Belgium Part II - Liefmans To Roman

Liefmans tasted

In part I of Roger's report from Belgium he gives the background to Oudenaarde and tells the story of Liefmans brewery. In part II we join him in the bar and tasting room at Liefmans, to sample some of their range.

Oud Bruin was russet coloured with a fluffy head and an aroma packed with smoked malt, vanilla and burnt fruit notes. Creamy malt, sweet and sour fruit and a gentle hint of hop resins filled the mouth while the finish is dry, fruity and sour.

A year-old Goudenband had little sourness on the nose, which was dominated by woody/vanilla notes, but sour fruit, rich malt and light hops built in the mouth. The finish was bittersweet, with burnt grain and sour fruit. An aged Goudenband had more sweetness and rich fruit on aroma and palate, with sourness developing late. There were spices and smoky/tobacco notes in the finish.

Cuvée Brut had a brilliant, flaring colour of red, with cherries, freshly-brewed tea and leafy/grassy notes on the nose, followed by rich, tart fruit, honey malt and gentle hops resins in the mouth. The finish began sweet but became dry with smoke, oak and sour fruit. The woody and vanilla notes in all the beers were intriguing as they don't come into contact with wood during the brewing process.

To my surprise and pleasure - for it was a cold, wet day - I was then handed a glass of hot beer. It was Glühkriek, Liefman's answer to glhwein, the hot toddy popular with winter skiers. The Liefman's beer is 8% and is a blend of Oud Bruin and Kriek with the addition of strawberries, blueberries, candy sugar, spices and herbs. The beer is spicy and fruity on the nose, with warming spices, sweet and sour fruit and toasted grain in the mouth and a long, bittersweet finish that becomes dry with tart fruit and creamy malt.

The high point of the tour was a visit to the cave or cellar where aged Goudenband is stored. There are vintages dating back many years, with the corked bottles stored horizontally. The acidity of the beer plays a major role in the ageing process, along with the same micro-biological changes that occur in fine wine.

The dust was wiped from a bottle of Goudenband 1989 and the cradle and cork were gently eased from the neck. The beer gushed and foamed in the glass then settled in to the familiar russet/brown colour. But the aroma and flavour were startlingly different to a normal Goudenband. The nose had a rich butterscotch character, followed by toffee, smooth malt and burnt raisin and sultana fruit in the mouth. There was more buuterscotch in the finish, balanced by smooth dark grain and only a hint of sourness. It was a fascinating example of how aged beer develops and changes over a long period.

Liefmans is open for tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays (minimum 15 people, maximum 50: 7.50 per person). The tour takes in the entire brewery, including the preserved mash tuns and kettles, fermenting room and conditioning areas. Visitors are given two drinks with cheese and a small bottle of beer to take away. See www.liefmans.be.

The Roman brewery

The Roman brewery is in the village of Mater, a suburb of Oudenaarde. It's a brewery of considerable antiquity, founded in 1545 as a tavern called the Bell by Justistius Roman. Both the family name and that of Mater (mother in Latin) may go back to Roman times, for the village lies on the old Roman road that links Cologne and Dunkirk.

The current brewery buildings loom over the village and are clearly of 19th or early 20th-century origin. Roman is a substantial company that produces 75,000 hectolitres a year, still run by the Roman family. The 17th generation is now in charge and it must surely be one of the oldest family breweries in the world. Its main product is a Pils lager but it's best known for a strong ale called Sloeber and the Ename range of Abbey beers. But it has built its reputation on its Oud Bruin, which was its only style until the 1950s. In common with many Belgian breweries, Roman was forced to meet the demands for Pils lager after World War Two.

Unlike Liefmans, with its somewhat ungainly brewing vessels, Roman has a classic brewhouse with gleaming copper vessels in Dutch tiled surrounds, built in the 1930s. The brewery is based around around a large courtyard with stables and a hall that has a museum of old brewing equipment, including steam engines.

Roman's 5% Oud Bruin was renamed Adriaen Brouwer a few years ago and his face stares out from labels and beer mats.

Brouwer, the Dutch for brewer, was a 17th- century painter from Oudenaarde who died aged just 32 as a result of over-consumption of both alcohol and tobacco. He studied under Frans Hals, had his portrait painted by Van Dyck and developed a style of miniature paintings depicting the seamy side of life. Examples of his work hang in Oudenaarde town hall.

Adriaen Brouwer, the beer named in his honour is russet brown with a hint of chocolate, burnt fruit and hop resins on the nose. Bitter hops build in the mouth with notes of dark fruit and chocolate. The finish is dry with roasted grain, dark fruit, chocolate and bitter hops.

Roman's stronger version of Oud Bruin again honours the legendary local artist. Adriaen Brouwer Dark Gold is 8.5% and has a rich candy sugar nose with burnt fruit and light floral hops. Hop resins, candied fruit and creamy malt dominate the mouth, followed by a bittersweet finish with warming alcohol, hop resins, dark fruit and rich malt.

Critics of Roman's interpretations of Oud Bruin, which they say are inferior to Liefman's, are missing the historical point. In the 14th century, Roman was in the German-controlled part of Oudenaarde and had to use hops rather than gruut in its beers. As a result, the beers have developed in a different way to Liefman's. They should be equally revered as fine examples of a style that deserves encouragement if it's to survive. Adriaen Brouwer, I suspect, would raise a glass to that sentiment.

go to Part I - history of Oudenaarde and Liefmans go to Part III - a visit to Ghent exploring beer culture and cuisine