Big Weekend in Brussels. The Annual Brussels Beer Weekend started on Friday. We had the good fortune of being joined by a current colleague who recently moved back to the US after living in Denmark for a few years. Unfortunately, her husband wound up being held up in Frankfurt as a result of a strike, so he had the travel day from hell while we headed out to enjoy some beverages crafted by monks (and non-monks).
It is always interesting seeing a festival like this through the eyes of friends who have never been there before. We always have a good time at the Beer Weekend. It is crowded, but there are always quite a few locals mixed in with the tourists. And with more than 300 beers available, there is always something interesting to try.
The big winner of this visit for me was the Ter Dolen Triple and SWMBO really liked the Ter Dolen Blond. The triple had both some grassy notes as well as some sweetness and real depth. For me, a solid 4 Drunk Monks. The Blond was also quite good. Lighter than the triple with a bit more hop. I would happily drink it on a hot summer day (If we ever had any of those here.). Three and half Drunk Monks.
The most unique beer of the evening was easily the Strubbe Grand Cru Oud Bruin. This is an aged beer with some lambic sourness and a strong depth of flavor. While not a kriek, there is a hint of cherry and prune in the finish. Very complex and not as harsh as some others that I have tried. Three and a half Drunk Monks.
SWMBO also tried a Keyte Triple. This was a very classic triple. Some grassiness and yeasty flavors. Not as deep in flavor as the Ter Dolen, but crisp and quite enjoyable. Three and a half Drunk Monks.
We finished the evening off at Chaloupe d’Or in the Grand Place. You pay for the scenery here, but the food is usually decent and this evening was no exception. SWMBO had a steak frite while our guest and I had moules frites. The moules were plump and very tasty and complimented an Afligem Blond quite nicely.
Saturday and Sunday we stayed in our little town. It was Reuzenfeest, which is basically one day of vendors followed by one day of massive yard sale. Both closing down the town center. Saturday evening a very nice fireworks display was on offer and the whole thing culminated on Sunday with a Parade of Giants. As we live in the town center, we were basically locked in all weekend, which is not a bad thing with so much going on.
In the middle of all this, SWMBO broke out some cheese, wonderful bread and some saucisse for a little afternoon snack. Inspired by the Beer Festival the night before, it was a perfect opportunity for a Leute Bokbier. This is a dark beer with a creamy mouthfeel and some light caramel flavor. It went spectacularly well with the nutty 12 grain bread that SWMBO selected.
I have commented on this before, but it always amazes me, how much is always going on in our town. Every month there is some festival or event. And living in the middle of it all is quite a change from the suburbs where we were in the US. I am not sure why this is. Perhaps it is that many Belgians do not move too far from home and so are very connected to their community. Maybe they just like a big party. I am not sure what it is, but is fun to be a small part of.
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