# 59: POPERINGS HOMMEL BIER
Brouwerij Van Ecke - Belgium (Est.1862)
First Brewed - 1981
7.5% ABV - Belgian Pale Ale
IBU's - 26-28
IBU's - 26-28
Ingredients:
Malts: Summer, Winter, Pale Malts
Hops: Three varieties, Hallertau Hop
Tasting Notes:
E: Cloudy with a straw-like yellow colour, and a bold, tight white head.
N: The nose is complex with a decent array of spicy hop aromas, mixed with yeast and malty sweetness.
P: On the palate the beer is full-bodied with a initial spicy hop flavour, followed by citrus in the way of orange rind and grapefruit with a residual sweetness at the end.
M: The carbonation is light and the mouth is left with a warming spicy dryness with a yeasty finish.
Other comments:
Hailing from the town of Poperinge in Belgium, a stones throw from the World War I battle fields of Ypres, the town is located in the heart of Belgium's hop production region. The word for hop in the local dialect is 'hommel' and this beer unlike most Belgian beers demonstrates those hop qualities in full.
The brewery has been in the hands of the Van Eecke family since 1862, when they purchased a castle brewery. The castle was reconstructed after it was left in ruins due to the French revolution. The family renamed it Goulden Leeuw (Golden Lion) and serviced the local population with a couple of beers. After WWII the family reconstructed the castle again, and introduced the Kapittel line of beers.
Today the hommel bier has a reputation as being the first 'hoppy' style beer that broke the mould of Belgian beers, and is seen as an icon in the hop capital region of Belgium. I'll drink to that!
Hailing from the town of Poperinge in Belgium, a stones throw from the World War I battle fields of Ypres, the town is located in the heart of Belgium's hop production region. The word for hop in the local dialect is 'hommel' and this beer unlike most Belgian beers demonstrates those hop qualities in full.
The brewery has been in the hands of the Van Eecke family since 1862, when they purchased a castle brewery. The castle was reconstructed after it was left in ruins due to the French revolution. The family renamed it Goulden Leeuw (Golden Lion) and serviced the local population with a couple of beers. After WWII the family reconstructed the castle again, and introduced the Kapittel line of beers.
Today the hommel bier has a reputation as being the first 'hoppy' style beer that broke the mould of Belgian beers, and is seen as an icon in the hop capital region of Belgium. I'll drink to that!
Food Pairings:
Most Belgian pale ales have a more malty character, but hommels bier is all about the hops, so think a little different when pairing with food. Belgian pale ales love meat, sausage, pork, chicken and turkey, so this is where we are going with our food pairing. As hommels has a more pronounced hop flavour then I am going for a meat dish with a little spice, so that the hop bitterness can cut through those spice and allow the malty biscuit flavours in the beer enhance the meat.
I've gone for Cajun-style spiced Pork chops, which has a delicate spice and a sweetness that the beer will stand up to and embrace. The slight herbal flavours in the beer will naturally work well with the pork, as will the biscuity malt caramel flavours.
http://bbq.about.com/od/porkrecipes/r/bl60515b.htm
Most Belgian pale ales have a more malty character, but hommels bier is all about the hops, so think a little different when pairing with food. Belgian pale ales love meat, sausage, pork, chicken and turkey, so this is where we are going with our food pairing. As hommels has a more pronounced hop flavour then I am going for a meat dish with a little spice, so that the hop bitterness can cut through those spice and allow the malty biscuit flavours in the beer enhance the meat.
I've gone for Cajun-style spiced Pork chops, which has a delicate spice and a sweetness that the beer will stand up to and embrace. The slight herbal flavours in the beer will naturally work well with the pork, as will the biscuity malt caramel flavours.
http://bbq.about.com/od/porkrecipes/r/bl60515b.htm
SCORE: 3.25/5
Page: 465
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