Belgian fantasyland

As posted on Luxpatblog, we were in Antwerp this last weekend.  I'll be fully honest - this wasn't the initially intended Belgian destination.  Back in 2005 on my post-college European tour I happened to stop by Brussels and had my first Belgian beer.  It was amazing.  Life-changing (literally - I think my waistline is at least a couple inches ampler due to my appreciation of beer that can be linked to that day of imbibing).  

Anyway, I had initially planned to go to Brussels to check out some of the numerous watering holes and experience the finest Belgian ales (that we can't get just 12 minutes east of the Belgium border).  However, my Hilton Honors account said otherwise and told me that the closest hotel was in Antwerp.  Okay, I thought - never been there, never done that.  What the hell.  So to Antwerp we went - and I can honestly say it was a spectacular destination.

First stop - moules frites on the Grote Markt of Antwerp.  Beverage of choice to unwind from the 4 hour train ride and wash down the mussels...

Beer:  De Koninck

Price:  ≈ €2.50 for 25 cl
Alcohol:  5.2%

Nose:  Light caramel

Palate:  Very slight hoppiness makes this Belgian taste a bit more refreshing than others.  While not overly complex, it's a spectacular "everyday" (only in Antwerp) beverage.  Imagine all your favorite Belgian characteristics, but toned down a little so that you can actually enjoy more than one glass without stumbling home and waking up with a hangover the next day.  Said simply - quite enjoyable.

Aftertaste:  Pretty clean

Comments:  The beer of Antwerp is a solid contender to stand up against all the other brews out there.  Clean, tasty and refreshing.  Makes me want to call Antwerp home.

Rating*:  8.5

... and onto Kulminator we go.  This place is pretty unreal - a library of some 500 current and aged bears.  As shown on Luxpatblog, they have a binder of the brews you can choose from.  Every vintage of Chimay Blue dating back to 1980.  Various other ales of various vintages - most of which I had no clue about.  I felt like a real beer idiot and decided to go with current vintages (after specifically targeting Kulminator for a taste of vintage beer.  However, I did not leave disappointed.

Beer #1:

Beer:  Quadrupel Quercus

Price:  €6.50 for 25 cl
Alcohol:  10.5%

Nose:  Couldn't smell it through that mighty head (see picture below - La Trappe glass)!

Palate:  Clean caramel

Aftertaste:  Minimal

Comments:  This one was evidently hard to get and has been on back order for a year.  Or sitting in barrels for a year or something.  Point is, there was a lot of attention that went into the production of this beer - and it shows in the pricetag.  Well, worth it, though - this beer was complex yet very clean - really saying something for a 10.5% ABV brew.  Yes, clean caramel.

Rating*: 9.0 

Beer #2:

Beer:  Pannepot Special Reserve

Price: €4.50 for 33 cl
Alcohol:  10.0%

Nose:  Pecan pie

Palate:  Molasses syrup; oats

Aftertaste:  A bit of lingering stickiness - enough so that a blonde was required after to clean up the palate

Comments:  This makes me think of what you'd want to consume the evening of Christmas dinner while sitting by the fireplace.  Dessert.  Rich.  Big.  Heavy.  Sleep-inducing.  Delicious, but only in the right moment.  I don't think this tasting was the right moment, but I think other moments would be.  So, for now...

Rating*:  5.5

Beer #3:

Beer:  Tongerlo Blonde

Price:  ≈ €3.50 for 33 cl
Alcohol:  6.0%

Nose:  Nothing; like water

Palate:  Apple juice (note that this was the first tasting AFTER the big, bad Panneport)

Aftertaste:  None; like water (yes, again)

Comments:  This tasted really damn refreshing after finishing off the Panneport.  Like you've just been jogging in the heat of summer and have a glass of water.  But with the curious taste of apple juice.  Complexity increased as our palates were cleared of the previous dessert beer, so it's not as boring as my description might make it seem.  

Rating*:  7.5

Beer #4:

Beer:  St. Feuillien Blonde

Price:  ≈ €3.50 for 33 cl
Alcohol:  7.5%

Nose:  Citrus

Palate:  Pear

Aftertaste:  None

Comments:  Really enjoyed finishing off with this one.  A little bigger and bolder than the Tongerlo, but still light and refreshing.  Nice creamy head, but not too big and overwhelming.

Rating*:  

... and finally on our departure day we enjoyed lunch with two lovely ladies - a blonde and a brunette.  I'd seen a table full of big bellied Brits at Kulminator order a round of Corsendonk, and the name stuck with me.  Much to my [pleasant] surprise the venue for moules frites round two was a Corsendonk house.  Let's just say I fell in love and am not sure I can choose.  Fine.  Call me a beer polygamist.

Beer:  Corsendonk blond & bruin

Price:  ≈ €2.50 for 25 cl (I think...)
Alcohol:  7.5%

Nose:  Not much on the blonde; light brown sugar on the bruin

Palate:  I was too focused on the mussels to take notes; I just remember I loved it...

Aftertaste: None

Comments:  Absolutely DELICIOUS with mussels, fries and bitterballen.  The stars seemed to align for our final meal in Antwerp.  After having big Belgians and light ones, we came across a blonde and bruin that combined all our favorite characteristics - clean mouthfeel, full flavor, honey in the blonde / molasses in the bruin, refreshing.  Maybe it was just the place and time, but I will wholeheartedly say these were my favorite Belgians so far since being in Lux.  

Rating*:  9.5

* Rating guide:

1 = Piss water (i.e. Natty Light)

5 = Take it or leave it

10 = Nectar of the gods