heck too as a result. (Most wine the same btw hence greek habit of cutting it with water). Tastes have changed in the last 600 years as we've developed a sweet tooth and fermentation has become more controlled and better understood, and regional styles - damn that burtonised water in the UK - had all but gone It is good to see a revival in sour styles and the Imperial Gose, even if not entirely an authentic 'take' on the style, is likely to be a worthy entry in the canon. I've had a few US versions of Gose and they are not all to be recommended, though they may not have travelled well.

*EDIT: It would not have been sour because it was stale. It was sour because that is what it tastes like even when fresh. To the typical British palate even Rodenbach Grand Cru, a true king of world beers if ever there was one, tastes like it is just plain 'off'!

can you tell I'm waiting for a train?

 

[Crackle]

I expect even a tin of Fosters would do the trick by now...

Just googed massaganian, interesting. For Basingstoke.

Who'd a thought to see Salvation Army and riots in the same sentence. Mind you I thought Baingstoke and Heritage Society more surprising.

 

[smutchin]

once upon a time nearly all beer in northern europe would have been part of the spontaneous fermentation family

Yes, I've been mulling it over and came to the conclusion that was probably what you meant about it being a cousin of gueuze. Fair point.

It is good to see a revival in sour styles and the Imperial Gose, even if not entirely an authentic 'take' on the style, is likely to be a worthy entry in the canon. I've had a few US versions of Gose and they are not all to be recommended, though they may not have travelled well.

As a big fan of lambics, I have to agree. Sour beers are great (well, the good ones are - there are plenty of bad ones too, alas). One of my fellow tasters last night said lambics are "more like champagne than beer", which got me very excited because it's exactly what I tell anyone who'll listen, so it's good to meet a like mind. I can imagine it's very, very easy to get a Gose wrong though, so it doesn't surprise me if there are lots of bad ones out there.

We were also musing on the fact that if someone ever served you the Muhle & Bahnhof without telling you what it was, you'd probably chuck it straight down the sink... For amusement, we were looking up the beers online last night and some of the comments on the US beer geek websites were priceless. "I don't get it" seemed to be a fairly typical response.

Another one you often see on beer geek sites: "This beer was off and tasted revolting... unless it's a lambic, in which case it's brilliant!"

Duh!

I bloody love Rodenbach Grand Cru.

Talking of beer geek websites, I see the Pannepeut 2007 scores 100% on Ratebeer. I'd go along with that. I've still never tried regular Pannepot though.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Lambics rock. But only a grown-up can appreciate them. Lager-boys need not apply.

 

[User169]

One of my fellow tasters last night said lambics are "more like champagne than beer", which got me very excited because it's exactly what I tell anyone who'll listen, so it's good to meet a like mind.

They don't call it "Brussels champagne" for nuffink!

If you are ever in Brussels on a Sunday, get a bus out to Eizeringen and visit "In de verzekering tegen de grote dorst" (Insurance against Thirst) - one of the nicest lambic bars. Unfortunately, it's only open on Sundays from 10 am to 1:30 pm.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Lambics rock. But only a grown-up can appreciate them. Lager-boys need not apply.

I don't like lambic.

 

[User169]

I don't like lambic.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I don't like lambic.

It's only a matter of time.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Not trying any more...