Dupont Saison

I have not got much time today due to an all day departmental meeting, but I thought it was worth pointing out that I think Dupont Saison is highly overrated. After hearing so many people rave over this style, I bought a bottle whilst in Brugge in January.

Anyhow, I didn't think it was much chop. I think I would get a similar result if I mixed half a pint of Hoegaarden with a half of Leffe blonde.

Over-rated.

Kwak! Kwak!

Ok, I think I may have given away a few clues as to what this post may be about. As much as I want to talk about the delicious amber nectar that is Kwak, this post is going to be dominated by Brown ales - or more correctly Bruin ales!
After leaving Amsterdam, we headed south into Belgium with a pit-stop in Antwerp before heading onto Brugge. I have stated many times that Brugge is my favourite European city and my faith was restored yet again upon arriving in the town square. I have yet to watch the Virgin media release, In Bruges, but it is high on my list of movies to see after what must be my fifth or sixth visit to the city. Brugge is a great place to go drinking, with more than enough bars, café's and pubs serving up Belgium's finest to satisfy your beverage needs. My favourite place to grab a beer is 't Hof Van Rembrandt a smallish café that has a modest beer selection and a nice outlook over a small square. In Summer it is an amazing place to sit, people watch and enjoy a beer during the long sun lit evenings. Some may argue that there are a lot better pubs such as De Garre and 't Brugs Beertje, but as I have been with my wife on every occasion, I simply have not been able to trounce around looking for these gems.
Anyhow, over the new year period when I was there I had a little bit of a fetish for Bruin ales. Some that spring to mind are, Grimburgen bruin, St Feuillien bruin and Kasteel bruin, with the latter being 11% abv and tasting sickly sweet. It poured almost like maple syrup! I also ordered a Brugge triple which I don't think I was served. The beer tasted a lot like Leffe bruin to me and I feel I may have been swindled, but then I didn't mind too much as I was in a bruin ale mood. Other highlights included Primus Haacht witbier which my mother-in-law bought me whilst my wife and father-in-law went climbing up the tower in the main square as well as a nice pint of unpasteurized Bruges Zot. I must say that I am not really a fan of this beer normally and find it a little bit rough, but I think I have been put off by an obnoxious lady from the USA who ruined the brewery tour for me a couple of years ago. The murky beer I had recently was a top spec pint, over-sized wine glass. This leads me to Kwak, a favourite of mine just because of the novel glass and stand. I really appreciate the inventiveness involved. An over-sized wine glass in this instance would have been the easy option to take - full marks for effort and it does make the beer taste better.

In other exciting news: Did you know that you can die in North Korea by sleeping in a room with the fan on? Linky.

Brugse Zot

After a rather satisfying pint from The Jeruselum we headed across Clerkenwell Road and nipped into The Dovetail Belgian Cafe where after giving the bar guy a lesson in how to subtract £5.60 from £20 to give us £14.40 change (seriously this guy couldn't count) we settled with two half pints of Brugse Zot ale from De Halve Maan Brewery. Now I profess that I really like this beer. I have been to the brewery in downtown Brugge a couple of times and after listening to annoying USA types asking really stupid and inappropriate questions savoured the deliciousness that is the unfiltered product. The filtered product I had at the dovetaillast night, while not as nice as the fresh unfiltered brew from the brewery was still pretty good. The abv comes in at a smashing 6.1% abv and the taste is bitter with hints of spice (I think its corriander?) and the taste of burnt candy sugar which rather stangely goes well in this beer. The bar itself is not that much to rave about except that it has an extensive beer menu, but the offerings on tap were limited to the Artois family along with Leffe, Hoegaarden and the Zot. One thing that I will be going back to The Dovetail for though is the food. Whilst i didn't eat, everyone else seemed to have a plate food and it looked good with generous portions and garlic mayo for the fries, I mean frittes! Overall: Expensive but worth ticking the box!