Hellemus

And so we come to the third of three official tastings of northern French bières de garde, which we enjoyed with some friends a few days ago here at 40b40 headquarters in Brussels. Hellemus Blonde des Flandres -- like the brilliant 3 Monts, the acceptable La Goudale, and the nutty La Choulette Blonde -- is a strong blonde ale, this time of 8% ABV.

The comments, not altogether coherent, burst out with the cork:

“It’s like Kwak with big hops.”

“Very fruity. It has an aroma of citrus and pineapple.”

“No, wait. Grilled pineapple.”

“Like Orval.”

“Orvallian.”

“It smells like a piece of fruit. Or a Brooklyn lager.”

Brooklyn?

Oh, Hellemus.