Hello, beer lovers! 🍻

How are you all doing? I have to admit I'm pretty tired after a hard day; I worked outside all day, and since we didn't finish, I'll pick this up tomorrow. But a beer (or two) on #beersaturday evening sounds good to me.

I have two bottles in front of me, both Belgian, but with very different tastes. I’m looking forward to finishing them and sharing this experience with you.

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First, the one with less alcohol.

Kasteel Rouge

Brewed by Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck, Izegem, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium. Bottle, 0.33 L, alcohol 8.0% ABV, IBU N/A. It's a fruit beer style.

What do the Master Brewers say?

Kasteel Rouge is a strong, ruby red beer brewed from Kasteel Donker and featuring Oblacinska cherries. With a deliciously velvety mouthfeel, its subtle acidity ensures that the sweetness of the cherries does not overpower the beer. The balance of flavors allows us to experience depth and complexity with every sip. With its distinctive dry finish, the beer is eminently drinkable. Ready for ‘la vie en Rouge’?

🍺 Just last Saturday, I tried Kasteel Tropical, another fruit beer. Now I’m trying this classic cherry beer. I’m not really a fan of fruit beers, though. If I come across one, I'll give it a try; if not, that’s fine too.

The beer is ruby red, with a light, pinkish, creamy head. It smells like cherries. It goes down smoothly; in my mouth, I first taste a slight sweetness, then a distinct sour cherry flavor that shifts into tartness, with hints of caramel and malt. All of that fades in the aftertaste. Although it’s quite strong, the alcohol isn’t noticeable and is well-hidden.

A beer to drink, refreshing, but not for kids :) It’s also not meant for everyday drinking. It’s more of an aperitif or something like that—a fruit beer with an intense cherry flavor. Beer drinkers either love it or avoid it. I tried it—too fruity for my taste—and this one bottle is more than enough for me. Plus, it’s pretty expensive. It costs €3.70 at a specialty store.

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Maybe the fruit beer didn't sit well with me because I'd been working with fruit all day—apples, to be exact? You see, we'd been making apple juice from the apples we'd picked all week from the orchard. Maybe...

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Chouffe IPA

Brewed by Brasserie d’Achouffe, Houffalize, Région Wallonne, Belgium. Bottle, 0.33 L, alcohol 9.0% ABV, IBU 47. IPA (Belgian).

What do the Master Brewers say?

If you love flavours that pack a punch, we hope you’re ready for CHOUFFE IPA – our first-ever Belgian IPA! At 9% ABV, it’s built on a unique blend of three hops, delivering a lovely bitterness rounded off with fruity notes and a whisper of grapefruit. Made for those who love trying out new tastes and flavours.

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If I mentioned earlier that Rouge isn’t for kids (8% ABV), I have to emphasize that even more here (9% ABV)!

The beer has a slightly cloudy golden color; the head is average and fades quickly. It smells of hops. It goes down smoothly; in my mouth, I immediately taste strong hop bitterness, a hint of citrus—grapefruit—and an herbal note of coriander. The hop bitterness and coriander aroma linger in the aftertaste for quite some time.

A drinkable and tasty beer! Very strong flavors and aromas, with a good balance between bitterness, citrus, and herbs. Very strong, but you don’t really feel the alcohol content (it’ll probably kick in later, after a couple of beers :) ) It’s not a typical American West Coast IPA, but rather a European (Belgian) herbal-fruity IPA. It’s not exactly cheap—I got it at a specialty store for €4.10. Beer prices here have gone up by about 30%–40% over the past year, so this is among the most expensive. But what can you do? You’ve got to give it a try :)

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And what am I listening to when writing this and tasting beer? Nothing from my Friday #newtunes, I didn't post anything because I didn't have time—you know, I mentioned the apples and all that... but I went to a concert last night at the so-called Club Marathon, where three promising young bands, selected by Radio Student SLO, performed. My favorite was the all-female stoner trio Tres Madres. I’m sure I’ll be hearing more from them. Here’s a 30-second video clip -short/reel/snap. One song video will be later. ASAP, of course... (I have at least 20 bands to edit and post before that...)

Tres Madres

Thank you for your attention.

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Latest (this year) tastings (I know I need to shorten this; will be ASAP): La Goudale Rubis and Kasteel Tropical, Augustiner Lagerbier Hell and Trappistes Rochefort 10, ZUBR Grand 🍻 Slash IPA, Bakalář Pale Lager and Guinness West Indies Porter, Krombacher Pils and BrewDog Elvis Juice, Desetka and Erdinger Helles, Joe Beer and Paulaner Münchner Hell, Kilkenny Irish Red and Aldersbacher Urhell, (Askania 4 and Holsten Lager, 1664 Blanc Wheat and Paulaner Weissbier Irish Red Nitro and Međimursko Lager, Sunset Pale Ale and East Coast IPA, The 3rd Pill IPA and Shuma IPA, Babaroga and Lagerica, Neposlušna/Disobedient and Amo Essere Eccellente, Abbaye de Vauclair - Impériale, Beyond the Pale Ale EPA and Top Manager NEPA, Budweiser Budvar Lager and Gran Riserva Doppio Malto, Milkshake IPA and Schwarzbier Lager, De Katsbier Extra and Orval Trappist Ale, Craft Beer Festival, Thelma and Bush Caractère, Here Comes The Sun and Fang & Flame, MOB Saison IPA and Leffe Brune, Steam-Brew Imperial Stout and XO - Punk is Not Dead, Küss die Hand Helles and Irish Craft IPA, Nero Stout and Banquise Attack Double IPA, Nuke Mars NEIPA and General Maister IPA, Bevog Deetz and Siren Broken Dream, La Chouffe Blonde and TAZ Tasmanian Ale, Reservoir Dogs CruX Gose and Wicklow Wolf Elevation Pale Ale, Organic Chocolate Stout and Fuller's IPA, Hirter 1270 and Pécsi Prémium Lager, Erdinger Dunkel and Lone Wolf Single Hop IPA, Perlenzauber Kellerpils and Bavaria Holland, Salt Breeze & Ironik, Budvar Dark Lager and Krombacher Weizen, Rosa’s Fest-Märzen and Christmas Stout, HOPZ 2025 and Kozel Dark.

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More stories about beers? You can go back a little further in history! 😁

🍻 2017 🍻 2018 🍻 2019 🍻 2020 🍻 2021 🍻 🍻 2022 🍻 2023 🍻 2024 🍻 2025 🍻

Enjoy your beer!

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