ExBeerience Één

Trying to avoid falling down the slippery slope to Barney Gumble Town.

I'd be lying if I said I don't love beer. Don't get me wrong; there are some piss-poor, mass-produced excuses out there you'd have to pay me to choke down. Good beer can be delicious, thought-provoking, satisfying. Good beer can connect you to your fellow man as you appreciate the time, care, creativity and craftsmanship that went into brewing it. Good beer can be sublime.

Water is still my favorite thing to drink in the whole wide world, but beer is right up there. In a recent conversation with my mother concerning my drinking habits I confirmed what I already knew is a pretty moderate habit: 3-5 per week aside from slightly elevated consumption on weekends or nights out of the house. Feel free to disagree with me on how I'm judging that.

The Dutch and their neighbors also love bier. They have for quite some time. Our little corner of Europe with The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium is the cradle of some of the oldest and best-tasting brews in the world. I find extremely interesting the breadth of styles, brewing methods, geographies, cultures and histories of these "cradle" bieren. So in this space from time to time I would like to offer an an ExBeerience - just a few thoughts about what I had, what I liked or didn't like, etc. Don't worry, Mom, you won't see these too often.


1. Amstel "Gold Zwaar Bier": ALC - 7%, Kost - € .71 (bought as a single), name means "Heavy."
Amstel, if you haven't seen the commercials, is locally produced in Amsterdam, right alongside the river for which the brewery and the city are named. It is not really known for fine beverages, especially after the larger rival Heineken purchased it years ago. For some strange reason I thought this "Gold" version might be better than the "Light" that we see in the US. It was a letdown. Yes, its color was slightly more amber-y than the US sibling and it did exhibit a few simple notes of caramel down the stretch with a short, bittersweet aftertaste (as you can see I of course finished it). But to be fair I had simultaneously eaten some delicious Jong Goudekaas (soft Gouda) and brie along the way that may have prettied things up.

Drinkable? Yes. Got what I paid for? Probably. Like? Nee.

After one sip Katie summed this one up best: "Better than piss."

Still, my new companion Michael Jackson's Great Beer Guide mentions an Amstel "Bock" style as being the most worthwhile and actually flavorful of the line. I'll have to hunt that one down.


2. Westmalle Trappist "Tripel": ALC - 9.5%, Kost - €1.25 (bought as a single)
It probably wasn't fair to drink these two bock-to-bock (dit is een beer joke!). Complete 180. Remember when I mentioned beer can be sublime? Pure spiritual creaminess. Naturally, it comes from an abbey in the village of West Malle in the Antwerp region of Belgium. You know what else comes from Antwerp? Diamonds. Yes, this is the diamond of bieren. Michael Jackson agrees. According to the late "Beer Hunter" this particular bier is a benchmark for the stronger, paler "Triple" style of Abbey beers that started becoming popular in Belgium after WWII.
Just to open this bier is a little like getting a cool spritz of orange rolled in sage. A full sip only intensifies that sensation with a sparkling fruity fullness. The bright mix of citrus and herbal flavors make your mouth come alive, while the creamy texture lets you wash it all down with a easy calm. Most beers I taste. This beer I can feel.

Katie, fighting back sleep, allowed me finish hers. That's love, folks.