Volume 18 Issue 3

Brouwerij Biermaekers Driemasten Gullegem, ,

Bux Tripel (Rare Beer Club Exclusive)

The Bux lineup of beers hails from West anniversary beer left aging in a cellar. Flemish regional product—based Flanders—the only coastal province of They still tasted quite good despite upon their ties to regional beer history Belgium— which budges up against the fact that they were about 16 years and the use of brewing ingredients the North Sea. The flat, lowlands old at that point. Dieter was able to specific to the province. 2016 brought region is known for, among other recreate that first Bukske release from more demand for the brewery’s beers, things, its especially fine production its original recipe, and an initial run and the decision was made to expand of grains and hops. Brouwerij of 3,000 bottles of this relaunched into a separate line of Bux beers made Biermaekers Driemasten is just a short beer quickly sold out. Since then, the solely with local hops. The Bux beer distance from the brewery has been lineup has since expanded to include city of , a releasing limited- a Blond, Brown, Gold, Amber, Session, historic center of edition batches and Tripel formulation, and this month cloth and wool of Bukske from we’re excited to offer the bottled Bux production, and time to time, as Tripel to our Rare Beer Club members, the brewery’s well as using the which is our favorite from the Bux core line, in fact, lessons learned lineup. This exceptionally generous, finds its roots from that beer golden Belgian tripel is brewed in this adjacent as inspiration with Cascade, Northern Brewer, industry. Back for their own Centennial, and 7784 hop varieties, in 1998, for the exceptional line and this will be the first time that the 20th anniversary of “Bux” beers (Continued on reverse page) of a local sheep (which proved a breeders association, a one-off craft bit easier to pronounce). SPECIFICATIONS beer was created to celebrate. It was Style called “Bukske”, in reference to the In 2015, the Brouwerij Biermaekers Tripel local dialect for a ram/male sheep. Driemasten beers were awarded use Alcohol By Volume of the Belgian Hops label for using 8.5% Many years later, in July 2014, micro- only Belgian hops in the production Serving Temperature 42–48° F brewer Dieter Van Biervliet discovered of their beers. They also were granted Suggested Glassware a few bottles of this original Bukske the right of being an authentic West Chalice, Goblet, or Tulip Glass bottled-conditioned version of their that was initially discovered growing yeast characteristcs, and just a highly Bux Tripel will be making it stateside— wild in Belgium). Bux Tripel is top engaging combination of ripe fruits, exclusively for the Rare Beer Club. fermented and unfiltered, receiving a honey, and spice. secondary fermentation in the bottle. The Bux line of releases are brewed First sip presents a medium-full body with the best Belgian hops that Dieter This beer’s picked up a number of with restrained sweetness, with the is able to source, and he stays in close recent accolades, including gold alcohol staying well hidden as in the communication with the brewery’s awards at the European Beer Challenge aroma. Lots of honeyed maltiness, hop growers throughout the year— 2019 and America Awards 2020. To alongside fresh fruit like apple, pear, keeping track of hop quality evolution date this beer has only been available and subtle berry notes. The Belgian and exchanging ideas about how to on draft in the U.S., and only in limited yeast impact is especially generous and best attain various hop flavors and amounts to a handful of markets in well realized, bringing a ton of that fruit aromatics from each annual harvest. Florida. The bottled Bux Tripel (which presence forth, plus pepper and subtle The brewery has also created a number gets that crucial refermentation in its cloves. This tripel is incredibly easy to of other intriguing offerings in recent bottle) has never been available here get into, with its fruit/spice duality years, including a Belgian pale ale called before, and we’re getting it imported playing out atop a toasty, bready core Steene Molen (aka “the Brick Mill”, as an exclusive offering for the Rare of rounded malt, everything opening commemorating details of Belgium’s Beer Club. up as this is allowed to warm up in street horse racing) and a project with the glass. This beer’s hops (Cascade, Pol Meersman from Brouwerij Dikke Bux Tripel pours a vibrant, honey- Northern Brewer, Centennial, and Jan to create Apero.beer, an 8.5% ABV golden color capped by an exceptional 7784) gain emphasis near the finish, beer that is based around the herbs layering of white, mousse-like foam providing welcome bitterness, grass, used for making gin. For the latest info that fills the remainder of the glass. and herbaceous notes, giving this a on Brouwerij Biermaekers Driemasten, Great retention and lacing. The look fresher feel overall than you’d expect. upcoming beer projects, and more, pulls you in: bright gold, big foam, A brilliantly executed tripel overall, visit the brewery’s website at tiny bubbles, that bottle conditioning closing with almond, toast, and a crisp buxbeer.com. showing nicely. mineral bitterness.

Bux Tripel Fruit and spice lead the aromatics, Aging & Pairing Notes: emphasizing notes of honey, This month we’re pleased to feature toastiness, and white pepper. Great Brouwerij Biermaekers Driemasten’s mixture of fruity and phenolic We expect Bux Tripel to age smoothly Bux Tripel, our highlight of the elements, and so much of it coming in one’s cellar for years to come, brewery’s current lineup, and one of from well-handled fermentation: ripe but those herbal hop additions will the most satisfying Belgian tripels we pear and apple, the slightest hint of be most prominent early on. The have tried in quite a while. This fruity, banana, plus vibrant pepper and clove core rounded sweetness, herbal spicy, herbaceous strong golden ale adding some welcome bitterness to the qualities, and overall high alcohol and was brewed with locally sourced package. The alcohol stays well hidden carbonation are what you’ll want to ingredients and various classic hops— here, and this release delivers again keep in mind for pairings. We’d try this including Cascade, Northern Brewer, and again on core tripel parameters: with prosciutto, basil-topped pizza, Centennial, and 7784 (a unique variety generous toasty maltiness, vibrant grilled asparagus, or roasted turkey.

MonthlyClubs.com® 800-625-8238 Volume 18 Issue 3

Brouwerij Maenhout Pittem, West Flanders, Belgium

Ferre (Rare Beer Club Exclusive)

Brouwerij Maenhout is an artisanal brewery year and include a counter-pressure bottling The bottled version has never before been located in the municipality of Pittem in the line that both automates and improves sold in the U.S., and we’re having this imported West Flanders province of Belgium. The the bottling process. The current facility exclusively for our Rare Beer Club members. brewery got its start towards the end of also accommodates a 60-liter test brewery Ferre quadrupel was created in tribute to one 2009, founded by Thijs Maenhout and Birgit where they’re able to develop new recipes, of Pittem’s most famous historic residents: De Rammelaere, who took over the former including one-off seasonals. Father Ferdinand Verbiest, a Flemish Jesuit company buildings of the Gerdox bouillon missionary who was known around the world factory. Brouwerij Maenhout began with a Brouwerii Maenhout’s core releases are in the 17th century for his kean knowledge 5-hectoliter brewery generally focused of astronomy and mathematics. He traveled (which equates to on Belgian style as a missionary to the Chinese province of around eight full staples, including a Shanxi, and eventually became personal kegs per batch), 6.5%-ABV blonde ale tutor and counselor to Emperor Kangxi, who and initially all of called Blinde Mol would become the longest-reigning ruler their bottling and (originally created of China (61 years!). Jesuit influence during labeling was done for the Graszoden this period was particularly strong (they ran by hand. They’d David Lannoo the imperial observatory and were close spend the next five company in Pittem, with the Chinese elite), and would result years developing and named after in Emperor Kangxi’s Edict of Toleration, recipes and building the subterranean which recognized Catholicism and legalized an audience. mammal common in practice of Christianity throughout the the area) as well as country. For anyone traveling out to West As demand an 8.5% tripel called outpaced their Koeketiene. The (Continued on reverse page) ability to produce beers on the small system brewery’s one-off releases have included in , they decided to relocate to a renditions of traditional Belgian styles like SPECIFICATIONS larger building in Pittem located along the saisons, witbiers, dubbels, and Belgian pale Brugsesteenweg, the main road connecting ales. Style the port city of Ghent and West Flanders’ Quadrupel capital city of . The effort to expand This month we’re excited to be able to offer Alcohol By Volume the brewery’s operations began in 2014, our favorite of the brewery’s core releases: 10% and the new system at their new location their Ferre quadrupel. This strong Belgian Serving Temperature started production in early 2015. Unlike their ale has thus far only appeared in very limited 42–50° F earlier facility, Brouwerij Maenhout’s new quantities stateside, seeing minimal draft- Suggested Glassware digs have a capacity of 1,200 hectoliters per only distribution to select markets in Florida. Goblet, Chalice, or Tulip Glass Flanders, there’s a visitor center dedicated into, super generous flavors and aromatics sweet, caramelized malts and red fruits is to Father Ferdinand Verbiest’s influence in from first pour, and just so well handled immediate. For being 10% ABV, this quad Pittem’s town hall. throughout. We were blown away by this is super nimble and an absolute pleasure one. This has never before appeared in to drink. Alcohol stays tucked away Brouwerij Maenhout’s brewing facility bottles stateside, with previous distribution throughout, contributing fruity, wine-like includes a tasting room that’s currently limited to kegs sent to select Florida markets. elements but showing restraint even after open on most weekends (check their We’re getting this quad imported exclusively this has warmed up fully. Layers upon layers website or Facebook page for the latest for our Rare Beer Club members. of toffee, caramels, and ripe fruits, while hours of operation). Brewery tours need the Belgian yeast keeps sweetness in check, to be scheduled in advance, and consist Ferre pours a dark, orange-amber color, provides a hint of clove-like bitterness, and of an approximately one-hour tour of the though on the lighter side compared to a lot just makes this massive beer so easy to dig facility followed by sampling the Maenhout of the quads we’ve sampled recently, and into. A truly delicious take on the quadrupel beers in their tasting room. Brewery tours capped by a finely bubbled foam that leaves style. can be booked just about any day of the solid lacing around the perimeter. Generous week, by appointment only, and you can aromatics provide a clear sense of where Pairing & Aging Notes: find the latest info over on their website at this beer’s headed overall: deep, potent www.brouwerijmaenhout.be (we found maltiness with a ton of accompanying red Ferre’s label indicates a best-by date of Google Translate helpful). fruits, subtle vinous warmth, and touches of approximately a year or two out, though caramelization thoughout. Aroma continues we could see pushing it a bit beyond that. Ferre to build as this warms. A subtle clove-like That said, this is drinking phenomenally spiciness from the Belgian yeast provides a young. The core notes of plush red fruits Brouwerij Maenhout’s Ferre quadrupel is an complementary bittering element. and caramelized malts point to roasted exceptionally delicious take on the Belgian duck or spicy pork pairings, or to serving this style, packed with rich core complexity from That first sip pulled us in immediately: pitch- alongside vanilla- or caramel-driven desserts. the specialty malt additions, and fermented perfect carbonation keeps this feeling light to perfect condition. A very easy beer to dig on the palate, and that focused impact of

Beyond the Bottle: Beer & Comics By Ken Weaver

I started making my webcomic Massive Potions just over three years retribution type: taking on tough topics like gentrification, racism in ago, basically learning to draw publicly in my 30s, and I’ll just say that the industry, hypocritical breweries and industry associations, and it’s been really good to have other folks making creative work in the just iffy people in beer and beyond. beer and comics space, too. Freelance beer writing hasn’t always offered an easy route to talk about some of the industry’s darker And on the print front: Ninkasi Brewing recently released their first issues—alcoholism, mental health, all the different forms of keeping comic book with Dark Horse Comics. Written by established comics one’s shit together—and comics just generally offers up a wealth of writer Jim Gibbons and Ninkasi co-founder Jamie Floyd, and illustrated less-conventional ways of exploring beer. Wanted to round up some by Dark Horse Comics’ Eduardo Francisco, the comic follows the highlights. adventures of brewing goddess Ninkasi and her familiar Tricerahops. The first issue was distributed for free through their website and I’ve mentioned Em Sauter’s work at Pints & Panels before got snapped up quickly, and Jamie has already got most of the plot (@PintsandPanels on Twitter and Insta), and she’s doing as much worked out for the second book. Keep an eye out for that next issue. in beer comics and illustration as anyone these days. Em is currently working on her upcoming book Hooray for Craft Beer! as well as an I try to pack as much as I can into this column, but only so much room. illustrated take on the Master Cicerone syllabus, plus an ongoing Who did I foolishly overlook? What new comics are you digging? Let webcomic with Pellicle Magazine titled The Adventures of Nelson & us know on Twitter via @RareBeerClub. Goldy, along with daily illustration posts like hop varieties, classic beer labels, and more. Focused mostly on beer comics is Scott Probst Ken Weaver is a freelance illustrator and writer based in Petaluma, of Beerbecue/“T-Rex hates craft beer” (@Beerbecue7 on Twitter), California. He makes a weekly webcomic about beer and survival at whose main characters T-Rex and Pterri are more of the divine- MassivePotions.com. | Insta, Twitter: @MassivePotions

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