Though I won't be trying to sample them all as I did a couple of times. Back in the days when I was younger, more enthusiastic and there weren't so many damn breweries in Holland. I'd be here until January trying to get through them all.
First one from an older outfit:
Christoffel Bock, 7.8% ABV (€2.40 for 33 cl from Ton Overmars)
Pretty damn dark. Verging on black. A rather metallic smell. Like cream sprinkled with iron filings. But slightly more appetising. Bittersweet in the mouth. Maybe a bit excessively so. They're having a right set to over my tongue. I think Bitter just has the edge. He's knocked Sweet down and there's a trickle of blood coming from his nose.Quite a pleasant beer, despite the fisticuffs.
"Andrew, do you want to try my beer?"
"No thank you, my stomach doesn't feel too great."
Let's try another one. This time for highly regarded Kees.
Indian Summer Doppelbock, 8.5% ABV (€3.20 for 33 cl from Ton Overmars)
Dark brown, but not as dark as the last beer. You can still see some red highlights. The head has a lovely whipped cream quality, but in colour and texture. The aroma is smoke, hop and metal. like eating bacon from a fork where the plating has worn off. Lots more smoke in the mouth which almost, but not quite, covers the background bitterness. Not sure what's being attempted here. Maybe something along the lines of Schlenkerla. A bit of a battle going on between the different elemnts. Maybe it will mellow with age.
"Andrew, do you want to try my beer?"
"OK," he says very hesitantly."
He looks dubiously at the glass and takes a sip.
"It's drinkable, but I wouldn't drink it."
Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Hoorah!,for the return of the bock.
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