Random Dutch beers (part thirty-five)

Am I really up to 35 parts of this series? Wow.

But don't worry. Now that the series has more than three fans, it's safe for a least a couple of hundred more editions.

It's Friday evening and I just got back from work. The journey seemed much shorter this time. Probably because it was just the seven steps from the kitchen table to my computer desk. I worked from home today. I'd love to tell you that it was high intensity bit fiddling. But the reality was much duller. Paperwork.

Tim for a beer to wash down the paper dust. Another new Amsterdam beer. There are so many. I can't keep up. I've two dozen bottles lined up for sketches. No Idea when I'll ever get through them all. This one was contract brewed at Troost*.

Brouwerij De Afleiding Janine, 6.5% ABV (€2.50 for 33cl. from Ton Overmars)
It's billed a "hoppy saison" on the label. That's killing two hipsters with one bottle of beard oil. The beer's a pretty golden colour. And smells like tobacco and spices. Like pipe tobacco and the inside of an Indian corner shop. Spice and hops are the recurring theme. And they fight it out like two mangy street dogs for a while, until the spices whimper off with their tail between their legs. Not the most harmoniuos of beers. I must get Dolores to try it.

Everyone is upstairs. I'll have to go hunt them down. Sorry, offer them a chance to try this beer.

Andrew is playing on his PC.

"Andrew, do you want to try my beer?"

"OK."

"What do you think?"

"Huh. A bit watery."

Now I think about, best not get Dolores to try it. She's ill. Don't want to catch something at the start of the weekend.

It's now Saturday. Time for another beer. Though it's only sort of Dutch. Scheldebrouwerij used to be located in Zeeland, but hopped over the border into Belgium a while ago. Their beers seem to still be mostly aimed at the Dutch market. This bottle I picked up in Dirk van den Broek, which has recently greatly expanded its beer range.

Scheldebrouwerij Zeezuiper, 8% ABV
Another attractively golden beer. It tastes just like I remember it: fruity, spicy, quite bitter. Has a very pleasant orangey flavour. A stright down the middle, old-fashioned Tripel. I'm quite happy with that. I don't need constant novelty to amuse me.

I'm off into town in an hour or so. Walking through the park will be today's exercise. Then a few pints with Mikey and some noodles. What an exciting day. I wrote a few recipes this morning.








* Not surprised Troost do lots of contract brewing. Both their brewpubs have decent-sized kit. With more capacity than the pub could shift.