De Koninck

I had a nice little glass of Antwerp, Belgium's own De Koninck on tap at  a Toronto bar called the Village Idiot, which specializes in Euro-beers and which happens to be on my way home. According to the literature in the beer menu, De Koninck contains 5% alcohol. I was expecting amber, and found it, though with a bit more golden hue that I anticipated. It was clear and arrived with a snazzy chapeau of off-white head. It's brewed by the eponymous brewery.

This beer has a powerfully sweet, fruity aroma. In it are notes of apples and cranberries, as well as a respectable profile of malt and yeast. Its flavour is much less presumptuous than the nose, but likewise kicks off with fruity, malty vibes, before veering gently toward a short, dry, and only slightly bitter finish. De Koninck has a light, drinkable mouthfeel that I found to be a bit wanting and a tad watery.

De Koninck is a fine ale, though not one of Belgium's more interesting offerings. This stuff is much more accessible than tripels, quads, and the other tipples that make beer lovers salivate, but that accessibility comes at the expense of depth. Remember--this is still a Belgian beer, and one with lots of style and an unconventional flavour profile--it just isn't as deep as a Trappist dubbel. Had the mouthfeel been a bit more impressive, I'd have dug this beer a lot more.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Matilda

Matilda is a Belgian-style pale ale brewed in Chicago, Illinois by the Goose Island Beer Company. It's sold in 765mL bottles that have an elegant, wine-style look. It contains a hearty 7% alcohol. The bottle says that this beer can be aged for up to five years--it aged in my fridge from about Friday to Sunday until I cracked. The label also notes that this brew is "a pale ale re-fermented with brettanomyces".

It's a cheery, golden-coloured ale--hazy and with carbonation to spare. It pours with a very thick cream head. It has a very yeasty aroma.  It's slightly tart, with a wedge of apple. It has a bubbly, airy mouthfeel. The flavour is surprisingly mild. Notes of tart fruit and a big, Belgian yeast drive the front end, while an understated bitterness follows close behind.

I was expecting sour, but tart was more or less what I got. I imagine that if I'd had the patience, this stuff would have evolved and matured interestingly, but that just ain't my style. And as an apartment dweller, I don't really have the space to leave beers to age. Fresh off the shelf, Matilda was a clean and chipper Belgian-style beer. Fizzy, fresh, and yeasty, with an interesting flavour.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Ben's Pale Ale

Ben's Pale Ale was my second foray into the offerings from Fredericton, New Brunswick's Grimross Brewing. I enjoyed a pint on tap at a classy Fredericton bar. Ben's Pale clocks in at 6% alcohol, according to the Grimross website.

After ordering, I had a faintly hazy copper-gold ale set in front of me. It came topped with a thick, white head. It had a very lively yeasty aroma that walked hand-in-hand with a whiff of hops. The beer had an undeniable Belgian feel--it's quite yeast-driven, slightly tart, and featured a pleasingly bitter and quite dry finish. Along the way, there is a slight twist of green apple.

It's pretty interesting to order a local brew in a small city in New Brunswick and be handed a respectable Belgian-style pale ale. Craft beer has been alive and well in New Brunswick for years, but my most recent visit convinced me that things are getting even better. Grimross Brewing gives Fredericton a second quality purveyor of choice ales.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

The Citizen

The DC Brau Brewing Co. hails, not surprisingly, from Washington, D.C.  One of their offerings, called The Citizen, is a fine example of a Belgian-style pale Ale.  I enjoyed a pint on tap at a prominent Washington beer bar. I was served a smallish 10oz goblet of the stuff, which was hazy and golden, with a thin white head. According to the listing at the bar, The Citizen clocks in at a potent 7%.

This Belgian-styled beauty had a sweet, fruity aroma. It's flavour was very mild, but with considerable nuance--there were notes of peach or nectarine that were subtly entrancing. Notably, the elevated alcohol content was not on display in the flavour. The Citizen closes with a crisp, short finish.

This was a pretty enjoyable little pale ale. A bit more robust flavour might have been nice, but it was drinkable, refreshing and cheeky.  I'd recommend it.

*Regretably, I was in such good company that I neglected to take a photo before the beer was a memory. This was the glass it came in

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.