Impression Third Beer Festival Damme - 5 Sept. 2010
Written by Trappist
Tuesday, 07 September 2010
Hi,
The third Beer Festival Damme has becoming history.
What a great beer festival has this become.
A small, but oh so enjoyable fest, and such an amazing quality beers available that last Sunday here in Damme.
This gem is organized by the local TONafhankelijk Biergeno(o)tschap Damme - www.bierfestivaldamme.be
Most remarkable: Brewmaster Johan Brandt from brewery Smisje (www.smisje.be), pouring that hoppy Smiske.
What a great hoppy beer this is.
Earthy hops (three varieties), and 41 IBU hop bitter.
This one poured straight from tap, and as fresh as possible. Smiske has become bry Smisje's flagship today..... well deserved.
Note that Smiske will soon be available from tap at Bruges' beer bar Erasmus !
The Damme Beer Fest gave more surprises.
For instance this primeur ! Den Zytholoog.
A brand new beer, brewed at bry De Graal, according recipe from Stefaan Vancanneyt (aka Vacas) - www.debierloods.be.
An amber beauty at 6.6 vol%, brewed with spices. Perfectly balanced into a wonderful sessionbeer.
This new beer has become the house beer fromtheir 1.500 beers choice beer bar Den Zytholoog - www.denzytholoog.be.
On the picture: Vacas pouring that new beer.
A closer look towards Den Zytholoog. Great quality, brewed at De Graal (by brewmaster Wim Saeyens).
Great about the Dammebeer fest is its location.
The fest is held inside the medieval Damme townhall.
This time, the first and second floor were used, including a small part of the outer court (a tent was installed there in case or rain).
No rain this time. In case, warm and sunny Belgian September weather, as usual.
There was also a small gastronomic market outside on the market square, in front of the townhall, orgnanized by the Flemish Confrerie of Gastronomy.
Always present: the people from the Bruges' Autonomous Beer Tasters (BAB) - www.babbierproevers.be
On the picture, chairman BAB,Marc Vandepitte.
I'm holding their hoppy delicacy, BAB 401, brewed at bry Strubbe (by brewmaster Marc Strubbe).
This beer was freshly available from tap.
The BAB stand again, this time together with the people from the Flemish Confrerie of Gastronomy.
Folks, observe their medieval clothes !!
Another great shot, with on the left side, Tom Allewaert from Bruges' beer bar/hotel/restaurant Erasmus.
On the right side, chairman Tonafhankelijk Biergeno(o)tschap Damme, Manu Buysse.
A masssive felicitations towards Manu for organizing such a great and cozy beer fest.
The BBB took some pictures, so everyone can get an impression of how things went on last Sunday.
Click the pic to enter the medieval world of Damme beer fest enjoyment.....
Hi,
Regular readers of the Belgian BeerBoard will know that the webmaster loves to visit the brew tavern at bry. Sint-Canarus.
A small brewery, located in Gottem (East-Flanders).
Once again, that gem was visited last week.
Here's a small impression with some side information.
Brewmaster Piet Meirhaeghe pouring a hoppy (dry-hopped) Maeght van Gottem (7 vol%).
One of the better beers from that small brewery.
Earthy hops, and an amazing hoppy finish too. Not sweet, but rather dry. Similar to the famous Hommelbier from bry. Van Eecke.
Please do notice that ancient Trappist Westmalle plate!
Another marvel: Sint-Canarus Triple at 7.5 vol%.
This one, poured from tap.
A refreshing triple with alot of hops going on too. Not dry-hopped this time, so less hoppy aromatic.
The taste on the other hand is a typical triple style. Crisp, malty, hoppy, and somewhat sweetish with alot of body and perfect depths. It's poured as fresh as possible, so what you get is a most wonderful fresh product.
This, paired with the rich mixed paté dish is to be called top-quality free-time spending !!!!!
Note that brewery Sint-Canarus will be present at the upcoming Italian beer festival Villaggio della Birra, which will happen in Bibbiano on 11 and 12September nextly. That's already in less than two weeks time.
The wall inside the brew tavern is decorated with two beautiful ommercials from that happening.
On the left side, the new poster. On the right side the poster from last years event.
See the details at: Villaggio Della Birra 2010 - 11-12 Sept. 2010
Also notice that this brewery will participate the 3th. Damme Beer Festival next Sunday !
See: www.bierfestivaldamme.be
Already one good reason to attend that gorgeous small beer fest here in Damme.
Hi,
A big surprise awaited us last Sunday, when we visited Ostend based beer bar Botteltje for a good beer.
It's always a struggle to browse the largest (litterally), and heaviest beer menu of Belgium.
The Botteltje beer menu is always a true pleasure when exploring.
Alot of humour inside with jokes and for instance this drawing. Hilarious :)
Indeed, we recognize Belgian politicians Yves Leterme and Bart De Wever, here being exposed as the comics of the year.
The resemblance is striking.
Suddenly my eyes catched something special:The promotion of the moment - Aged "La Vieille Bon-Secours Blonde" at € 6.00 per bottle.
Wow, if that isn't some bargain, knowing what's been written in this article World's most expensive beer costs £700 a bottle.
First, I was very suspicious about this beer still being in optimum state.
It's only 7.5 vol% strong, and blond colored. Not precisely the best characteristics for good ageing.
Well, let's have some taste...
Poured out gave a hazy orange blond beer with a still acceptable white head.
After a while the head disintegrated into a small layer.
Best before date: May 2008.
Presuming that 3 years is used as conservation limit(?), this would mean that this beer is at least 5 years old.
I say at least, but I'm convinced it's much older.
By the way, putting a best before date on beer is quite nonsense really.
Beer doesn't get bad with ageing !
On the contrary, the La Vieille Bon Secours we had at Botteltje can be considered as one of the best beers I had this year.
Already with uncorking, an amazing flowery-estery aroma filled my nose.
The flavour of this beer is still sweetish, malty and surprisingly still hoppy.
The hop bitterness merely present in the after taste.
More went on. Ageing made this beer very complex, perfumy, fruity, yeasty, and above all still so drinkable and digestible.
Folks, this is a true vintage delight, brewed at bry Caulier.
Ageing has done so much good to this beer.
One thing keeps intriguing me: The alcohol percentage.
The label states 7.5 vol%, which is quite weak.
But Katrien and myself were convinced that this 7.5 vol% couldn't actually be correct.
We experienced something much stronger in the range of 9 vol%.
Makes it al that more intriguing........
I can everybody recommend to try this bar when hitting Ostend. 300 beers to choose from, and excellent food to pair with.
The pictures shows their big, tasty, and filling spaghetti, and the delicious lasagna.
There's also a hotel connected, i.e. Hotel Marion.
Already for ages has this place being mentioned inside the www.beerpubmap.be website.... well deserved.
Hi,
With all those new beer pubs here in Bruges, we would forget that there's also the fixed value beer bars.
One of the ever best beer pubs here in my hometown of Bruges is that most excellent beer pub called Erasmus.
See also previous article about Erasmus: Hotel, Beer & Restaurant Erasmus - Renewed !
First, it's time to clear a big misunderstanding about this gorgeous place.
As English beer writer Tim Webb mentions inside the Good Beer Guide Belgium that this place - at evening - is a dining place only. Well, this is definitely not correct information.
On the contrary, owner Tom Allewaert invites everyone to come over his place to savour some good beers at any time of the day, without the obligation to have some food.
The objective is to be similar to the famous Heeren van Liedekercke, where one can choose to drink beer, or to have some great beer cuisine.
Hope that, with this message, the confusion has been history from now on.
It's quite amazing what efforts are done by Tom to offer a 16 diiferent top-quality beers from tap.
Undoubtedly the best tap selection in whole Bruges.
It's time that some massive promotion is done towards this amazing Bruges beer bar.
So, from now on, I will post on a monthly basis the ever changing Erasmus tap list.
Erasmus tap list of August 2010
Also good to see that the wonderful Viven Imperial IPA and Viven Smoked Porter are readily available from bottle today at Erasmus.
In the future, the draught Viven versions IPA and Porter will be offered too !
A scoop now..... Tom will shortly add - to the tap list - the genuine unsweetened Liefmans Kriek, tapped straight from the lagervats.
A most UNIQUE experience, as nobody here in Belgium or abroad does offer that outstanding fruit beer, the way it should be served.
Le
Ménestrel
Grand Place, 06-2
7600 Péruwelz
Tel: 069/77.27.17
Number of beers: 200
Open all days from 10.00 till ?
Sundays open from 16.00 till ?
Viesville
Ruchette
(La)
Place des Combattants, 8
6230 Viesville
Tel: +32(0)71.34.66.79
Number of beers: 80 - 100
Mondays open from 10.30 till 19.00
Tuesdays open from 11.00 till 22.00
Wednesdays and Thursdays open from 10.00 till 22.00
Fridays and Saturdays open from 10.00 till 23.30
Sundays open from 10.00 till 21.00
Province of West-Flanders
Brugge
De
Kelk
Langestraat 69
8000 Brugge
Tel:
Number of beers: 100 Website
Open daily from 7pm onwards.
Brugge
Comptoir
Des Arts
Vlamingstraat 53
8000 Brugge
Tel: 0494 38 79 61
Number of beers: 90 Website Closed on Tuesdays.
Other days open from 18.00 till 03.00
Expected - A Great Beery Week in September ! Damme & Bruges
Written by Trappist
Monday, 16 August 2010
Hi,
Two great beer festivals will happen shortly in September.
Both are taking place close to eachother, so perfect to combine !
Sunday 5 September from 11am till 6pm at Damme (close to Bruges) - The 3d. Damme Beer Festival.
Good to notice that this cozy festival will take place again, and again the medieval halls of the Damme townhall are used. This time more space available, and much more attendees too.
All takes place inside the townhall during the culinary market that simultaneously takes place in front of the townhall on the market square.
Cooking demonstrations with beer are scheduled too. Makes it all that more enjoyable.
Already participating:
1 Bockor Bellegem
2 Malheur Buggenhout
3 Slaapmutske Melle
4 St-Canarus Gottem
5 St Feuillien Le Roeulx
6 De Ryck Herzele
7 De Bierloods Adegem
8 Bosteels Buggenhout
9 Viven Sijsele
10 Van Steenberge Ertvelde
11 De Graal Brakel
12 Drankencentrale Strubbe Damme
13 BAB Brugge
14 Ultra Ecaussines
15 De Arend Hoboken
16 TON Damme
17 Huyghe Melle
18 Van Den Bossche St-Lievens Esse
19 Traagwater Heverlee
20 Les 3 forquets Gouvy
21 Cluyzenaar Kluizen
22 Smiske Mater
The weekend after, the fantastic Bruges' Beer Fest takes place.
This is the 4th. edition.
A beer fest that already can be considered amongst the best today here in Belgium.
Especially the location is a true marvel, i.e. the medieval Bruges' belfry halls! 281 Different beers to choose from, and this coming from 68 breweries and beer/brew firms.
The complete list can be consulted here: http://www.brugsbierfestival.be/nl/bieren-5.html
Alot of 'primeur' beers to try. I'm especially looking forward to the brand new Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel 11 !
Interesting about both beer festivals is the fact that they can easily being combined into a great one week staying.
Starting on Sunday at Damme. Having - inbetween - a great beery stay at Bruges, and ending in beauty at the Bruges' Beer Fest.
The Belgian BeerBoard will be present at both festivals to capture as much as possible for future publishing/promotion over here.
