This post is a continuation of the 2015 New Beer Every Day Beer Diary Challenge, #ottbeerdiary. Over the course of 2015, I drank at least one new beer every day. Please read the background in the link above, and enjoy reading about the most recently tasted beers below. This year I may deviate from the diary format in some posts, hoping to concentrate more on the locations and the breweries I am enjoying. If you’d like to join the challenge as well, let me know in the comments below. You can catch up on all of our posts as part of the challenge under the tag ottbeerdiary.
Day 876: May 25, 2017
Oh the best laid plans.
Today is the Hemelvaart holiday here in the Netherlands, with a much needed day off from work. And every year, the Vandeoirsprong Brewery in Oirschot holds their Brabants Bierfestival on this day.
Oirschot is not exactly right next door, but it is only 15 km from my home in Eindhoven, and the weather was gorgeous, so I decided to join a couple friends on a bike ride to the festival, instead of the train/bus combination that would have been otherwise required. Seemed like a good idea at the time.
Until I had a flat tire en route…
OOPS!
So my 45 minute ride turned into 1.5 hours ride/walk/push. But I made it in the end.
Along with half of the Netherlands it seemed! Quite a crowd in the festival grounds, making it a bit difficult to move around to the beer tents. Which was made even worse by the smokers holding their cigarettes by their side in the crowd, inviting many burn opportunities as you tried to weave your way through.
But still, 14 breweries, and over 90 beers to choose from!
Zwickel by Brouwerij Vandeoirsprong – 5.3% ABV Zwickel – Nice hops bitter. Great served cold for the warm weather.
Haze & Rain by Brouwerij De Molen – 6.2% ABV Hefeweizen – Very purple. Smells a bit funky. Tastes ok. Fruity and smooth.
East by Brouwerij Frontaal – 4.7% ABV Imperial Pale Lager – Hoppy IPL. Excellent summer beer.
Dubbel by Brouwerij Vandeoirsprong – 6.7% ABV Dubbel – Gold winning dubbel.
De Moss Tripel by Brouwerij “De Blauwe Knoop” – 8.1% ABV Belgian Tripel – Ok Tripel. Bready and fruity.
Sleeper by LOC Brewery – 6.6% ABV IPA – Nice hoppy piney bitter with a malty finish. But mostly the hops.
The Beer:
Name: Rhodesian BBA – Heaven Hill
Style: Barleywine
Producer: Brouwerij Frontaal
Alcohol content: 12%
Bottle size: .0.15l pour from 0.33l bottle
Purchased from: Brabants Bierfestival at Brouwerij Vandeoirsprong in Oirschot, the Netherlands
Rhodesian BBA – Heaven Hill by Brouwerij Frontaal 🇳🇱 12% ABV Rhodesian, their flagship Barleywine, aged four months in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. A pour at the Brabants bierfsstival yesterday in Oirschot at Brouwerij Vandeoirsprong. Nice rich flavors. Fruit and some toasty barrel flavor. Vanilla. Rather smooth, with the booze lurking underneath.
