Every month, Belgibeer features a different craft brewery, sending freshly brewed beers together with glassware, beers mats, stickers, posters and anything available on site.
The box arrived very well packed, with each individual bottle bubble-wrapped and in cardboard sleeves to avoid breakage.
June’s spotlight brewery is Den Herberg. The artisanal microbrewery is a family business, run by founding couple Bart and Anne Deville with the help of four of their seven children. Den Herberg currently produces a dozen beers, refermented in bottles and barrels and all 100% natural, unfiltered and unpasteurized. I was lucky enough to try four varieties in the Belgibeer box.
TIP: This box ships to Europe. If you’re looking for a US beer club, try checking out all the beer subscriptions!
Here is everything in this month’s box: 2 bottles each of Den Herberg Blond, Cuvée Devillé, Den Herberg Bruin and Den Herberg Tripel plus one bottle of Malheur 10, a beer glass, magnet, Father’s Day card, Belgibeer tasting guide and Belgibeer magazine.
In celebration of Father’s Day, the box includes a card for Dad…
…and a beautiful Den Herberg glass.
There is also a magnet/bottle opener!
Another thing included in the box is a Tasting Belgian Beers manual full of helpful tips on how to taste and appreciate your brews.
This month’s edition of Golden Hops, a magazine produced by the BelgiBeer team, contains info on Den Herberg, tasting notes for the four beers, an interview with the Managing Director of brewery St-Feuillien about IPAs, a feature on Romanian Craft Beers and a few other short pieces.
And now, onto the good stuff:
Den Herberg Blond (5.5% abv) is a high fermentation blond brewed with hops from Poperinge and two types of malts. It is non-filtered and non-pasteurized, with a very hazy, light golden appearance. The beer has a hoppy and sweet yeasty aroma. The mouthfeel is smooth and pleasing and the taste slightly spicy and flowery, with a bitter finish. This is a complex blond packing a lot of flavour.
Cuvée Devillé (6.2% abv) is similar to the famous Trappist beer Orval. It is an amber beer with mixed fermentation (high and spontaneous), re-fermented in bottle and unfiltered. This beer is a rich orange colour with a luxurious foamy head. The aroma is sweet and fruity and very inviting. The taste is gorgeous, sweet yet dry on the palate with a sour tang and subtle bitterness. This is a really interesting tasting beer, just a bit different in a good way.
Den Herberg Bruin (7% abv) is a brown beer brewed with six different grains. It is a pretty reddish-brown with good clarity and a thick and foamy cream-coloured head. The tasting notes mention the aroma of caramel, chocolate and dry raisins due to roasted malts, all of which really shine through. The mouthfeel is smooth and full-bodied, with a taste of alcohol and fruits. \This was my least favourite tasting of the Den Herberg selections, which really surprised me as I generally enjoy brown beers and I found the aroma really appealing.
Den Herberg Tripel (8% abv) is a triple style beer, unfiltered and with the last fermentation in the bottle. It is a glowing, hazy blonde with a fine foamy white head. The aroma is malty and fruity (peaches, pineapple and grapefruit according to tasting notes). This is a full flavoured beer, with a bit of fruitiness and the flavour of hops, not too sweet and with a slightly bitter finish. I enjoyed this, it was strong and complex tasting, yet also easy to drink.
As for the bonus of bottle of Malheur 10, I enjoyed this very much. Here’s what I said about the beer in my March review: Malheur 10 (10% abv) is a strong blonde ale with a clear golden colour. It has an inviting aroma of hops, citrus, and ripe bananas. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy which makes it very drinkable. It also has a warming quality and a sweetness that compliments the slight hopiness.
This month’s Belgibeer box was great. I enjoyed trying all the Den Herberg beers, but the Cuvée Devillé was my favourite. The addition of the beer glass and bottle of Malheur 10 are nice added touches, making the box extra special for Father’s Day.
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