We started off with the heavenly Deus, Brut des Flandres. When I first read Michael Jackson’s extreme praise of this beer, I was sceptical. And then, when I first dropped 18 euros on a bottle of it, I found it hard to believe it could ever live up to the huge expectations my research and my wallet had placed on it. But it did.
Others picked up a bit of spearmint and perhaps a whiff of ripe peach. At 11.5%, the alcohol is very noticeable, but it doesn’t overpower anything; rather it lifts the numerous fragrances up to your nose and works them around your mouth. This is a fantastic surprise find, and it has made my 40th birthday a very memorable experience. I will certainly be buying Deus again for other special occasions. Go to a shop and throw 18 euro down for it. It is worth it.
Tasters then went for the other beers from Bosteels, which had an almost impossible act to follow. Some moved on to Kwak -- the one with the wooden stand and round-bottomed glass. They found honey and caramel on tasting and called it “very smooth”. “A bit like glue (but not in a bad way)”, was another comment.
Having tried Kwak before, however, I went next to Tripel karmeliet. It poured cloudy amber with an explosive amount of bubbling in the glass. I noted citrus, and Seb found nougat. Some said it had some similarities with a wheat beer, which is quite logical as wheat is one of the three grains that make up this beer. Fiona said she liked Tripel karmeliet, but I just didn’t find anything distinctive enough in it to really separate it from the pack of other ales. Slightly disappointing, I thought, though maybe after the Deus, this poor beer didn’t stand a chance with me.
Birthday now over, I will dream of Deus tonight...
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