Van Eecke

Notes of black pepper and sweetness of honey. Limited Edition!!!

Just as abbeys try to strengthen their communities by attracting new young monks, brewery Van Eecke introduced this blond Kapittel to answer the big demand for paler beers. This 2010 Gold medal awarded blond Abbey-beer has a surprising smooth finish, is easy to drink with its 6.5 % alcohol volume. Although some may call this beer a “strong Belgian blond”, you’ll discover a lightly sour-sweet yeasty fruit on a par with mildly sweet pale malts and a refreshing flow of really fragrant, springy flower blossoms, orangey-citric fruity hops with a mildly mineral, chewy bitterness. The finishing undertone is a tad zesty or slightly tangy to render a intriguing contrast with the smooth flowery aftertaste, light on the carbonation, just sufficient to render a refreshing palate, against a medium body and moderate flavor profile.

In our brewing process for the 7,5° dubbel we use extra winter malt . This increase in malt results in a higher alcohol content, so the yeast that feeds on the sugars in the malt is given a feast of greater proportions. By adding sugar, also known as “Belgian candy,” we can increase the activity of the yeast, and the beer gets a second fermentation in the bottle, carbonating the beer in a natural way.This gives the beer a beautiful and large froth. This fine Dubbel has a rich malt aroma of malt, yeast, dark fruit, & spice; flavors of sweet malt, yeast, caramel, dark fruit, raisons, and spice, with a faint touch of pleasant bitterness, and it fills up the gap between our 6° Pater and the 9° Prior

Our red-brown abbey ale can be considered a “single”, meaning a beer that was made for the guests of the abbey and for everyday consumption. Hazy, nearly opaque mahogany, with a deep red shining through and a small white foamy head. This is a top-fermenting ale is refermented in the bottle, which means you can age the beer for a few years. The aroma will make you think of sweet burning wood, plums, banana bread, citrus, and a little yeasty zip. Full and complex flavor, hints of smoky dark malt, lovely rolling flavors of caramel and chocolate. Due to the dark colored malt, the taste repeats a burning sense and gives us hints of sweet peaches, ending in a light hoppy bitterness . The low alcoholic Watou Pater is the ideal agitator to discover the more complex flavors of our stronger dark ales Watou Dubbel 7,5° and Prior 9°

The Prior is the leader of a smaller abbey community. He’s the “primo inter pares” (the first among equals). With its 9 % this dark ale with has a bitter sweet taste due to the roasted malt. A slightly creamy body, with an aroma of roasted malt, yeast, caramel, & toffee; Flavor of roasted sweet malt, yeast, rich caramel, light fruit, raisons, and some spice. The hoppy characteristics of all the Watou ales are prominently present, to be recognized by a persistent creamy foam. Our Prior is refermented in the bottle, only good to drink after a few months aging, which is done at the brewery, and ready to be aged and enjoyed for many years.

Abt is Dutch for Abbot, meaning the leader of the Abbey. No surprise we named this beer “Abt”, since it is also the leader of the Kapittel, the beer with the highest alcohol content 10% This triple is refermented in the bottle, only good to drink after a few months aging, which is done at the brewery, and ready to be aged for up to 20 years. As most good triples, the color tends to be paler, in this case amber, with good head retention. Of course you taste the alcohol, but this is well complimented with a very complex aroma and mouth feeling. Round, malty, not very bitter (hoppy), slightly sweet (depending on age) balanced with fruity hints on the tongue. Lasting taste. A warming beer, a dessert on its own. Such triples were reserved for the Abbots and the Bishops, and on special Holy days the rest of the Abbey could feast as well on this delicious drink of the Gods

The First Christmas Beers have already been brewed shortly after WW I, and since several decades, this once a year brewed beer, has charmed beer enthusiasts all over the world. Its unique flavor and taste, makes you almost longing, for the dark and windy wintertime, which makes this romantic mood creator, an ideal companion. Our Christmas beer has a hazy, mahogany amber color, topped by a finger-thick beige head. It has a particular smell of original dark Belgian fondant chocolate. The entry is soft and sweet, with a hinge to cherry, dried berry fruits and spicy notes. The aftertaste of dark malt and a spiced touch too completes this full-bodied, sweet and slightly spiced delicacy.

Hommel is the local abbreviation of humulus, from the botanical name for the hop plant. Confusingly, it also means bumble bee in Flemish. Poperings Hommelbier is a hoppy, golden-bronze, ale. It is made from a blend of winter, summer and aromatic pale malts.

A large demand for (wittekes) white beer, made us create our own version of this popular beer, that was soon respected all over Europe and beyond; which resulted in a golden medal in the “concour international of Montreal” in 1998. This traditional Witbier (Wheat beer) is brewed with the finest ingredients as local hops, fine wheat, and, amongst other things, lemon peel, Curacao orange peel making it a refreshing and unique drinking sensation. The nose is coriander, sour citrusy note, pale wheat malt character and little fresh hops. The taste at first is light and dry and gradually evolves to flavors of spicy notes, fresh herb, coriander combined with a typical light sourness. The aftertaste has the fruity flavors of apricots and lemon peels. The carbonation is light, small fresh bubbles Dough and yeast in the finish.