We had a nice turnout last night for Hoosier Beer Geeks at Brugge. Even though the bar was a little tight and it was hard to all talk together, it was nice to see all the old faces and some new ones! Plus, I'm such a sucker for a big, huge cone of the Brugge frites. On to the beer:
My taste buds were already up and running as I came over from the Twisted Oak tasting at The Upper Room. Christopher and Jim were already well into their warm ups. Disappointingly, there were only two beers on top -- The Black and The Quad. (What's up with that? That always makes me worried a place is failing. Based on the number of people in Brugge last night, it makes me think otherwise that it's just poor planning. Who knows. Maybe Ted has a secret beer strategy.) I ordered the Quad.
Let me begin by saying I'm a biased judge since I love Belgians -- beer that is. (I'm sure I'd love all Belgians if I knew more of them, but we're just sticking to beer here.) I love everything from light ales to the stinkiest, smelliest lambics. (When it comes to lambics, the smellier, the better.) And I think Ted Miller does a fine job with his Belgian-style brews. I can almost say I've never had a beer of his I didn't like -- although I've certainly had a few that were so rich, that you almost couldn't drink a whole glass of it. In the case of the Quad, that richness is there, but not so heavy that you can't make it through the glass. Like many Belgian style beers, it has a deceptively high alcohol content (13.5%) and while it has a fruit start and base, it doesn't finish with that heavy, rich, fruit taste. While Belgians don't tend to be overly hoppy or dry, many also don't have a cloyingly sweet aftertaste which makes them more drinkable long term than, say, your average hefeweisen. The Quad itself is a rich amber color without the hard, overly dry finish. Lots of grain and sweetness in the nose, gives way to a refreshing finish without a lot of heaviness. Pop in and check it out -- it's perfect for this time of year. And goes really well with fries. Four mugs for me!
I have good news, braingirl. First of all, Ted does a pretty good job with the limited space he has...and that is the main issue, space. With that being said, Brugge has acquired the Terre Haute Brewing Company, and that will significantly increase their beer supply. See here for details:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=22115
So, Brugge Beers will also be available in bottle in the not-too-distant future! :)
I also heard last night at Brugge that they're going to be bottling, but I was unaware that Brugge is taking over Terre Haute Brewing Company. Does that mean Ted's going to take over the brewing of Champagne Velvet now?
ReplyDeleteI should have said above "acquired the services of" the Terre Haute Brewing Company. Not sure about Champagne Velvet, but here is another article:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tribstar.com/local/local_story_059231650.html