Thursday 18 February 2016

Random Dutch beers (part nineteen)

It's Saturday, I've written next week's Let's Brew recipe and now it's time to relax. What better way that writing random rubbish about whichever beer I pick off the floor.

Some bottles I picked up several weeks ago in Nijmegen have been looking at me reproachfully for a while: "Why haven't you drunk me yet, you heartless bastard?" So I've flipped the top off one and slipped it into my Chimay glass.

It seems to be from a genuine brewery. You know, one of those places with lots of shiny pots and a smell of disinfectant. And really located in Nijmegen.


Donderwolk Het Experiment Nimweger Alt 6.2% ABV (€2.95 for 33cl)
It pours a pale copper colour. A whiff of minty hops in the aroma, but not much else. Bit thin in the gob considering it's over 6% ABV. It does have the firm, persistent bitterness that you get in a good Düsseldorf Alt. Not bad. Not bad at all. I'm quite enjoying this one. Though, at that price, I can't imagine buying it very often. If you think that 33cl of St. Bernardus Abt - let's face it, one of the best beers in the world - costs just €1.90 at Ton Overmars.

Even Dolores thinks it tastes nice. Or she did, unitl she saw the price: "2.95 for a little bottle like that? Phff." As always, she has a point.


Boer Koekoek Drie Tevreden Boeren 8% ABV (€3.20 for 33 cl)
Mucky pale yellow with a rather scummy head.  A bit like Little Dave (or Dave the Scab as crueller people called him). I wonder if he's still alive? Nice fresh hop smell. Mmm. That's pretty good. A bit spicy. As no spices are listed in the ingredients, I guess that comes from the yeast. Bit of sweetness hiding unconvindingly under the carpet. The bulge is obvious.

"Quite buttery." is Dolores's comment. In a good way. She likes it a lot, too.

I'm dead impressed with Nijmegen beer. De Hemel and Oersoep - both more than decent breweries - I already knew. I've learned they aren't alone in the city. A new beer destination?



Apologies about the blurry Boer Koekoek label. It seems to have been printed on an ink-jet printer and started running as soon as I got a little water on it.

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