Ölbeat 331 (BC17 #18): Chimay Bleue

Brewery: Chimay
Country: Belgium
Style: Belgian Strong Ale 
Abv: 9 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is dark nut brown with a large natural white head. Aroma has apple jam, sweet caramel and spices. Taste begins with bittersweet dark fruits. Sweet prunes and bitter caramel take over with some yeasty tones. Towards the end caramel-chocolate malts get a bit over the sweet prune-raisin flavour. Aftertaste has fruity sweetness, smooth boozy bite and moderate caramel malty bitterness.

Rich and fruity strong Trappist Ale. Caramel, chocolate, dark fruits, sweet, bitter and even some yeast - complex but still by-the-book Belgian. In the best meaning of the word. Delicious stuff.

Ölbeat

The bottle with a simple blue label looks modest. Too modest, as I found out. Behind the humble appearance there's a complex and outstanding beer. Looks fooled me in this case. 

The Who: Behind Blue Eyes (YouTube)

From the 1971 album Who's Next, the song was written by Pete Townshend.

Ölbeat 314 (BC17 #1): Petrus Aged Pale

Brewery: De Brabandere
Country: Belgium
Style: Sour Ale
Abv: 7,3 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is pale yellow with a large white head. Aroma has vinegar, sour berries, apple and yeast. Taste begins with extra-tart berry-fruity bite. Tart citrus and sour berries take over with some funky vinegarish yeast. Towards the end sour cherries get company from sweetish fruits. Aftertaste has sour berries, sweet apple and some sparkling wine.

Unique and nicely complex Sour Ale. Berries and fruits to give tart, sour and sweet, vinegar, yeast and wine to give their distinct flavours. Very noble when compared to modern acidic and amplified sour ales. Delicious brew.

Ölbeat

A noble brew asks for a soulful classic. Since the beer has an original sour taste, I picked the original version of this great song.

J.J. Cale: Call Me The Breeze (YouTube)

From the 1972 album Naturally, the song was written by J.J. Cale.

Ölbeat 254: Paljas Session Saison

Brewery: Henricus (brewed at Brouwerij Anders!)
Country: Belgium
Style: Saison
Abv: 4,6 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is hazy lemon yellow with a huge overwhelming white head. Aroma has yeast, stingy citrus sourness and some apple. Taste starts with violently spiking citrus tartness boosted with high carbonation. Sour-tart lemon juice takes over with yeasty bitterness. Towards the end some sweeter and rounder citrus flavours get mixed to the sour-bitter basic taste. Aftertaste has citrus sourness and malty dryness.

Surprisingly tasty Saison. Opening the cork made the loudest "tschiff" sound in a while. Strong fruity sour taste for this abv. Great brew with a couple of warm meat sandwiches. Don't believe I found this reasonably priced in a local supermarket.

Ölbeat

Don't usually like the "session" definition in a beer's label but this time it gave me the idea on the song. Relaxing slow session music, without the risk of getting stuck in the elevator, here you go.

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Soul to Squeeze (YouTube)

From the 1993 soundtrack of Coneheads (originally left out of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, 1991), the song was written by Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, Flea and Chad Smith.

Ölbeat 215: Malheur 12

Brewery: Brouwerij Malheur
Country: Belgium
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Abv: 12 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is dark brown with a large tan head. Aroma has sweet red grapes, sour apple and yeasty malts. Taste begins with sweet fruity bitter and sour bite. Sweet wheaty malts and sour citrus fruits take over with a yeast and alcohol side tone. Towards the end sweet grapes and sour citrus come in front with malty bitterness lurking in the background. Aftertaste has sweet citrus sourness and yeasty-malty dryness.

Complex and savoury Belgian. Sweet and sour fruits dominate strongly, but there's a fine part of malts, bitterness, yeast and alcohol present. These never leave you empty-handed.

Ölbeat

The fiery label colours and the strong but warm feeling of the beer gave me the association of fire or burning. Since the beer represents a classical beer style, the song has to be classic and/or soft rock. This BÖC's classic fills the criteria nicely.

Blue Öyster Cult: Burnin' for You (YouTube)

From the 1981 album Fire of Unknown Origin, the song was written by Donald Roeser and Richard Meltzer.

Ölbeat 106: Vander Ghinste Cuvée des Jacobins Rouge

Brewery: Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste
Country: Belgium 
Style: Sour Red
Abv: 5,5 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is reddish brown with a large white head. Aroma has very sour berries and funky yeast. Taste starts with spiking redcurrant sourness. Sour and dry berry juice with a yeasty twist continues to beat the mouth gently. Near the finish dryness comes more in front. Aftertaste has dry and sour currant-gooseberry flavour.

Absolutely magnificent berry-rich sour ale. The original sour berry-like taste shows the meaning of natural fermentation and oak-aging. There are no shortcuts if one wants to make a deep and rich-tasting sour beer. Liquid excellence.

Ölbeat

Simple explanation/excuse: there seems to be no sensible connection between the brew and this song. The brew's name refers to Rue de Jacobins, a street in Paris. There lies the French Dominican abbey, that in the 18th century used to serve as a meeting place for the most famous revolutionary group - the Jacobins - in France. The song has nothing to do with abbeys or French revolution. However, the beer is matured in French oak barrels and French women fit the description in the song. Still far fetched? Well, it just is a positively freaky and funky beer. That's the connection.

Rick James: Super Freak (YouTube)

From the 1981 album Street Songs, the song was written by Rick James and Alonzo Miller.

Ölbeat 099: Rochefort Trappistes 10

Brewery: Brasserie Rochefort (in French)
Country: Belgium
Style: Abt/Quadrupel 
Abv: 11,3 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is dark chocolate brown with a half-finger thick foamy natural white head. Aroma has chocolate, caramel, dark fruits and raisins. Taste begins with smoothly sweet bitterness. Sweet chocolate and malty caramel flavours with raisin and a fruity twist take soon over. Some fruity sourness is also present. Gentle bitterness and a bite of alcohol grow towards the finish. Aftertaste has sweet raisin, caramel and alcohol warmth - and lasts long.

Absolutely magnificent complex and strong brew. Symphony of taste: chocolate and caramel malts are joint with raisin and fruity flavours. Bitter, sour and alcoholic elements support the whole. The aroma and flavours prove that Belgian trappist quads are a result of century-old brewing tradition and as such true masterpieces.

Ölbeat

"Well I guess it would be nice / If I could touch your body / I know not everybody / Has got a body like you." That probably tells the story. And, of course, you've got to have faith if you're trying to find any better beer than this:

George Michael: Faith (YouTube)

From the 1987 album Faith, the song was written by George Michael.

Ölbeat 083: Rodenbach Grand Cru

Brewery: Brouwerij Rodenbach
Country: Belgium
Style: Sour Red
Abv: 6 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is bubbly dark brown with a tiny white crown. Aroma has fresh and original apple cider, sour fruits and spices. Tasty begins with heavy funky tartness and sourness. Sweet fruits come along on the way, while sour apple, good wine-like dryness and yeast flavours are in the lead. Towards the end we get some sweet bitterness. Aftertaste is complex: at the same time sugary sour and bitter dry.

Great funky sour trip: yeast and apple-wine combo dominate, but we get spices and sweetness in the same package. Excellent tasty brew even for those who prefer dry wine or cider. We will meet again.

Ölbeat

Funky and fizzy. Again I find myself thinking: "Should I save this feel-good dance tune for later?" Probably should, but what for? The next classy sour fruity and yeasty brew will surely find another classic disco track:

Michael Jackson: Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (YouTube)

From the 1979 album Off The Wall, the song was written by Michael Jackson.

Ölbeat 077: St. Bernardus Abt 12

Brewery: St. Bernardus Brouwerij
Country: Belgium
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Abv: 10 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is dark thick brown with a dense medium vanilla head. Aroma has sweet syrup, honey and sour yeast. Taste starts with sweet yeasty bitterness and smooth natural carbonation. The journey continues with honeyed malts, rich syrup, plum jam and sweet-sour fruity flavours. Near the finish the artwork is completed by spicy bitterness and dry-wine-like sourness. Aftertaste lasts long with sweet bitterness and alcohol warmth.

It's not hard to understand how this brew is seen as one of the best beers in the world. The rich sweet fruity and yeasty taste makes you crave for another sip but your sips get smaller and smaller as you don't want them to end. I'll have to make a reservation for another meeting with this abbey treasure.

Ölbeat

Legendary brew can be matched with nothing else than a legendary song. No contest - complaints are groundless:

Led Zeppelin: Stairway To Heaven (YouTube)

From the 1973 album Led Zeppelin IV, the song was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

Ölbeat 056: De Ranke XXX Bitter

Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Country: Belgium
Style: Belgian Ale
Abv: 6 %
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The hop-upgraded version of XX Bitter

What about the beer?
Colour is bubbly clear yellow with small white head. Aroma has lemon, yeast and grass. Taste starts with bitter and sour first bite. Lemon sourness and hoppy bitterness ride smoothly together. Near the finish the bitterness gets some tones of yeast and herbs. Aftertaste is sour and dry.

The tasty combination of sour citrus and dry bitter hops works with me. There are similarities with saison and farmhouse ales, which is excellent, but the bitterness turns the experience to a different direction, which is also excellent. Overall very fresh and clear cut experience.

Ölbeat

Bitter-sour brew can be matched with a blues song. Since the beer doesn't loosen its grip on the drinker easily, I found this piece of art from the master of blues rock:

Gary Moore: Enough of the Blues (YouTube)

From the 2001 album Back to the Blues, the song was written by Gary Moore.

Ölbeat 039: Orval

Brewery: Brasserie d'Orval
Country: Belgium
Style: Belgian Ale
Abv: 6,2 %
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Magic carpet ride in liquid form

What about the beer?
Colour is bubbly hazy copper brown with aggressively huge foamy white head. Aroma has deep sourness by vinegar and lemon and dry apple, and it reminds a bit of dry white wine. Taste begins with extreme sourness, which is strengthened by high carbonation. Fruits and lemon join the fun, followed by some overripe grapes and banana flavour. Bitter and yeast flavours get loose near the finish. Aftertaste is sandpaper-dry with some lemon-sourness on top.

Damn. That was a perfectly rich, fresh and versatile journey inside one beer. Unforgettably powerful sourness in the beginning, bitter fruit salad in the middle and breath-taking dryness in the end. The brewery really doesn't need any other commercial beer, if this is what they brew.

Ölbeat

Sour beer could be translated to grumpy people's music, but I'll abandon that idea. Rich fruits and Belgian yeast turn the sourness in my case to funky beats, fresh and soulful funk, if I think a little further. Since there's definitely something magical and nonunderstandable in Orval, this song matches with it perfectly:  

Stevie Wonder: Superstition (YouTube)

From the 1972 album Talking Book, written by Stevie Wonder.