What do an Israeli micro-brewer, an American GI fresh off a stint in Afghanistan, and the Baker family have in common? We comprised today's tour of DeDolle Brewery in Esen.
The tour began in the hopkamer where a lively discussion about the merits of boiling yeast ensued. The Israeli micro-brewer contended that it was good to boil the yeast, our owner/founder/brewmaster tour guide, aghast, insisted the kettle was not the place for yeast. As an amateur bread maker and truster of Belgians in all things beer, I tend to agree with the brewmaster. This was made that much funnier having just watched an episode of Friends on Belgian TV in which Ross buys vanilla flavored Israeli champagne to celebrate a promotion. I kept my laughter to myself.
The yeast debate set the tone all the way through to the bottling facilities and warming room at which time we were sent forth into the café to taste the beers. The kids, having bailed to said café sometime before bottling, were found helping the brewmaster’s wife place lighted candles on the tables. She said Leah has a job with her and should come back next Sunday at 2pm.
Jon in front of a large stack of De Dolle beer
The beers were fantastiche. OerBier is the "Original Beer" and is the recipe our brewmaster has used since winning prizes for the beers he brewed in his Gent dorm room years ago. It is a beer worth - and capable of - aging. AraBier is a hoppier brew, as is the Dolle Teve. The Christmas beer, Stille Nacht, is the densest beer in Belgium. It is carmelly and sweet and comprised of 12% alcohol. After half pours of the Oer and the Teve and a full pour of the Ara (me likes my hops) I passed on the Silent Night. I’ve enjoyed it before; it puts me to sleep. Finally, de Dolle makes a stout. I did taste a snip of GI Kevin’s - it was surprising and delicious with a milky quality.
While the GI was back in the bar, we were in the front of the brewery making our goodbyes. After the Israeli brewer and wife left, the brewmaster said, "now that he is gone I will show you something... if he had seen this he would go crazy."
The 2004 Special Reserva (See Below)
He took us down into the caves, where we found many wooden kegs and bottles of aging beers. He selected a small bottle labeled "Special Reserva 2004" and an unlabeled 750ml bottle. He opened the Special Reserva, poured it into two small glasses and presented them to Jon and me. It was a tasting encore like no other. It had wood-aged, wine barrel flavors - like you find in the Duchess de Bourgogne- but it was so much more. This was the best beer I have ever had and probably ever will have. I cannot explain this beer any more than I can the magic by which it was bestowed upon us. The brewmaster then gave us the unlabeled bottle to take home and sent us on our way. We immediately went to a restaurant and ordered coffee.
The mysterious unlabeled bottle next to a stock bottle of OerBier from the pantry
The tour began in the hopkamer where a lively discussion about the merits of boiling yeast ensued. The Israeli micro-brewer contended that it was good to boil the yeast, our owner/founder/brewmaster tour guide, aghast, insisted the kettle was not the place for yeast. As an amateur bread maker and truster of Belgians in all things beer, I tend to agree with the brewmaster. This was made that much funnier having just watched an episode of Friends on Belgian TV in which Ross buys vanilla flavored Israeli champagne to celebrate a promotion. I kept my laughter to myself.
The yeast debate set the tone all the way through to the bottling facilities and warming room at which time we were sent forth into the café to taste the beers. The kids, having bailed to said café sometime before bottling, were found helping the brewmaster’s wife place lighted candles on the tables. She said Leah has a job with her and should come back next Sunday at 2pm.
Jon in front of a large stack of De Dolle beerThe beers were fantastiche. OerBier is the "Original Beer" and is the recipe our brewmaster has used since winning prizes for the beers he brewed in his Gent dorm room years ago. It is a beer worth - and capable of - aging. AraBier is a hoppier brew, as is the Dolle Teve. The Christmas beer, Stille Nacht, is the densest beer in Belgium. It is carmelly and sweet and comprised of 12% alcohol. After half pours of the Oer and the Teve and a full pour of the Ara (me likes my hops) I passed on the Silent Night. I’ve enjoyed it before; it puts me to sleep. Finally, de Dolle makes a stout. I did taste a snip of GI Kevin’s - it was surprising and delicious with a milky quality.
While the GI was back in the bar, we were in the front of the brewery making our goodbyes. After the Israeli brewer and wife left, the brewmaster said, "now that he is gone I will show you something... if he had seen this he would go crazy."
The 2004 Special Reserva (See Below)He took us down into the caves, where we found many wooden kegs and bottles of aging beers. He selected a small bottle labeled "Special Reserva 2004" and an unlabeled 750ml bottle. He opened the Special Reserva, poured it into two small glasses and presented them to Jon and me. It was a tasting encore like no other. It had wood-aged, wine barrel flavors - like you find in the Duchess de Bourgogne- but it was so much more. This was the best beer I have ever had and probably ever will have. I cannot explain this beer any more than I can the magic by which it was bestowed upon us. The brewmaster then gave us the unlabeled bottle to take home and sent us on our way. We immediately went to a restaurant and ordered coffee.
The mysterious unlabeled bottle next to a stock bottle of OerBier from the pantry
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