Ölbeat 339: Austmann / De Molen Mannus & Blodøks

Brewery: Austmann Bryggeri (Brouwerij De Molen)
Country: Norway (Netherlands)
Style: Imperial Stout 
Abv: 8,8 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is black with a thin beige crown. Aroma has sweet coffee, vanilla, chocolate and alcohol. Taste starts with bittersweet roast with a boozy bite. Smoothly bitter dark chocolate and sweet roasted malts take over with vanilla, black coffee and boozy breath. Towards the end dark chocolate, bitter roast and sweet vanilla melt together beautifully, with layers of coffee and espresso lingering in the background. Aftertaste has bitter dark chocolate, strong espresso and lasting dry roast.

Strong and honest Imperial Stout. Heavy flavours of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, roast and warming alcohol roll over me. I lean back, relax and enjoy the battle between the great German ancestor and the mythical Norwegian king. I'll call this a tie and move over by the fireplace to finish my glass. Simply excellent collab brew from the strong Norwegians helped by the world famous Dutch.

Ölbeat

Mannus was, according to Roman Tacitus' writings, a son of the god Tuisto and the father of German human tribes. In the 1800's, his myth was adopted to Aryan beliefs, and later to - what else than - Nazi occult. Oh, that would've made Tacitus happy. Eirik Blodøks, on the other hand, was the king of Norway in the 10th century. The epithet, "Bloodaxe", comes from the later sagas about Eirik slaying his half-brothers to rule Norway and about him being a ruthless Viking raider. And that actually would have made the Norse gods happy, but some others probably not.

Metallica: The God That Failed (YouTube)

From the 1991 album Metallica, the song was written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.

Ölbeat 200: De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis

Brewery: Brouwerij de Molen 
Country: Netherlands
Style: Imperial Stout 
Abv: 10 %
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What about the beer?

Bottled 13.5.2015. Colour is black with no visible head. Aroma has charcoal roasted malts, strong black coffee and dark chocolate. Taste begins with strong charred roast with sweet alcohol bite. Silky bitter charcoal roasted malts and semisweet smooth leathered alcohol take over with coffee and chocolate notes in the background. Towards the end dark-roasted sweet coffee and bitter dark chocolate come through, mixed in spicy and delicious liquor. Aftertaste has roasted coffee dryness, cocoa bitterness and alcohol warmth and lasts unbelievably long.

Incredible and magical Imperial Stout. Had this as my first De Molen brew over a year ago as a half-year old bottling. Wanted another one, waited to open the bottle for over a year. "Worth the wait" is the worst diminutive now. Strong and heavy but still smooth and silky. Flavours - roast and bitterness, coffee and chocolate - are powerful and unflattened. Just want to keep the liquid evolving in your mouth forever. Perfect beer for me, if there is one. Truly deserves to bee the 200th Ölbeat.

Ölbeat

Classic heavy beer has to be accompanied by a classic heavy metal song. Besides being on the list of my all-time favourites - with couple of other Sabbath tracks - the theme of paranoia fits the brew's theme nicely. Thoughts of afterlife, especially the condemning kind, are generally a result of someone's impaired mental health.

Black Sabbath: Paranoid (YouTube)

From 1970 the album Paranoid, the song was written by Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne.

2nd Ölbeat

Of course, the 200th Ölbeat deserves two songs. We stick with the same band - who asked for a change? - and move the their next album. This song's connection to the brew: thinking about one's personal destiny while living isn't worth a shit when there are people facing Hell and Damnation in their daily lives.

Black Sabbath: Children of the Grave (YouTube, w/ Embryo as an intro)

From the 1971 album Master of Reality, the song was written by Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne.

Ölbeat 146: Midtfyns Bryghus/De Molen X Porter

Brewery: Midtfyns Bryghus (Brouwerij de Molen)
Country: Denmark 
Style: Imperial Porter
Abv: 8 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is black with a small beige head. Aroma has sweet roasted malts, liquorice, black coffee and chocolate. Taste bites sharply with sweet roasted malts. Sweet ashy-roasted malts and dark chocolate take over with moderate alcoholic bitterness and a mild slice of coffee in the background. Towards the end sweet liquorice comes in front and alcohol bites gently. Aftertaste has the combination of all flavours: sweet roast and bitterness, chocolate, liquorice and alcohol.

Unbelievably rich, thick, complex and delicious Imperial Porter. The combination of flavours is overwhelming: roast, liquorice, chocolate and a nice boozy kick in the end. This collab truly shows the brewing skills in both breweries. Masterpiece. Perfect.

Ölbeat

It's the third time committing the same sin: pairing a Danish beer with a Volbeat song. Well, it's the first for Midtfyns brew and truly deserved. Tough Porter that shares immortality with the song's lyrics.

Volbeat (ft. Johan Olsen): For Evigt (YouTube)

From the 2016 album Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie, the song was written by Michael Poulsen.

Ölbeat 108: De Molen Heaven & Hell

Brewery: Brouwerij de Molen
Country: the Netherlands
Style: Imperial Stout
Abv: 12 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is thick black with a finger-thick quickly vanishing beige head. Aroma has charred malts, dark-roasted coffee and salty dark chocolate. Taste begins with smooth salty bitterness and heavily roasted malts. Salty and bitter strong black coffee take the lead with some malty dark chocolate flavour in the background. Near the finish strong dry bitterness comes in front with a bite of alcohol. Aftertaste is extra dry, bitter and roasty with lasting alcohol warmth.

Superb extreme flavour Imperial Stout. Roast, bitterness, coffee and in the end dryness are heavy, not rounded at all. Salty works usually better than sweet with me and this isn't an exception in any way. Once again De Molen have succeeded in brewing near to perfect strong black ale.

Ölbeat

Well. It was only a question of whether the brew will meet the standards of the song. As it did, let's leave the explanations to the politicians.

Black Sabbath: Heaven and Hell (YouTube)

From the 1980 album Heaven and Hell, the song was written by Butler, Dio, Iommi, and Ward.

Ölbeat 085: De Molen Op & Top

Brewery: Brouwerij de Molen
Country: the Netherlands
Style: Bitter
Abv: 4,5 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is thick dark orange with a medium white head. Aroma has mostly grapefruit with some sweet fruits and fresh grass. Taste starts with bitter hoppy bite with a citrus twist. Fresh bitter grapefruit takes the lead and keeps it. Near the finish there's a drop of dry pine and a slice of orange. Aftertaste has bitter-sour grapefruit and a hint of piny dryness.

Very tasty and fruity bitter. Grapefruit and citrus gently dominate without driving one over with heavy or bitter. Nothing tricky but simple flavours well presented and easy to drink. De Molen keeps its standards.

Ölbeat

A light summer-tasting brew named Op & Top, translated in English 'at its best', requires a light rock song. Like the ones U2 does best:

U2: Staring at the Sun (YouTube, Live 2001)

From the 1997 album Pop, the song was written by U2.

Ölbeat 017: De Molen Tsarina Esra

Brewery: Brouwerij de Molen
Country: the Netherlands
Style: Imperial Porter
Abv: 11 %
@RateBeer

The Empress of imperial porters

Tsarina Esra is shortly described as being an imperial porter, which thanks to the fullness, the richness in flavour and the warming feeling makes it perfect for cold nights. In Finland the winter nights tend to be cold, much colder than the Dutch ones, so we didn't need long marketing speeches for this one.

What about the beer?
Colour is black with tiny vanishing beige head. Aroma has coffee, roasted malts and liquorice. Taste begins with gently-heavily roasted (not burnt) malts, soon accompanied by sweetish strong black coffee and salty dark chocolate. Palate adds late hoppy bitterness and some yeast. Aftertaste is sweet and warmly alcoholic.

If there was a porter brewed by the book without any impurities or defects, but still roughly challenging its drinker to a "wishing-this-would-never-end" experience, then this would be it. Truly a royal beer.

Ölbeat

For a counterpart of a beautifully tough beer, I chose this metal ballad by two by-then-veterans of heavy rock:

Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne: Close My Eyes Forever (YouTube)

From Lita Ford's 1988 album Lita, the track was written together by Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne. For a result of drinking, singing and jamming the song was a success - as the usual story goes. The voices of rough raspy Ford and gloomy high-toned Osbourne make it an unforgettable duet. The lyrics have been interpreted to be about i.e. being scared of falling in or losing love, but there's no confirmed background story. When I heard the song for the first time I was caught in the chorus: "If I close my eyes forever, will it all remain the same?" Closing my eyes while sipping Tsarina Esra immediately reminded me of the song: while tasting a majestic brew I was probably asking the question in my mind.

Brewer's Choice

Nightwish: Over the Hills and Far Away (YouTube)

From the self-titled 2001 EP, the track is a cover of Gary Moore's 1987 original from Wild Frontier. The Nightwish version is a symphonic metal update: the opera-singer-trained vocals of Tarja Turunen bring the singing more in front and the arrangement by songwriter-keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen is heavier than in the original. Otherwise the Nightwish version is loyal to Moore's story about a man who gets framed for a robbery he didn't commit. His alibi is spending the night with his love, who is his best friend's wife, but he doesn't want to reveal the secret and goes to jail instead. The song helped to lift Nightwish to international success, but the EP marked another turning point in the band's history: it was the last recording for bassist Sami Vänskä, who was replaced by Marco Hietala.

Ölbeat 016: De Molen Hemel & Aarde (Heaven & Earth)

Brewery: Brouwerij de Molen
Country: Netherlands
Style: Imperial Stout
Abv: 10 %
@RateBeer

The dark of Heaven, the light of Earth

Hemel & Aarde is not - according to the brewery's beerography - for the fainthearted. It's brewed using "the most heavily peated malt they could find". The label says Bruichladdich, so probably the malts are from the Octomore batch. "Let's see", said the doctor.

What about the beer?
Colour is pitch black with only a thin bubble crown. Aroma gives heavily roasted malts and soft smoke. Taste has roasted caramel malts in front, some salty liquorice on the side. Palate adds slow bitter hops and peaty smoke. Finally, there's a pleasant gentle aftertaste, or rather afterburn: taste of smoke and malts stays in breath quite long.

Having had the intense campfire smoke of Rook & Vuur, this brew showed the not-so-rough-peaty (Laphroaigish) side of whisky malt brews of the brewery. But there was still some smoky dragon behind the pet lizard.

Ölbeat

Instead of putting some obvious crap like "Heaven is a Place on Earth" here - I remember even the artist although trying to forget - I chose this song with earthy power:

Disturbed: The Sound of Silence (YouTube)

From the 2015 album Immortalized, the song is a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's original from 1964 Wednesday Morning, 3 a.m. It's written by Paul Simon. Despite the later success, the song wasn't enough to help the album catch public attention and drove the duo to the edge of break-up. The song's lyrics are about people's failure to communicate with each other: "People talking without speaking /
People hearing without listening". The acoustic original has been turned into a power ballad which leans strongly to singer David Draiman's fragile but rough vocals and the mix of piano-guitar-driven background and orchestral arrangements. The band decided not to "Disturbed-stamp" the song with heavy riffs and fast tempo but chose instead to send their singer to the unknown. The result is at the same time both-feet-on-the-ground but head-up-in-the-skies.

Brewer's Choice

Alanis Morissette: Perfect (YouTube)

From the 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, the song is composed by Morissette and Glen Ballard and the lyrics are written by Morissette. The basic ballad arrangement - gentle vocals and soft almost-jazzy background - gives a strong contrast to the lyrics, which are spoken by a parent who tries to push the kids to better results and reminds them about doing it for their own damn good. Morissette has told that the song is generally about the pressures of society, which loves you as long as you are "perfect" for it. This song was the first that Morissette and her producer Ballard made ready for the album, which turned out to be one of the most successful in the 90's.

Ölbeat 015: De Molen Amarillo

Brewery: Brouwerij de Molen
Country: Netherlands
Style: Imperial IPA
Abv: 9,2 %
@RateBeer (named Storm & Bliksem)

Is this the way to Amarillo...?

Amarillo is described by the brewery to be "brewed according to the new American tradional Imperial or Double IPA's". Since my previous experiences with De Molen are from "the dark side" of the beers - i.e. strong stouts - I was very eager to know how they handle another of my favourite beer styles.

What about the beer?
Colour is semi-clear orange with medium natural white head. Aroma has a strong scent of sweet fruit and berry - orange, mango, pineapple and strawberry are present. Taste gives first pine and sweet fruit - mango or peach. Slowly the sweet bitterness of Amarillo hops and sourness of grapefruit break through. Aftertaste is bitter, dry and a little warm-alcoholic.

The beer is so smooth, soft and good-tasting that it's difficult to take small sips and enjoy slowly. If beer can taste like being on a first date with a girl whom you'd like to take home from the first eye contact, this is the beer. Very difficult to have small-talk with this one.

Ölbeat

Though I associate the beer with first date, you're not getting a Blink-182 or a Danko Jones song here - maybe later. Instead I give in for the smoothness of the beer:

Santana ft. Rob Thomas: Smooth (YouTube)

From the 1998 album, Supernatural, the lead single was composed by songwriter Itaal Shur over one weekeng. Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas wrote the lyrics and, after sending the demo to Santana, was asked to sing the album version. The result was an instant success, the song of the year and the first Billboard Number One on Santana's long career. The song is labeled with Carlos Santana's "samba-like" guitar riffs and Thomas' intense and gruff vocals - it was never meant to be a dance track although the result is very dancable. Thomas wrote the lyrics for his wife - about a Latin woman through white man's eyes, like Carlos Santana has put it. Amarillo is probably as close to smooth lady as a beer can be, so there we have it. 

Brewer's Choice

Gerry Rafferty: Baker Street (YouTube)

From the 1978 album, City to City, the lead single was written by Gerry Rafferty. The song became Rafferty's career's most popular song. It was written during a period where Rafferty was having legal problems because of his previous band, Stealer Wheel's breakup. Living in Scotland, he stayed many times in his friend's flat on Baker Street in London. The song's lyrics are about a person, who seems to dream about happiness and having a better life, but spends his time living unhappy from day to day and meeting a friend who is also a dreamer. The saxophone riff between the verses was played by Raphael Ravenscroft, and it's been mentioned as most notable saxophone riff in a song. Despite this, Ravenscroft didn't like the result and thought that the riff was flat and out of tune.

Ölbeat 014: De Molen Spanning & Sensatie

Brewery: Brouwerij de Molen
Country: Netherlands
Style: Imperial Stout
Abv: 9,8 %
@RateBeer

Sensational thrills with salt, chili and cocoa

"Spanning & Sensatie was intended to thrill your taste buds", says the description on the brewery's beerography. The thrills are given by adding cocoa, chili and sea salt to a strong Imperial Stout that already has oat malts in the mix. Some tricks are allowed, as long as the result is recognisably beer.

What about the beer?
Colour is almost-black-dark brown with quickly vanishing tiny bubbly head. Aroma has soft scent of milk chocolate with tiny hint of coffee. Taste is roasted medium sweet malts with black coffee, a salty twist and a chili note on the tongue. Finish has malty sweetness, as does the aftertaste.

This is a full-flavoured experience: nothing goes over the top or even close in any sense, but there are surprising twists in the taste when the liquid spreads around the mouth. In the end one has gone through a delicate, balanced trip of senses. Expectations exceeded.

Ölbeat

When it comes to the artist, the choice was clear from the beginning: this Finnish rock band can open mysteries and give thrills. Selecting the song was harder, but I picked this ballad:

Sonata Arctica: Shamandalie (YouTube)

From the 2004 album Reckoning Night, the song was written by the band's vocalist Tony Kakko. It's a metal ballad about an older man who is reminiscing his childhood friendship. He probably wanted it to be his first love but the song's title girl, Shamandalie, didn't respond his feelings and also the friendship ended. The ballad starts with vocalist Kakko singing the 1st verse, chorus and 2nd verse with only piano and acoustic guitar on the background. From the 2nd chorus the song turns into a pure rock ballad with the whole band and Kakko's rougher singing. I've always found Sonata Arctica an interesting Finnish band, and this song with aching memories showed both the soft and the rough side of them.

Brewer's Choice

Audioslave: Cochise (YouTube)

From the 2002 album Audioslave, the song was the first single of the rock supergroup formed by ex-Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and Rage against the Machine ex-members guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk. It got its name and background from the last great American Indian chief to die free and unconquered. The lyrics written by Cornell, however, are about something else than a chief: they are someone's message to oneself about stop wasting one's life and save oneself. The intro guitar riff by Morello was created by accident: he rapidly and unintentionally hit the string with a pencil while jamming and writing notes. The result was after a slight moderation the "helicopter sound" in the beginning of the song.

Ölbeat 013: De Molen Rook & Vuur (Smoke & Fire)

Brewery: Brouwerij de Molen
Country: the Netherlands
Style: Smoked Stout
Abv: 8,2 %
@RateBeer

If there's smoke, there can be fire...

The brewery describes Rook & Vuur as "a subtle balance between smoke, chocolate and chili peppers". The beer is made with whiskey and roasted barley malts and Czech Sladek hops. Combining strong stout body with smoky whiskey taste and hot spiciness of chili was something that caught my eye. I just had to have a taste.

What about the beer?
Colour is dark brown to black with a tiny vanishing head. Aroma gently mixes intense smoke, roasted malts and black dark-blend coffee. Taste starts with peaty smoked and roasted malts. Gentle chili and spice flavor hits the tongue. Palate adds smooth bitterness. Aftertaste is long, smoky and bitter. This is pretty thick stuff, but every sip makes you wait for the next.

Being a friend of thick stouts, smoky Islay whisky and spicy food this one does the trick. Very rich and complex beer for "an hour and some", if one can resist the smoothness. Every piece fits the puzzle.

Ölbeat

With the beer with smoke, fire and fierce attitude, you have to have an aggressive rock song. When a heavy metal band of 2000's gets some additional aggression from the singer of the legendary Judas Priest, you ought to have it. 

Five Finger Death Punch ft. Rob Halford: Lift Me Up (YouTube)

From the 2013 album The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1, the opening track starts with heavy guitar-bass-drum intro. The band's vocalist Ivan L. Moody sings the first verse and chorus, and guest singer Rob Halford takes the lead on the second verse. Moody has stated that the song's intent is to inspire: the lyrics are about overcoming obstacles and less-than-perfect circumstances in life, that many people are born with. Like the song is about getting lifted up from the flames and the ashes, Rook & Vuur is high above just smoke and fire.

Brewer's Choice

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Give It Away (YouTube)

From the 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, the track is the lead single and commercially one of the band's most successful songs. It's trademarked with guitarist John Frusciante's and bassist Flea's seamless riffing and prominent bassline. Singer Anthony Kiedis first came up with the chorus "Give it away, give it away, give it away now", since the phrase was something that he wanted in a song of the upcoming album. The song's lyrics - mostly random phrases with no or loose connections - circle around the ideas of selflessness and altruism - something that Kiedis had learned from German punk rock singer Nina Hagen.

Ölmönger Special: Interview with Brouwerij de Molen

Bodegraven, an about 20 thousand inhabitants' town near the Haag in the Netherlands, is the home of one of the best breweries in the world. Originally situated completely in the town's landmark, the windmill De Arkduif (meaning 'ark dove', from the story of Noah's ark), Brouwerij de Molen - translation: the Mill Brewery - has today the head brewery down the street. The mill is still in used as a brewery for small batches.

© Brouwerij de Molen

Brouwerij de Molen was founded in 2004. During the first 11-12 operative years the brewery and its beers have been awarded uncountable times - e.g. as Ratebeer's best brewery in the Netherlands since 2008. The brewery is known for curious and experimental view on beer: the barrel-aged versions of different brands are known around the world. Probably the most known De Molen beer, Hel en Verdoemenis (Hell & Damnation), has had at least 18 different barrel-aged or spiced versions, many of them still in production. Mindblowing craftbeer is truly made there - according to the motto on the brewery's website.

© Brouwerij de Molen

I asked people from Brouwerij de Molen to answer some questions about the brewery, brewing and beer by e-mail. I got the brewery's co-owner John Brus to the other end of the line and luckily, he was more than ready to answer and provide me with some pictures from the brewery. Without any more hesitation and delay let's go to the interview.  

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Hello, John. Tell us about yourself. What's the story behind you? How and why did you become a professional brewer?

I'm John Brus, co-owner of Brouwerij de Molen in the Netherlands. I studied computer science and worked in that field for a long time.

Since the age of 15 - 16 I've been very much interested in beer and brewing. Starting with the first beer I ever drank I saved the bottle, and the next bottle turned out to be a different beer. It immediately caught my interest and I continued searching for new beers and flavours. Saving the bottles until my mom forced me to through away the 300 - 400 bottles/cans stacked in my room. From the age of 17 I started brewing beer at home together with a couple of friends. After I finished my study, I got a job, married and children and stopped homebrewing. Too much fun things to do and too little time.

In 2006 I became friends with Menno Olivier who founded Brouwerij de Molen in 2004. Our mutual interest in craft-beer and brewing in general draw us together. After a while we started talking about letting the brewery grow from just a brewpub with export sales to a grown-up brewery. In 2009 we organized the first Borefts Beer Festival together and in 2010 I actually started working in the brewery. Very eager to do professionally what I've always been doing as an amateur. Never regretted it for one minute.

What are the best things about being a brewer? Are there any unpleasant sides?

The best thing as a brewer for me is that I can do what I always wanted to do. I know when but I don't know why the 'virus' got me, but beer is my life.

I breathe beer, I talk beer, I wake up and go to bed with it.

For a craft-brewer there’s a big extra advantage: you get to travel a lot and meet wonderful people. Those are number 2 and 3 on my list of best things to do.

Being a craft-brewer has one unpleasant side. We love experimenting and people actually expect this from us. But experimenting means making mistakes - or better said: some flavours don't turn out 100% as you expected them or most people aren't ready for it yet. As a brewer and perfectionist I always want it to be... well perfect. But you can't please everyone.

© Brouwerij de Molen

Brouwerij de Molen was founded in 2004 by your partner Menno Olivier. You joined him in 2009. After that the brewery has moved to a new and bigger facility and received international recognition and worldwide success.  What makes Brouwerij de Molen different from other breweries in Netherlands, Europe and the world?

In the Netherlands we were - and still are - the pioneer for brewing craftbeers. The definition of craftbeer for me is making progressive beers, experimenting, trying new brewing methods and ingredients, brewing beers with more flavour without going over the edge and revolting against the flattening of flavours for the masses that has been going on for decades in most countries.

Worldwide this has been going on since the 90's, starting in the USA. Our beers are different because they are flavourful to the extreme yet always well balanced. We can brew according to the Reinheitsgebot and we experiment a lot from grasshoppers in an IPA to combining styles with special ingredients, barrel-aging and re-fermenting with Brett.

How would you describe the “De Molen character” in beer? Name three of your beers that bring out this character best.

I cannot. We brew from light bitters to crazy barrel-aged barley wines. So I must keep the character very general: our beers always have a body and are well balanced and flavourful. The three examples are: Vuur & Vlam (India Pale Ale), Bommen & Granaten (barley wine) and any barrel aged version of Hel & Verdoemenis (Imperial Stout).

© Brouwerij de Molen

You’ve planned to expand your production from 4.500 to 25.000 hectolitres annually. What are your expectations on your brewery’s expansion? Can De Molen fans in Finland expect more availability for your beers after the expansion?

In 2015 we already reached 7.000 hectolitres. But we had to work on every inch of the equipment, process and brewers to reach that amount.

It's hard to tell what effect the expansion will have on Finland. We don't have a marketing plan. We brew what we can and it's sold to those importers who order it. It's a luxury position I know and maybe someday we’ll start making plans for sales. For now I'd advice any Finnish beer lover to ask for it, so more will reach Finland. :-)

There has been some discussion about small breweries and craftbeer “against” big breweries and bulk beer. Recently the discussion has leaned towards “bad beer” vs. “good beer” opposition. How would you define good beer? What makes the difference between bad, good and damn excellent beers? What are the best other breweries’ beers you've tasted recently?

Some people, maybe I could call them purists, talk about small against big and craft - as in hand labour - against automated macro brewing. I'd call that bullshit. Most craft brewers have new and top-notch equipment meaning an automated brew house. Most highly appreciated US craft brewers are huge compared to European craft brewers. Does it make them any worse? Not in my opinion.

Good against bad beer is even trickier. I know dozens or more microbreweries that brew some awful stuff they call beer. For me it has always been revolting against the flattening of flavours.

A long time ago there were many breweries with just as many different beers, styles and flavours. A can assume a lot of them making bad beer as well. Some breweries took control. Probably because they were a little better, they got more money and devoured all those small breweries. Bad for the owners of those small breweries but even worse for the beer drinker. Not at first, when they still got better beer. But as the story continued, marketers and financial departments started running the breweries instead of those creative beer loving brewers. Resulting in uniform beers across the globe because “everybody has to like them” and “it must be as efficiently produced as possible”.

We're taking back control, those beer loving brewers. We want flavour, we want diversity, we want to be surprised now and then.

The best beers I've tasted the last couple of months are from Laugar (Spain), Pöhjala (Estonia), Gänstaller Bräu (Germany), Brew by Numbers (England) and Fyne Ales (Scotland).

© Brouwerij de Molen

Besides the high quality of products, De Molen is known for barrel-aged beer. Beer experimenting - challenging to the ordinary means of brewing – has become more common in recent years. What are in your opinion the pros and the cons of beer experimenting? What would you consider as going over the limit?

There is no con against experimenting. We need to experiment as humans in general in my opinion or we get stuck. The results of an experiment can of course be disappointing. But then you either throw it away, or decide to give a small crowd the opportunity to taste how an experiment like that turns out.

You’ve planned new brewery collaborations with Estonian Pōhjala and American Monk’s Café. Personally I’m very interested about your Pōhjala project which involves Ardbeg barrels: there are many personal favorites around. What effect have your collaborations had to De Molen’s own brewery selection? Can you give examples?

The Pöhjala collaboration is still a plan but will happen for sure! Just last weekend we released another Ardbeg aged beer: Tsarina Esra Ardbeg BA Brett. Crazy beer yet so good!

It's hard to pinpoint what a certain collaboration project does to our own selection. We always learn and take this information back home and use it. But I can't give examples.

The other way around I can give some examples. Fyne Ales has taken our collab called Hills & Mills into production. And there are several breweries – Struise, Haandbryggeriet, Marble – still brewing our Vuur & Vlam according to our recipe.

If a Finnish microbrewery would show interest in collaboration with you or De Molen, what kind of beer would you suggest to them?

I'd love to make a Sahti together with a Finnish brewery someday :-)

But there are so many collaborations we still want to do and some many other things as well. I'm afraid it will have to wait.

© Brouwerij de Molen

Let’s play fortune teller: What will be the big craftbeer trends in 2016 and 2017? How will they affect De Molen’s future plans?

Hahaha. :) I don't like to tell the future and I don't like to react to trends. We do what we want to do and of course can be influenced by anyone we meet or by anything we see. Our main goal for 2016 is to expand the brewery.

In 2017? Maybe sour ales will finally become more wanted in Europe. I know this has already been going on in the US and Scandinavian countries, but the rest is still a little behind.

The Ölmönger blog is about matching good beer with good music. Have you brewed beers for artists or bands? Which artist or band would you like to brew a brand beer if you could choose? What kind and style would it be?

We have brewed a beer (American Pale Ale) for a Dutch artist called Tim Knol. He's a rocky folk-singer. We were asked by John Coffey, a metal band, but had to refuse because lack of capacity. Which was sad.

Personally I would love to brew a beer for Elbow or Guy Garvey himself. I know they are beer lovers and to me they’re one of the best live artists in the world – even though I'm more of a metal-head myself. It should probably be a hoppy yet traditional IPA for them.

That's all for now. Thanks for the interview, John. I wish you and Brouwerij de Molen success in the years to come.

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So, next we'll get back to the usual business with five selected De Molen beers and Ölbeats - one beer and Ölbeat per day starting tomorrow. Since this is a special occasion, there will be a twist in the blogposts. What will it be? Wait for tomorrow and see.