by Judy Esguerra | Apr 28, 2015 | The Vault Reserve, Vault Reserve: April 2015
10% ABV | DIPA | 500ml | Thornbridge Brewery | Bakewell, Derbyshire You’ve heard it before, that time-tested adage craft breweries love to spout in the “About Us” sections of their websites: “We’re a new world brewery, marrying the traditions of old with the modern technology of today…”, etcetera, etcetera. And they’re not wrong to suggest that this is the best policy; after all, what could possibly be wrong with empowering what the past got right with the technology of today? So, really, combining the old and the new totally checks out. But few breweries go to the lengths that Thornbridge Brewing have in order to observe this delicate dichotomy (or, as they call it, “traditional recipes but provided a modern twist”). Thanks to their skyrocketing success – they garnered over 350 national and international awards in their quick decade of existence- Thornbridge has erected twin brew sites: the original, in Thornbridge Hall, and a spin-off in Riverside in Bakewell. The original site is a bastion of tradition and experimentation, the birthplace of many of Thornbridge’s uncommon, rare, and uncertain beers. Stocked with barrels and a traditional mash ale brewing system, this is where Thornbridge honors history while establishing its future. The sister site, meanwhile, is the epitome of modern brew house and quality control, able to contend with demand for Thornbridge’s beer with state of the art equipment. Each site has their own methods and MO, but are allied in the same mission statement: to become “one of the leading new breweries in the UK.” So how’s that going for them? Let’s look at Jaipur…X. Jaipur X is the...
by Judy Esguerra | Apr 22, 2015 | The Vault Reserve, Vault Reserve: April 2015
7% ABV | Smoked | 500ml | De Dochter | Baarle-Hertog, Belgium From Baarle-Hertog, a Flemish municipality along the north border of Belgium, come the beers of Brouwerij De Dochter Van Korenaar. This humble but positively elegant little family-run brewery debuted in 2007 and has already made a great impression in the beer world. Its ambitious title, Brouwerij De Dochter Van Korenaar, translates to Daughter of the Ear of Corn, a self-proclaimed synonym for beer and literary homage to the fact that Emperor Charles V preferred the blood of corn over the blood of grapes. That is to say – he preferred beer over wine (why Mr. Emperor wasn’t drinking beers made with better grains than corn is another matter altogether). And who can blame him? In that spirit, Brouwerij De Dochter offers a lovely selection of Belgian-styled beers that seek to encapsulate the legacy and tradition of the region n while still employing the benefits of modern proficiency and passion for craft beer. Lovely bottles, decorative labeling and a rainbow of vibrant beer pours combine into an experience that is nothing short of regal. But that doesn’t mean this family operation can’t go a little off-kilter from time to time. And thus we arrive at La Fuieuse – The Furious. Brewed once – count it, once – and barrel-aged for an entire year, this curious offering from the Brouwerij is classified as a smoke beer, and it earns its title. Seeking to bottle the spirit of a summer campfire, La Furieuse pours a fiery amber with a flavor to match; it makes ample use of charcoal flavors, stoking the sumptuous...
by Judy Esguerra | Apr 22, 2015 | The Vault Reserve, Vault Reserve: April 2015
10% ABV | Belgian | 750ml | De Struise Brouwers | Oostvleteren, Belgium There are beers. And then there are beers. These are not the casual sort of beer you put in your basket at the market without a second thought – beers like these are sought, collected and revered. The kind of beer that transcends this plane of existence, is often accompanied with rays of light and a choir of angels when you open it – you know, that sort of thing. De Struise’s Pannepot Real Ale is one of those beers. Praised by beer fanatics since its debut a few years ago, the admiration for this brew and its valiant brewers is not some casual opinion – in 2008, they were voted best brewery in the world. Beyond that, both appear frequently on worldwide Top 10 lists by professionals and enthusiasts alike. Not too bad for a brewery started by three men and a name that comes from an old flemish word meaning “ostrich” (or, The Sturdy Brewery as it is officially translated, but that’s not as fun). The brewery is yet another splendid participant in the old-meets-new phenomenon of modern craft brewing, marrying the beliefs established by the past with the conventions of today’s tastes, including stronger flavors, higher alcohol content and increased emphasis on barrel aging. The brewers moved their operation from region to region for a couple of years before finally settling in Oostvleteren, Belgium, where they opened their own established brewery and tasting room in a, what else, renovated school house. Since they’ve set up shop, they’ve been quite busy, churning out an impressive collection...
