One of the oldest breweries in Belgium, Brouwerij Het Sas was founded by Adolf Leroy in Boezinge, West Flanders in 1720. It was destroyed, along with much of the area in World War 1 yet remains dedicated to producing delicious beers using regional ingredients that are much lower in alcohol than other beers produced in the area. The 7th generation of Leroys, Hendrik and Philip are mentoring the next generation of the family to take over the brewery and it will be interesting to see how their range of beers develops. The familiy inherited the Van Eecke brewery in Watou in 1962 and the two breweries appear on the surface to be run as one with Van Eecke now brewing Leroy Christmas.
This traditional stout pours a dark ruby brown with a thick off-white head of foam. The nose is malty, toffee-sweet with traces of soda. The taste is mild and smooth with chocolate, demerara sugar and toasted malt. The finish is smokey and chocolatey. Very full bodied and a superb match with sticky toffee pudding. ABV 5%
One of my favourite breweries, based in one of my favourite villages. Brouwerij Van Eecke is located just off the village square in Watou, located near the French border in West Flanders. The brewery was founded in 1862 and passed into the neighbouring brewers Leroy family in 1962 (the Leroy brewery is based in Boezinge and is called Het Sas). Famous for their range of Kapittel Abbey beers, a beer was developed in 1981 by Karel Leroy to celebrate the Poperingse Hoppefeesten which takes place every 3 years.
Hommelbier
Hommelbier is a dark straw beer that pours with a thick white head of foam with a slight bead. The nose is a lovely mix of yeast, malt and hops. Two varieties of aromatic pale malts are used and 4 hop varieties which bring about the unique aroma and flavours (Hommel is the local dialect for hop). The taste is rounded and full-flavoured that is best when the beer warms up slightly and is rich, malty, spicy, slightly sweet with a hint of caramel and a little citrus. The finish is long, spicy, dry and bitter and very salivating. Personally, I find the 75cl bottles are better suited to this beer than the 33cl ones. ABV 7.5%
Hommelbier Ltd Edition 2014
Since 2012, every year a limited edition new harvest beer is also made using the fresh local hops from that year’s harvest. These hops are harvested from the Poperinge area and are Saphir, Magnum, Challenger, and Brewers Gold. Brewing commences 3 days after the hops are picked. The beer once again pours a dark straw colour but the white head is much thicker. The nose is still malty and honey-sweet but much more floral. This citrus-hop aroma is joined by pepper spice and hints of pineapple and banana. The taste is creamier and richer than the regular Hommelbier and is full of pale malts and hop bitterness. Beneath the hop bitterness there are flavours of bread, fruit, honey and spice. The finish is much drier than the regular beer. ABV 7.5%
Hommelbier Ltd Edition 2015
The 2015 edition was even fresher than the 2014, probably due to the lack of 12 months-plus ageing in the bottle. The same dark straw colour is topped off by a huge white head of foam. The yeasty, hoppy and floral nose is also spicy and sweet with vanilla and ripe pears and a hint of baking soda. The mouth is massively fizzy with citrus hops, herbs, malts, spices and more soda. A bitter and dry finish that is salivating and leaves you wanting more of this delicious beer. ABV 7.5%
Beer Sommelier Kew 