The last few weekends I was very busy so I didn’t have the time to write a beer review.
And since it’s getting quite a bit colder here I was looking for a nice beer to warm me up. I found one of the stronger beers and one of my personal favorites in my beer cabinet; Hertog Jan Grand Prestige.
Hertog Jan and I go way back. I’ve been drinking their pilsener for ages because it’s just different from the other lagers. It has a bit more character; a specific taste.
It was years and years later when I discovered their specialty beers and a new world opened up for me.
It was 2013 and we were on a short holiday in our own country. My parents-in-law came over and the ladies went shopping and the men went to the nearby brewery for a tour.
The tour was quite interesting. They showed us their brewing process and we ended up in the basement where they stored some of their beers to age. We tasted a few of their beers (small amounts).
The Grand Prestige really stood out. I never really tried a lot of specialty beers before, but this one tasted great. We bought ourselves a magnum bottle on the way out.
The tour didn’t end there by the way. It ended in the bar on the other side of the road. The bar is connected to the brewery with a pipeline where fresh beer is transported to the tap. So we decided to stay a bit longer 😄
The beer review
Hertog Jan Grand Prestige is one of my personal favorites. I almost always have one in my beer cabinet. Because of the high percentage of alcohol (10%) it’s a great beer during the autumn/winter when it gets really cold.
The beer is really dark; almost black. There is a nice layer of brownish foam on top of the beer.
When you smell the beer the many different spices stand out as well as the alcohol.
At the first tip you also taste the rich amount of spices and alcoholic warmth. It’s even a bit sharp.
I’m terribly bad at detecting which spices are used, but experts mention caramel, dried fruit and chocolate. It’s indeed a bit of bitter/sweet. The taste lasts long.
You do have to be careful with this beer, because you might forget that this beer has an alcohol percentage of 10%.
To get the best out of this beer you shouldn’t drink it too cold. The guideline “alcoholpercentage = degrees (celcius)” is good to start with.
I like ‘em even a bit warmer because the flavours get stronger. So my favourite place to drink this beer is in front of the fireplace.
Have a nice weekend!