Cracked Kettle Amsterdam - Purchases

I went to the Netherlands this week for a work-trip and I just had to stop somewhere to get some good beer while I had the opportunity. I knew we were going to do a lot of car travelling and I had De Molen in mind but the schedule was simply too tight to be able to get there. The shop Cracked Kettle was my second choise but it didn’t look like I was going to make it there either. I was lucky and talked my hungry travel-companions into waiting in the hotel-lobby before going to the restaurant when we got home after a long day. I also talked our driver into driving me to the store where I spent a quick 10 minutes.

I really fell in love with the store at first sight. The manager was a really nice guy that understood my dilemma getting some really good beer in that short amount of time. Even better was that he played my favourite country artist David Allan Coe in the store and when I commented on it he was amused and told me not many customers know who that is. I now knew I would be leaving with some great products. Below is what I got:

 De Molen Rasputin, De Molen Molenbier, De Molen Hemel & Aarde, De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis

 Struise/Mikkeller Elliot Brew, Struise / De Molen – Black Damnation, Struise Black Jack

Port Brewing Santas little Helper, Emelisse Imperial Russian Stout x 2, Klein Duimpje Imperial Russian Stout

And Cracked Kettle didn’t live up to its name, not a single bottle was destroyed during the flight.

BBT 2010 - What I brought home

I had to be very selective when I bought beer to bring home since I was only allowed to check in 20kg of luggage. I managed to bring 19 bottles home and none broke during the trip and the bag weighed only about 22kg which no one took notice of. This is what I got:
Alvinne: Hop Trilogy Columbus, 2 x Melchoir Mackmyra Oak Aged, Hop Trilogy Simcoe

De Struise: Pannepot Grand Reserva Vintage 2006, Pipedream, Klokke Blonde

Abbaye des Rocs: Bruin, Tripel Imperiale, Nounnette, Bruin (again)

Fantôme: Fantôme

In de Vrede: Westvleteren Blond x 2, Westvleteren 8, Westvleteren 12

La Trappe: Quadrupel, Bockbier, Quadrupel (again)

When I write this I have already emptied the Pipedream and an Abbaye de Rocs Bruin and given a La Trappe Quadrupel to my father. I plan on maybe having the Westvleteren 8 later tonight so if I don't get to Systembolaget fast all physical evidence of this trip will soon be gone. Over and out and hope to be able to write about new beer trips in a not too far future.

BBT 2010 - La Trappe

We had to visit La Trappe since they are the first Trappist Abbey to open up their brewery for a tour. Actually we didn't see any of the brewing process and it felt like a more sane version of a'Chouffe. We didn't even see a single monk. However, the Abbey is a nice place and it was an interesting tour.

La Trappe Bockbier
Netherlands
ABV: 7%
Rating: 3
Burned malt. Tastes a little like a heavy Eastern European dark lager but not as carbonated. A bitter after-taste. I would have liked it if it would have had something that stood out but it is a good beer that don't leave any real impression.

BBT 2010 - In de Vrede

You don't get closer to the most exclusive brewery in the world, Westvleteren Abdij St. Sixtus. I have been here once before and that was the first time I tasted their lovely and by some named as overrated beer. In de Vrede is nothing special in itself but they serve the beer we are there for and nothing else really matters. Unfortunately I was the driver this day and had to limit my consumption. A Swedish guys overheard us speaking Swedish and it turned out he was there waiting for his 48 bottles of Westvleteren 12 that he had ordered and he had drove there for that sole purpose. We told him about the nearby De Struise Brouwers and he got the address for a drive over there. He told us that he was a home-brewer and he promised me some bottles of his next batch since he only lives 50 kilometres or so from me. We'll see if he remembers it and contacts me or if it just was talk.
Westvleteren 12
Belgium
ABV: 10.2%
Rating: 5
This beer is rated number one in the world by many and I find it nothing but fair. It is a classical Belgian strong ale with mild licorice and chocolate notes and it is perfectly smooth to drink. Too bad it isn't that often I get my hands of one though.

BBT 2010 - Kulminator, second visit

Friday night it was time for some more aged beer at Kulminator. First I tried an oak aged La Trappe that the monks had brewed for some sort of anniversary and Dirk had bought what they had left after the celebrations. Not aged but worth buying since it is probably not available anywhere else.

La Trappe Quadrupel Quercus
Netherlands
ABV: 10%
Rating: 4
Less fruity than the standard Quadrupel and more rough. A pleasant note of sweet licorice shines trough and I notice that this is also a little sweeter than the standard Quadrupel. As it grows warmer the alcohol starts to taste in a nail-polishing way but that's actually not bad but interesting. Good but not as great as it could have been ageing one of the best beer in the world on an oak barrel.








Gouden Carolus 1987
Belgium
ABV: 8.5% (?)
Rating: 3
I had to try something really old and this is a beer that has been aged for 23 years so it should fit the criteria. When taking a sip from it it is like you let a mouthful enter your mouth but only swallows half of it. It's like it is vanishes into thin air when it contacts oxygen. Intersting. It's also very dry. Unfortunately it's not very drinkable and this is the turning-point in my life where I decide aged beer is nothing for me.







Gouden Carolus Christmas
Belgium
ABV: 10.5%
Rating: 4
The heaviest licorice-taste I ever tasted in a beer. It's a little like drinking licorice allsorts (the candy) and you just have to like it.

BBT 2010 - d'Achouffe

This was the big disappointment of the trip. Disappointment is the wrong word but after visiting 4 small breweries this gigantic complex felt like an abomination to mother earth. What just some days ago should have been interesting was now just like visiting a factory. Sure, the guide was good and kind to us speaking English a little even if the tour we went with were in Dutch and everything was professional. But seriously, how interesting is that?

The worst part of it was the tasting afterwards. We were led to some kind of smokey local bar playing this terrible song. We drank up and left for the long trip back to Antwerp.Mc Chouffe
Belgium
ABV: 8%
Rating: 2
A very mild and quite tasteless beer. Dull.














Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Triple
Belgium
ABV: 9%
Rating: 4
Tastes surprisingly much like a good IPA. Alcohol well hidden and not much of the Belgian style showing.













La Chouffe
Belgium
ABV: 8%
Rating: 3
A pleasant fruity standard Belgian ale. Nothing special.

BBT 2010 - La Brasserie Fantôme

Expectations were high when we reached La Brasserie Fantôme and we entered a very cosy building. The Fantôme himself, Dany, showed us around in his brewery. You could see that he is a hard-working man and a real enthusiast. Unfortunately for us he seemed to be in quite a hurry and the tour was very quick. I don't blame him though, he seemed to have a lot of work going on.

His wife then took care of us for some tasting of their beer and it was a relaxing and interesting experience. Fantôme experiments a lot with spices and according to me that's only positive. Too bad I didn't like all of his experiments but my guess is when Dany gets it right it will be fabulous. The whole place is very likeable and I hope to return there some day for more bizarre experiences.

Fantôme
Belgium
ABV: 8%
Rating: 4
A nice smell of Abricots meets the nose as it is poured. It tastes of a fruity yeast and you can sense some classical ale far away but the taste of this brew is unique. As it grows warmer it tastes a little like artificial strawberry. In a good way. What holds it back a bit is that it has very little after-taste.









Fantôme Chocolat
Belgium
ABV: 8%
Rating: 3
A chocolate beer that doesn't taste like chocolate. Instead it tastes like banana. It has a bitter after-taste and gets rounder as it grows warmer. More fun than good actually.












Fantôme Fleur de Bomal
Belgium
ABV: 8%
Rating: 3
This is bizarre for real. It scents and tastes like pencil sharpening. Very spicy, mostly oregano but even some other spices. I just now found out that oregano is actually used in this brew so I give myself an extra golden star for my developing tasting skills. It is a smooth beer but also a little sour. Also more fun than good.









Fantôme Hiver
Belgium
ABV: 8%
Rating: 2
The saison-brew for the winter. It smells like strawberries but unfortunately it tastes like canned mushrooms. It's acidic with a sour after-taste with hints of sweet licorice. Since I was scared of mushrooms when I was a kid and still have problems with the taste this beer is nothing for me. I guess it deserves a better rating but I can't honestly give it that.

BBT 2010 - Abbaye des Rocs

New day - new adventures. This day we travelled to the south of Belgium and our first stop was Abbaye des Rocs. No one seemed to know we were coming even though I had been in mail contact with them but they welcomed us for a detailed brewery tour and some tasting without hesitation. The language barrier was a major problem since none of us speak any real French and none of them speak any real English. Still it was very interesting and they patiently answered our attempts at questions so it was a really pleasant visit.
The brewery had a very rustic feeling to it and the dungeon-lift to the basement was a story in itself. A great start of day two.

Abbaye des Rocs Blanche des Honnelles
Belgium
ABV: 6%
Rating: 3
Wheaty. A little mild but not wimpy at all, rather well-balanced. Notes of citrus. A good standard beer.













Abbaye des Rocs Nounette
Belgium
ABV: 7%
Rating: 3
Very sweet. Dry but smooth in mouth and throat. Great taste but nothing special enough to reach a rating of 4.













Abbaye des Rocs Montagnarde
Belgium
ABV: 9%
Rating: 3
Sweet and a little sour. Tastes a lot from coriander. A little dull but fully drinkable.













Abbaye des Rocs Brune
Belgium
ABV: 9%
Rating: 4
Licorice and vanilla. Pleasant round taste with hints of ginger. Very nice and very close to a rating of 5.

BBT 2010 - Kulminator, first visit

In the short time I have been knowing about Kulminator expectations had grown big. Kulminator is such a rare thing as a pub that specialises in aged beer. The owner Dirk has some reputation for being a bit odd and judging when it comes to his customers so all these circumstances together made me feel almost like executing a pilgrimage.
I was both disappointed and satisfied after my visit. Dirk was not grumpy at all, rather the opposite and the rumours about his wife being bullied around seemed to come from thin air. There were some cats sneaking around and the restroom's smell wasn't the best but apart from that the place was clean and smoke free.
I think my main problem is the clientèle. Students in uniform and loud-mouth American world champions have never been my first pick of company and I know that I'm ignorant when writing this. But I still write it since it makes me sad that I'm a person who loves beer that dislikes persons who loves beer. It's a strange world isn't it? Anyway, this is not Kulminator's fault but it clouds the experince a bit.

At least I had some interesting beer:

Witkap Dubbel 2000
Belgium
ABV: 7%
Rating: 3
I was warned by Leen about it being very sour and I thought "What the heck, I have been drinking infected Witkap with a pure stable taste so I should be able to handle this.". It was actually a pretty interesting beer with a sharp lime taste. It was very sour as Leen told me but taste actually became more well-rounded as it grew warmer. Nice but not worth ageing for ten years.







Dominus Dubbel 2001
Netherlands
ABV: 6.5%
Rating: 3
Tastes like blackberry jam with a very weird bitterness that I can't describe properly with words even if I would try in Swedish. Notes of citrus and the blackberry taste transforms to raspberry as it grows warmer. Interesting but a little to strange.

BBT 2010 - De Struise Brouwers

The Alvinne guys called De Struise and warned them four thirsty swedes were on their way so we were welcomed with open arms. Their new locals are in an old school and for the first time in my life I had a beer-tasting in a class room. Urban and Carlo were very informative and a pleasure to listen to. We were there for more than one and a half hour and extended their official closing time. We had some great beer and in the first day of our trip we had visited what I believe is the two most experimental breweries in Belgium. We couldn't have had a better start!


Struise Pannepeut 2007
Belgium
ABV: 10%
Rating: 3
A nice taste of wild strawberries. Rough in a nice way but little or none after-taste. A round taste but nothing special.













Struise Pannepot 2008
Belgium
ABV: 10%
Rating: 4
A powerful stout with a heavy and nice taste of chocolate. Strawberry notes finds their way trough the heavy base. Earthy notes and a weird kind of acidic after-taste makes this beer stand out.











Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva 2005
Belgium
ABV: 10%
Rating: 4
Even more fruity than the younger Pannepot but with a lighter alcohol taste. Pretty similar but a little more powerful and a little sweeter.












De Molen / Struise Black Damnation
Netherlands / Belgium
ABV: 12%
Rating: 4
Very well hidden alcohol. Heavy taste of coffee and smoke with notes of salt and tar. Pleasantly acidic after-taste. We were told that this nice brew is now maturing on whisky casks (I don't remember if it was Mackmyra but I think so) and I'm really looking forward to tasting the result of that.

BBT 2010 - Restaurant ´t Rusteel

After some serious testing at Alvinne we were more than hungry and we were directed to Restaurant ´t Rusteel for dinner. They have their own house brewery and I tried one of their beer. Unfortunately it wasn't as good as their food.

Brouwkot Manten
Belgium
ABV: 6%
Rating: 2
A pretty dull double. Weak in taste and the only slightly interesting thin was the caramel after-taste.

BBT 2010 - Picobrouwerij Alvinne

The first stop of our Belgian Beer Trip (furthermore referred to as BBT 2010) was a really lucky one. We didn't know what to expect and none of us had been drinking any of their beer before. After struggling a bit finding our way there we finally arrived at this very small brewery and was welcomed by Davy and Glenn. We were directly led upstairs to their cosy tasting room and offered our first beer.

We thought we would be there for max one hour but we were there for more than three since they genuinely seemed to enjoy our company and interest in their beer. We had eight different beer from them and many of them were really good. We actually tasted more than eight of their beers but the ones not listed below was either too small samples to rate or work in progress.
A great brewery run by real enthusiasts and very worth a visit. If Davy or Glenn is reading this, we won't forget our promise - an Oppigårds Amarillo Spring and some more surprises will be posted to you shortly.

Alvinne Hop Trilogy Centennial
Belgium
ABV: 7.1%
Rating: 4
A very bitter and hop-tasting beer. It's like an IPA without the sweetness but it's very drink- and enjoyable anyway. A rare and appealing experience.












Alvinne Chelmsford Oak Smoked Porter
Belgium
ABV: 5.1%
Rating: 3
A smooth and drinkable porter with notes of caramel. A little tame and not my style of porter but still ok.













Alvinne Cuvee Freddy
Belgium
ABV: 8%
Rating: 4
Heavy alcohol taste in a good way. It has an after-taste like from a good lager but the beer itself is very acidic. A very pleasant and also rare experience.












Alvinne Bolleville
Belgium
ABV: 10%
Rating: 4.
Distinct notes of apple and coffee. A round taste and very drinkable with a well-balanced bitter after-taste.













Alvinne Melchoir Mackmyra Oak Aged
Belgium
ABV: 11.5%
Rating: 5
Apple and vanilla. It's like it's melting in the mouth and throat. A perfect balance between bitterness and sweetness. Perfect!












Alvinne Melchoir Bourgogne Oak Aged
Belgium
ABV: 11.5%
Rating: 3
Much more fruit than the Mackmyra one and much more alcohol taste as well. Not close to as good but still a nice base.













Alvinne Mano Negro
Belgium
ABV: 10%
Rating: 3
Smokey but a little too mild really appeal to me. After-taste of Tar.













Alvinne Hop Trilogy Columbus
Belgium
ABV: 7.1%
Rating: 4
Tastes and smells heavy of hops. Extremely bitter but still very drinkable. A great end of a pleasant visit.