Today is the traditional birthday of Gambrinus, sometimes called King Gambrinus, who is considered a patron saint of beer, brewing, and/or Belgian beer. Not an “official” saint, at least not in the Catholic Church, but a legendary figure. Around the year 1100, the brewers of Brussels deliberated that a strong and courageous man should be their leader. They organized a contest with a large beer barrel placed on the ground. The one who could carry it to a spot two stones’ throw away would become their head brewer. Among many who registered for the contest was a Duke from Brabent named Jan Primus, a man of great strength and considerable intellect.  With evident joy, he followed the futile efforts of the numerous competitors to move the beer barrel.  He ordered the servant to beat a spigot into the bunghole when his turn came.  He then lay down under the barrel, opened the tap, and drank until the barrel was empty.  Having done this, he carried the barrel effortlessly to the winning post. On the strength of this clever idea, the brewers of Brussels appointed him as their honorary leader.  From then on, he patronized brewers and innkeepers, and Jan Primus became Gambrinus, the King of Beer. Peaks and Pints honors Gambrinus with a Belgian beer flight, Peaks & Pints Beer Flight: All Hail King Gambrinus!

Peaks & Pints Beer Flight: All Hail King Gambrinus!

Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet

8.4% ABV

Belgium’s Brouwerij Bosteels utilizes a 340-year-old recipe for Tripel Karmeliet, using wheat, barley, and oats in the brewing. The result is a smooth and sweet Belgian golden ale that can appeal to serious beer drinkers and folks looking for something cool to bring to a party. Tripel Karmeliet is still brewed to an authentic beer recipe from 1679 originating in the former Carmelite monastery in Dendermonde. The name Tripel Karmeliet refers both to its origin and its in-bottle refermentation. It benefits significantly from secondary fermentation, giving it some nice carbonation and a creamy head of foam upon pouring. The nose of the beer is redolent of spices and grass. Those spices also dominate the palate and all that sweet oat and wheat malt. A restrained hop bitterness balances the flavors of toffee and malt.

Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy Trappistes Rochefort 6

9.2% ABV, 22 IBU

Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy, which sits in a large valley close to Rochefort in the province of Namur, in Belgium, is home to a community of Trappist monks (Cistercians of the Strict Observance). The brown ales produced by the abbey — Rochefort 6, Rochefort 8, and Rochefort 10— can be tasted in the nearby town of Rochefort and worldwide. Rochefort Trappist 6 is named after its original gravity, measured in “Belgian degrees” — a brewing scale no longer used today. It was first sold to the public in 1953. Bottle-conditioned for soft natural carbonation and the oldest of the three Rochefort Trappist beers, Rochefort 6 has the reddish color of autumn leaves, a soft body, and an earthy, herbal palate (a hint of Darjeeling tea), which develops into a deep fruitiness. The bouquet is refined with soft spiciness and finishes with caramel.

Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle Dubbel

7% ABV, 24 IBU

In 1836, the Belgian Westmalle monastery became a Trappist Abbey and began brewing beer shortly thereafter. The holy suds they produced started as an insider-only deal — a choice beverage to be made and enjoyed by Trappists and Trappists alone. Eventually, however, 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, herby, fruity, and with a fresh-bitter finish. It is a balanced quality beer with a soft feel in the mouth and a long, dry aftertaste.

St. Bernardus Abt 12

10.5% ABV

The Abt 12 is a classic Belgian dark quadrupel brewed since 1946, based on 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 are intensely fruity, with banana and pineapple notes, 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.

Van Steenberge Gulden Draak 9000 Quadruple

10.7% ABV, bottle

Brouwerij Van Steenberge Gulden Draak 9000 pours a lovely chestnut brown, unusually light for a quadruple, and is topped by the trademark towering, tan colored creamy head. It hits the nose with sweet malts, alcohol, caramel (almost burnt sugar), spicy yeast, floral notes (herbal and grassy), and crisp orchard fruits. On the tongue, expect a big caramel sweetness lead followed by biscuity, doughy malts coupled with dark fruits — though not as heavy as other quads, more berry-like than dried fruits. A slight tartness from green apples and pears cut through, along with just the right amount of clove spicing. Mild hops and a warming alcohol note finish things off perfectly.

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