Beer?

[fossyant]

I've just come home with a bottle of french red with bicycles on the label. I've had it before. Very nice. I'll have it after I've had a few tinny cans of Carlsberg.

Need the details.........

Wolf Blas Cab Sauv for me tonight !!!

 

[NickM]

I am rapidly quaffing a De Ranke Guldenberg, all the way from a very small brewery in Wevelgem. It really is a superb example of the Belgian brewer's art, more rounded than the same brewery's XX Bitter, wonderful as that is.

And there is MsM's excellent kedgeree coming up... and Bruckner 9 on the radio

To be followed, I think, by a Wallonian beer - a Scotch Silly. Probably sweeter than it ought to be, but I like it anyway.

And I might round things off with one of the heavy hitters... my last bottle of Bush Noel should do the trick.

 

[rich p]

I have just discovered that this Trappist/Cistercian brewery is on my Tour de Belge route next month.

http://www.sintsixtus.be/eng/home.htm

Anyone tried it?

Meanwhile I'm quaffing a rather nice French un-oaked Chardonnay

 

[Aperitif]

I have just discovered that this Trappist/Cistercian brewery is on my Tour de Belge route next month.

http://www.sintsixtus.be/eng/home.htm

Anyone tried it?

No - but it sounds good rich...one minute you're trapped, the next minute, pist. Excellent!

 

[rich p]

I'll have the cycling-whilst-under-the-influence police on to me if I'm not careful.

Come on Ape,if anyone can get a pun out of Cistercian you can!
(I failed)

 

[NickM]

I have just discovered that this Trappist/Cistercian brewery is on my Tour de Belge route next month.

http://www.sintsixtus.be/eng/home.htm

Anyone tried it?

Woah!! the Holy Grail, that's all

You will be able, if you're lucky, to sample the three beers they produce at the bar In De Vrede, attached to the monastery. The 6% is a very pleasing, hoppy, refreshing beer; the 8% is a powerful, dark, brew, like anybody else's 12%... and I don't yet know what the 12% is like, but many connoisseurs consider it the finest beer in the world. Probably not ideal for cycling on

I hope your itinerary also includes the nearby village of Watou. Less than 2000 people, and three breweries! Poperings Hommelbier, available on draught there, is not too strong and a very fine beer indeed. You will be too late for the savoury tart made with hop shoots, though...

The scenery round Westvleteren is nothing to write home about, but if you go a bit further south and east you are in lovely Heuvelland, straddling the French border, a delightful area of gentle, wooded hills - heavily fought over in WW1, but only the (wonderfully well-kept) cemeteries give a clue to its violent past now.

 

[Aperitif]

That's a nice post Nick.

 

[User169]

Tomorrow, I'll be going to this Beer Festival in Belgium. It's a pretty good deal - a fantastic beer list, free to get in and 1 EUR for 150cl of any beer.

I'll be looking out for beers from De Ranke (on Nick's recommendation - I just can't track them down in NL) and will also check out for those from Dupont and De Troch.

I've tried Westvleteren 12 a few times; it's a really remarkable beer and hides it's alcohol content extremely well. Personally though, I prefer Rochefort 10 which is a similar style.

Tonight, I'm worked my way through a selection of brews from Colorado's Left Hand Brewing Company. I've had their Juju ginger (brewed with ginger not surprisingly and pretty revolting), a milk stout (too much lactose for my taste) and a porter (ordinary).

In despair, I've had to resort to Duvel.

 

[oxbob]

Tomorrow, I'll be going to this Beer Festival in Belgium. It's a pretty good deal - a fantastic beer list, free to get in and 1 EUR for 150cl of any beer.

I'll be looking out for beers from De Ranke (on Nick's recommendation - I just can't track them down in NL) and will also check out for those from Dupont and De Troch.

I've tried Westvleteren 12 a few times; it's a really remarkable beer and hides it's alcohol content extremely well. Personally though, I prefer Rochefort 10 which is a similar style.

Tonight, I'm worked my way through a selection of brews from Colorado's Left Hand Brewing Company. I've had their Juju ginger (brewed with ginger not surprisingly and pretty revolting), a milk stout (too much lactose for my taste) and a porter (ordinary).

In despair, I've had to resort to Duvel.

And i thought i was a rebel drinking breda bier, the neighbours would linch you if they knew you were a walloon

 

[marooncat]

I am enjoying a bottle or two of Cairngorm Sheepshagger one of the best beers around IMHO.

 

[oxbob]

Ill get your goat crock!

 

[rich p]

Woah!! the Holy Grail, that's all

You will be able, if you're lucky, to sample the three beers they produce at the bar In De Vrede, attached to the monastery. The 6% is a very pleasing, hoppy, refreshing beer; the 8% is a powerful, dark, brew, like anybody else's 12%... and I don't yet know what the 12% is like, but many connoisseurs consider it the finest beer in the world. Probably not ideal for cycling on

I hope your itinerary also includes the nearby village of Watou. Less than 2000 people, and three breweries! Poperings Hommelbier, available on draught there, is not too strong and a very fine beer indeed. You will be too late for the savoury tart made with hop shoots, though...

The scenery round Westvleteren is nothing to write home about, but if you go a bit further south and east you are in lovely Heuvelland, straddling the French border, a delightful area of gentle, wooded hills - heavily fought over in WW1, but only the (wonderfully well-kept) cemeteries give a clue to its violent past now.

You've obviously been there Nick. I'm excited now.
I'll check out Watou but we're heading for Ieper (Ypres) and then east towards Gent so it may not be possible.

 

[NickM]

I hope the weather is kind to you - Flanders can be a bit bleak on a bike, but MsM and I have always been fairly lucky. Ieper is a pleasant place, completely flattened in WW1, and meticulously rebuilt just in time for WW2. The museum In Flanders Field comes highly recommended, but I haven't been there yet. For a small (and unglamorous, I suppose) country, Belgium is very well stocked with interesting experiences and slightly wacky people. It has a perfect blend (for us, anyway) of North European characteristics (beer!) and South European (relaxed "no worries" atmosphere) ones. We go there regularly, and lots of our friends are addicted to the place too.

One tip - in the Dutch-speaking half, people will generally prefer that you speak to them in English, rather than French.

Have a good time!

 

[NickM]

Tomorrow, I'll be going to this Beer Festival in Belgium...

You lucky, lucky man <green with envy

 

[Chuffy]

To liven the place up I'm introducing C&W nights.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvMwWrW-U9A

Am I allowed a little Dolly?