Today isn’t just Sunday; it’s Belgian National Day — a celebration that dates back 193 years, to July 21 1831, and the happy moment when Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg swore allegiance to the Belgian constitution and became the first king of a newly forged European country. In Belgium, the anniversary will be marked with wild scenes and general merriment — or, at least, a few beers and maybe a walk in the park — from Antwerp to Zaventem. At Peaks & Pints, the anniversary will be marked by a few extra Belgian beer on tap and a Belgian beer flight we call Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: National Day of Belgium.
Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: National Day of Belgium
Tilquin Oude Pinot Gris Tilquin à L’Ancienne
8.4% ABV
Lambic originated more than 500 years ago in the Senne River Valley, south and west of Brussels, Belgium. Lambics are unique in that they are brewed with at least 30 percent unmalted wheat in addition to malted barley, preserved with aged hops, aged in oak barrels, and most differently, are spontaneously fermented. Gueuze (pronounced Gooze) isn’t a different beer but rather a blend of lambics of varying ages and provenances — usually a mixture of old (3 and 2 years old) and young (one year old) lambics — then re-fermented in the bottle. Perhaps the most famous gueuze brewery is Gueuzerie Tilquin. In 2009, a former bioengineer named Pierre Tilquin (it’s pronounced “till-CAN,” with a nasalized final vowel) founded the small family brewery based in Bierghes in Belgium’s Senne valley. Tilquin purchases worts from Boon, Lindemans, Cantillon and Girardin, then ferments them in their own oak barrels. This allows for the blending — typically 50 percent one-year old lambic, 30 percent two-year old lambic and 20 percent three-year old lambic. Oude Pinot Gris Tilquin à L’Ancienne is made from the fermentation of 280 gr of Pinot Gris grapes by liter of lambic. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, it’s refermented in the bottle for a refreshing and light gueuze, much like champagne, as grapes dominate the flavor. But dominate may not be the best term for a beautifully brewed lambic that is subtle, and even delicate, in its approach.
Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle Dubbel
7% ABV
In 1836 the Belgian Westmalle monastery became a Trappist Abbey and began brewing beer shortly thereafter. The holy suds they produced started out as an insider-only deal — a choice beverage to be made and enjoyed by Trappists and Trappists alone, but eventually they decided to expand and opened a public beer hall in the early 1930s. Westmalle Dubbel is a dark, reddish-brown Trappist beer with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The creamy head has the fragrance of special malt and leaves an attractive lace pattern in the glass. The flavor is rich and complex, herbal, and fruity with a fresh-bitter finish. It is a balanced quality beer with a soft feel in the mouth and a long, dry aftertaste.
Brouwerij St. Bernard St. Bernardus Tripel
8% ABV
Brouwerij St Bernardus is famous for both their beers and their heritage. The brewery used to brew the famous Westvleteren beers before the monastery returned all production back to within the abbey’s walls. St. Bernardus Tripel is a traditional abbey beer that follows the classic tripel style. In the Watou region a tripel is often referred to as a “Bernadetje”. A fine tribute that pays homage to Bernadette, the youngest daughter of Evariste Deconinck, the man to whom the monks of Abbaye Sainte Marie du Mont des Cats sold their Belgian property in 1934. St. Bernardus Tripel has a slightly sweet aroma and a flowery, fruity taste in which bitter and sweet merge harmoniously.
St. Bernardus Abt 12
10.5% ABV
The Abt 12 is a classic Belgian dark quadrupel brewed since 1946, on the basis of the original recipe compiled by the Westvleteren monks. The Abt, or Abbot, is the highest-ranking monk in the abbey; so perhaps it’s no surprise that the brewery sees the Abt 12 as the highest-ranking amongst abbey beers. It hits the nose with banana, tropical fruit, raisins, spices, and rum. The flavors come through as intensely fruity, with notes of banana, pineapple, as well as spicy clove, añejo rum and anise. Throughout the sip, spicy pepper and black licorice counter the sweetness before a flash of bitterness segues to the beer’s enduring dry finish.
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
