Beer Notes: Duvel Moortgat Maredsous 8 Brune

Another Nottingham office day, another 20 minutes to loiter before my train, another visit to The Kean’s Head (this is a routine I could get used to). This time around I decided that I would go for a half of the Maredsous 8 Brune that I spotted on my last visit, but didn’t try at the time. It was 8% ABV, but I had that train to catch, so there was no danger of having more than just a half.

I tell you what, it was a close-run thing, because Maredsous 8 Brune was very tasty indeed. I think I’ve had the 6 (Blonde) and 10 (Tripel) Maredsous variants before now (and maybe this one as well, in a bottle). This brune variant has the classic Belgian yeast tang, but where its lighter counterparts are sharp and hop-led, this variant (perhaps as you’d expect) is sweeter and nuttier: toasted, caramelised chestnuts and maybe a touch of marzipan almond. There’s a very slight red wine sour-sharpness cutting through the burnt sugars, keeping everything nicely in check and very well-balanced.

Deep and flavourful, the only thing that might have improved this one was that perhaps it could have done with being a little warmer, maybe breathing a while to let those rich flavours reach their full potential. But it was still very good indeed. I might be back for another one of those before too long.

In a fit of what appears to be sheer optimism (judging by the forecast for the weekend, at least), The Independent ran an article on Monday that featured Roger Protz’s ‘Ten Best Summer Beers’:

• Adnams East Green
• Fuller’s Organic Honey Dew
• Meantime IPA
• Shepherd Neame Whitstable Bay
• Budweiser Budvar
• Duvel
• St Austell Clouded Yellow
• Young’s Kew Gold
• Brakspear Oxford Gold
• Goose Island IPA

I posted tasting notes on the Adnams East Green yesterday and the Kew Gold back at the end of June. I’ve got the Fuller’s Organic Honey Dew lined up next. Tried the Whitstable Bay and Oxford Gold a while back, but I’d need to re-visit before I could comment.

As for the others: Budvar is one of the better-flavoured commercial lagers out there, the Meantime IPA is on sale in our local Tesco’s and Duvel is available pretty much anywhere, so shouldn’t be too hard to track down. The Clouded Yellow I can’t drink (it’s a wheat beer and I have an Intolerance, or an allergy, or something – whatever, wheat is evil and makes me feel like crap after consuming it) and Goose Island is apparently only available in cases of 24 from T’Internets. Hmm.