Well, it was a long and extremely indulgent Christmas break. Much alcohol was consumed, many nights were erased from memory. But, dear readers, you will no doubt be pleased to know that Moore & Brown’s Dev Cat Challenge is back for its third instalment. This week, a wide range of flavours and textures were sampled in some of the oddest drinking vessels known to man. One beer, in fact, was so good that we broke new boundaries in our mission: we ordered it twice. So take a good ale in one hand and a fat cigar in the other, sit back in your favourite armchair and enjoy our humble attempt to bring beer into your lives.
Achel Blonde – Belgian Trappist – 8.0% - 33cl - £3.55
The Menu says: A pale and fruity ale close in flavour to the other Trappist tripels.
We say: This beer got off to a bad start through no fault of its own, through an unfortunate accident involving a barmaid and too much head. However, the taste more than made up for the mistake. A strong taste gave a warming feeling all the way down the throat, yet the flavour was not overwhelming.
The gassy nature of this beer may put some off – we found the texture more like that of champagne – but once you get past the froth, this is a surprisingly good beer.
Moore Rating: 7/10 Brown Rating: 7/10
Grimbergen Optimo Bruno – Belgian Abbey Beer – 10.0% - 33cl - £3.40
The Menu says: This very special strong ale was initially brewed as an Easter special but was so successful it is now brewed all year round. The sweet pudding flavours are counteracted with a treacly bitterness to give an incredibly complex beer.
We say: At ten per cent and with a name like a German transformer, this beer was never going to be pretty. The string of expletives that followed our first sips only served to heighten that fact, but in the name of good journalism we pushed on nonetheless. This particularly strong beer is light in flavour, but suffers from its highly acidic smell, and the fact that it kills most known germs in one go.
A good beer should be relatively easy to drink all the way down the glass, and this is where the Optimo Bruno ultimately loses its appeal. Heavy on the gut, the more we drank, the more it hurt. It might be worth a shot if your drain is blocked, but compared to many other high-percentage beers on offer, this one fails to impress.
Moore Rating: 4/10 Brown Rating: 5/10
Kwak – Belgian Speciality Beer – 8.0% - 33cl - £2.95
The Menu says: This Flemish speciality is a hearty warming brew, dark and strong. It will win attention when served in the most unusual glass. Allegedly held on the sides of stagecoaches in times past in the stirrup cup. Pauwel Kwak, an innkeeper, once brewed this beer that was revived by Bosteels brewery in East Flanders. Probably no other brewery specialises so much in such an unusual product. A national treasure! The definitive example of Flanders red beer. Aged for two years in huge brandy casks there are 300 of these vessels – all uncoated oak – each containing up to 60,000 litres. This is unique in the world and helps give the sour, tart red colour and very unusual flavour.
We say: That a beer requires a £10 deposit purely because of the glass it is served in is surely a good sign. The bell-bottomed glasses, complete with their own wooden stand, are fantastic in terms of presentation alone, but when we realised they had a purpose as well their stock rose even further. The design of the glass means that every time you take a mouthful, the beer’s head refreshes itself, resulting in a beer which has the first-sip pleasure all the way down.
A beautifully coloured beer which danced on the eyes, the Kwak’s balance of taste was equally impressive. Not too strong and not too gassy, but with a rich and individual taste, this beer was so good we couldn’t help but order it again. At a reasonable price (once you get your deposit back, of course) this is by far the best beer we have tasted so far. Highly recommended.
Moore Rating: 9/10 Brown Rating: 9/10
Budvar Dark – Czech – 4.7% - 50cl - £2.90
The Menu says: Budvar Dark is a very delicate beer. Despite its big roasted flavours and dark hue, it remains light-bodied. As it warms, the beer predictably gains sweetness. It eventually develops some nice creamy flavours but the beer’s wonderful roasted flavours never fail to play on the palate.
We say: Something had to follow the Kwak, and the Budvar Dark gamely took the challenge. It started off well, with its lack of a strong aftertaste meaning it needed little persuasion to go down. The subtle flavours are surprising for such a dark beer, but make the drinking process itself quite enjoyable.
Unfortunately, the more of the Budvar we drank, the less impressive it got. Perhaps the Kwak had spoiled us, but toward the end of the glass the flavour got a little bland, even boring. A decent beer, but probably best as a refreshing first pint.
Moore Rating: 6/10 Brown Rating: 5/10
Editors Note: The Dev Cat Challenge should become a more regular occurrence on the site from now on, so keep checking back for the next edition of the Alcoholics Anonymous-approved Moore & Brown’s Dev Cat Challenge!
By Alex Moore & Dave Brown
January 27th, 2008 at 3:05 am
do such accidents with barmaids come as standard, or do you have to pay extra?
January 27th, 2008 at 4:23 am
Such privileges are only available to Shefbase writers, I’m afraid.