How About Some? · 9 July 2007
Content?
I have spent the last 4 days doing homework (and driving). My poor bookshelf has been woefully neglected, as has my pantry. But even overworked blogging college students need to eat and drink, and the last few weeks I've stumbled upon some truly wonderful examples of one of college life's staple foods, beer.
A few years ago I visited Belgium, and in it found the country that thinks beer should taste the way I think beer should taste, full of flavor with fruity influences.
I visited one of the last existing traditional lambic breweries, Cantillon and fell in love with their brews.
Not only does Cantillon produce very tasty beverages, they have that unique charm that attracts me to small specialty crafters of any trade. The produce large bottles of traditional beer with winsome illustrated labels (the images I’ve included are examples). Their entire brewery fits into a space I’d estimate as no larger than 4000 square feet. When I took the “tour,” I showed up at the door and was greeted by one of the brewing family, then told to look around at my leisure. The tour started and ended at the front of the brewery, which houses the tasting room. After poking around the vats, barrels, and various brewing mechanisms, I was served a glass of lambic and the rest, as they say, is history.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find most varieties of Cantillon in the United States. Beverages and More usually stocks the Vigneronne and the Rose de Gambrinus but they don’t have the magnificent traditional Kriek cherry beer or 100% lambic that I’ve been craving.
So, when I went to pick up a bottle of wine for a friend’s birthday party, and saw another Belgian beer that is supposed to be difficult to obtain, Rochefort, I had to buy a few bottles. I selected a Rochefort 6 and a Rochefort 8. The Rochefort beers are brewed by the monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance and they too have captured the excellent Belgian character of beer.A good beer deserves a good meal. A good beer deserves to be savored while sitting on a sunny patio and lazing the afternoon away. Unfortunately my Rochefort got neither of these things. What it got was a hurried meal of Round Table Pizza squeezed in between homework and scholarship essay writing, but this in no way lessened my enjoyment of the beers.
My boyfriend poured the 8 first. It filled the glass with a huge frothy head which took up all but the lowest half inch of the 10 oz glass. We had opened the 6 at the same time as the 8 and while the 8 was pouring, the 6 threatened to erupt over the top of the bottle. Like the 8, the 6 had a generous full-bodied head, but it wasn’t quite as extreme; it only took up ¾ of the glass. After letting the beers settle for a few minutes, the tasting began.
Both beers were excellent, but the 6 was more my style. While not a “lite beer,” it didn’t have the woody flavor and slightly bitter aftertaste that the 8 did. The 8 is a serious beer, full of complex flavors and reminiscent of the smell of a heady day outdoors in the woods. The 6 is the 8’s more sprightly cousin, with a slightly fruity taste and less loamy tones. It had the lightest of aftertastes and was very refreshing.
After adoring my Belgian beers for a sadly short-lived time, it was back to the grind, where (with a few exceptions) I’ve been ever since. I hope to return to my normal 3 posts per week schedule next week. I've got a ton of amazing looking books that that I can't wait to read and share.
Beer,
Belgium,
Cantillon,
Lambic,
Rochefort
-
Share this article
Pondering Happy Independence The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Add and View Comments
Chris · 10 July 2007, 07:45
You’ve managed to make me want a beer at 10:45 in the morning! I haven’t had a good beer in so long…what you described sounds wonderful. We have a wine cellar here that imports beers from around the world. I’ll have to make inquiries.
Nymeth · 10 July 2007, 12:51
I’m not a fan of beer, but my brother was in Belgium last week and brought me a box of chocolate… it’s absolutely delicious.
Good luck with your school assignments – hopefully you won’t have to neglect your bookshelf for much longer.
Kim · 10 July 2007, 19:36
Chris – If they don’t have the Rochefort, here’s a blog that specializes in monk-brewed beer has a lot of other yummy looking beers. Or, your local wine cellar can probably make great recommendations. I love BevMo for price and selection, but I’m still searching for a convenient local place to bug the proprietor so I envy you there ;)
Nymeth – I love Belgian chocolate too, especially the way that they usually stylize the shape to make it seem even more whimsical and decadent.
Stefan · 12 July 2007, 07:31
That was a nice read, brought back memories :) cheers
Commenting is closed for this article.