Birthday boys

Two of Belgian brewing's big brands are celebrating round-number anniversaries at the moment, and have released special beers to mark the respective occasions.

The gnomes at La Chouffe are presumably in party session mode and hence have dropped the ABV of their flagship to 5.6% to create Chouffe 40. It's the same hazy blonde, however, brimming with foam and smelling delightfully fruity and spicy in that signature Belgian way, a signature that La Chouffe must be at least partially responsible for designing. There's an oily wintergreen herbal effect in the foretaste, and I read that the recipe contains extra sage, so that makes absolute sense. Behind it there's honeyish candy, spritzy orange zest and some sharper nutmeg and raw clove. I miss the big Chouffe's easy-going heft, and it's lacking in the clean pepper spice too -- something I didn't think was optional with the house yeast. Still, it's a proper party, delivering most of what makes Belgian blonde a fun proposition, but at an extremely reasonable strength. Fair play, gnomes.

Lindemans, meanwhile, claims two hundred years of business this year. The celebration beer is Cuvée Francisca, 90% four-year-old lambic from three different foeders, topped up with 10% fresh and given a year in the bottle to find its feet. The end result is a beautiful honey colour with an aroma mixing enticing spices and strong sweet malt. 8% ABV suggests it'll be a sipper. I don't think it is, though. It's not heavily textured nor weighty with alcohol. Instead it leans right into the gunpowder and brick cellar that I adore in geuze, turning out amazingly dry for the high gravity. Two centuries of training have made the Lindemans yeast voracious because there's no residual sugar here. I tend not to like gueze at this high strength but they've absolutely nailed it this time, all bright and accessible, with none of the saline sweaty side. Past the sour there's a clean bitterness, suggesting lemon peel and grapefruit pith, adding a New World feel which has nothing to do with hops. Regardless, it's absolutely beautiful and a fully fitting tribute to one of the best in the lambic business.

Two quite different beers here, although each showing the great things of which its parent brewery is capable. I expect both producers will be around for some years yet.