This post is a part of the 2015 New Beer Every Day Beer Diary Challenge, #ottbeerdiary. Over the course of 2015, I will be trying a new beer every day. Please read the background in the link above, and enjoy reading about the most recently tasted beers below. If you’d like to join the challenge as well, let me know in the comments below, and be sure to check out Grown-up Travel Guide and his #grownupbeerdiary, where Andy Higgs came up with the diary format in use below. You can catch up on all of our posts as part of the challenge under the tag ottbeerdiary.
Day 262: September 19, 2015
Diary entry:
Today was a big day in the Brussels Beer Scene. First, it’s Zwanze Day 2015, the annual event where Brasserie Cantillon lets their hair down and brews something extra fun, interesting and experimental. This is the third year in a row that I managed to take part in Zwanze Day at “ground zero”, the Moeder Lambic Fontainas in Brussels, where Jean van Roy and much of his staff are on hand for the festivities.
I was actually pretty lucky to get a taste this year, as unlike the past two years, tickets were sold out already by Friday, and as late as 6PM on Saturday I still had not acquired one. I was holding out hope though, as I was told there may be a second keg coming to Moeder Lambic, so if I check back at 8, they may have availability. I checked back at 6:30, however, and was given a ticket, so that was one worry down. Turns out that second keg did appear, and everyone who was there and wanted one managed to get one, even those without tickets. And many of us even got a second taste as well.
As for why tickets were more in demand this year, that may in part have to do with the second big event occurring the same day, the opening of the new BrewDog Pub in Brussels. The pub is located right next to the main entrance to Brussels Central Station, across from the Hilton hotel, just a few hundred meters from the Grand Place. They had quite a lineup of BrewDog staples on draft, and a large bottle selection as well. They did close relatively early, at midnight, much to the anguish of many of those present. But perhaps not a bad thing…
The Beer:
Name: Zwanze (2015) Wild Brussels Stout
Style: Dark Ale
Producer: Brasserie Cantillon
Alcohol content: 7.0%
Bottle size: 0.25l draft
Purchased from: Moeder Lambic Fontainas at Zwanze Day 2015
As last night was Zwanze Day 2015, the only real option for the beer of the night would be Zwanze (2015) Wild Brussels Stout by Brasserie Cantillon. Nice sour with some dark flavors. Rather enjoyable. Could actually drink a few of these (ok, to be honest, I did!)
Commercial Description
With its Zwanze 2015, in its own way Cantillon wanted to perpetuate this typically Belgian surrealist mindset. In doing so, a few changes were made to the recipe for a traditional stout. Specifically, they fermented some raw wheat to improve mellowness and enhance storage characteristics and did not use roasted barley to avoid further accentuating the dry aspect, which was already present as a result of spontaneous fermentation.
The recipe is that of a stout, the color is that of a stout, and spontaneous fermentation followed by 28 months of maturing in a cask has given birth to a “surreal” stout.
The dry and tart notes of a spontaneous fermentation beer combine with the roasted, slightly burnt and delicate chocolate flavors sometimes found in certain stouts.
For the 28 months of maturing they used three types of casks: 50% of the casks had already contained lambic, 25% had already been used for Côtes du Rhône wine and 25% had already been used for Cognac. Beers that have matured in old Cognac casks take up the warmth of the alcohol while those from casks having contained red wine adopt winey and fruity characteristics.
This “wild” stout’s fruitiness and “cooked” side reveal rancio flavors that are characteristic of Madeira or Banyuls wines. The ideal tasting temperature to fully enjoy these fragrances and flavors is 15 °C – 18 °C (59 °F – 64 °F).
