The pile of beers I have to try never seems to get any smaller. I need to drink more. Maybe I'll get through more when Ton Overmars takes his annual holiday later this month. That cuts off my Abt supply. Scary, scary days.
I begin with another sort-of-Dutch beer from Scheldebrouwerij. Bought at Dirk van den Broek.
Scheldebrouwerij Oesterstout, 8.5% ABV
For those who don't understand Dutch, the name means Oyster Stout. Though no oysters were harmed making it. It's suitably opaque, though the head is fairly white. Erm. Something not quite right. An odd bitterness and a nasty vegetable flavour. Like turnips had been boiled in the mash. I assume they didn't do that - turnips aren't listed among the ingredients - so I guess something went wrong with the fermentation. A shame.
I would ask Andrew to try it. But it's only 12:45. He won't be up for a few hours yet. Especially as he already got 20 euros out of me yesterday evening.
"Do you want to try my beer, Dolores."
"Yes, in a second."
"It's OK. Can you say just OK?
"You can say whatever you like. Other than 'I've found a new Ronald, your bags are packed and on the doorstep. Give me your keys and close the door on your way out.'"
Who's that coming down the stairs? A burglar? No, it's Andrew. amazingly.
"Do you want to try my beer, Andrew."
"Not straight after getting up, Dad."
"Can I have 20 euros, Mum?"
"I don't have 20 euros."
"Can I have 20 euros, Dad?"
"Didn't I just give you 20 yesterday?"
"No. It was ages ago. Thursday."
"That's just the day before yesterday."
"I'm sorry, I've only got two 10s. Is that OK?"
"For this time, Dad."
"I'm an idiot" I say to myself as I pass Andrew two 10 euro notes.
Next, another Scheldebrouwerij beer - "Hey Andrew. Where are you going? You have to try my beer."
Scheldebrouwerij Lamme Goedzak, 7% ABV
The label calls it "blond".As an older new brewery, they tend to male Belgiany type styles. It tastes very much like the Zeezuiper - a bit spicy and orangey. Rather nice, in fact. Like Tripel-light.
"Do you want to try my beer, Lexxie."
"Naah."
"a nasty vegetable flavour" - as an American homebrewer, I frequently encountered that flavor whenever I used a high percentage of dark Munich malt in dark beers like bocks and dunkels. So often that I have given up using dark Munich malt.
ReplyDeleteQuite serendipitously, I bought Zeezuiper last weekend on Walcheren. Not tasted, yet, got a whole crate of different beers, even six of Italian origin, but Belgian-style (http://www.birrapasturana.it/). Cheers.
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