While in the area we also paid a brief courtesy call to De Prael. The brewery's eclectic tasting room was little more than a hole in the ground last time I was through Amsterdam, and the comfy chairs they have now are far more conducive to beer tasting than the alley in which they used to serve them. Derek got the round in, serving me Gepijpte Nelis, a smoked version of the dark autumn bock. With its fruity spices, it's perhaps closer to a Belgian dubbel than a Dutch bock, and the gentle smoke character lends a little complexity to an otherwise quite simple strong and sticky beer.

Beer Temple has commissioned its own house beer from Dutch brewery Jopen, and of course it had to be an IPA. Tempel Bier is a little bit on the light-to-watery side: a session beer in a pub without pints. But the refreshing zesty orange flavour can't be argued with. The fresh hoppy benefits of not having to cross an ocean are used to full effect.

The Maryland-based Stillwater brewing company were holding a tasting session in the back of the pub while we were there and as each tasting tray was brought to the corralled punters, the relevant beer went on general availability to the rest of us. RateBeer tells me that the two we tried were imported from no further away than Belgium. Jaded was brewed with the assistance of De Struise and is a dark red-brown ale doing a great job of balancing Belgian fruity esters with fresh and pithy hop zing. ’t Hofbrouwerijke near Antwerp was the birthplace of Love & Regret, another zesty one, though this time loaded with aromatic spices like coriander and white pepper. Apparently it was actually done with heather, lavender and chamomile, but you get the idea.
There was more white pepper -- a flavour I really enjoy in beer -- in Dieu du Ciel's Route des Épices. This time there is real pepper present: green and black corns are added to the recipe. There's a lovely rich chocolate biscuit aroma, but after that it's all pepper all the way. Before moving on I spent a bit of time with Marshall Wharf Old Ale. The Maine brewery has done a fantastic job with this: cola red and with a pungent vinous, almost vinegar, nose. It's one of those big textured strong ales filling one's face with sweet treacle and moreish umami, finished off with a distinctly sharp hop bite. Amazing stuff. I could have had another, but one does not leave Amsterdam before dropping in to Beer Temple's sisterhouse Arendsnest.

A couple from Jopen to start: their Extra Stout is a tour de force with some fantastic smoky roasty aromas and a smooth texture given a cheeky burnt kick at the end. Barrevoet is their barley wine: dark red almost to the point of blackness. In combination with some majorly aromatic and grapefruitish hops it's almost a black IPA. But what's in a style? All you need to know is that it's one to look out for.

The airport train beckoned, so just one more for the road. My big finish was Bommen & Granaten: a dark red ale of a full 15.2% ABV, and possibly tasting like more. It's incredibly viscous, almost chewy. A knife and fork job. The flavours are sweet of course, but amazingly not cloying. "Turkish delight" was one comment as the glass got passed around. I was still tasting it all the way to Schiphol and was still thinking about it when I got to my own bed in Dublin hours later. Sometimes, good beers follow you home.
I had a can of the Maui CoCoNuT Porter a few weeks ago. I thought it was great. But I'm easily pleased...
ReplyDeleteEvery time I read about one of your trips to the Netherlands, I get insanely jealous.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is: it's really not very far away.
ReplyDeleteNice one! I will be in Amsterdam this coming weekend and will visit Bier Temple for the first time. And I hope to spend Saturday in Haarlem and visit Jopenkerk.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy! And Olofspoort is a very short detour on the way down from Centraal. Just saying...
ReplyDeleteI had no idea the Maui Coconut Porter was that highly prized! Had it at the local Spoons during their last beerfest; wasn't impressed.
ReplyDeleteBommen & Granaten ("Bombs and grenades"?) sounds superb.
A friend came back from the GABF a few years ago and said it was the best beer he'd ever tasted. I wasn't expecting it to be the best beer I've ever tasted, but there was always the possibility...
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more about the Coconut porter - a huge disappointment. I was expecting a liquid version of a Bounty bar !!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the Maui, but I wasn't subjected to any build up or hype before trying it. Had I been told it was amazing, I probably would've thought something similar to what you thought; A good beer, but nothing to write home about.
ReplyDelete'Sometimes good beers follow you home'. Amen.
ReplyDelete