Hello, beer tasters! 🍻 😎 🍻

What is your situation? Here we are in the middle of a heatwave and nothing looks like letting up.
There is only one thing that helps, you know what.
Beer! 🍻

Today, for 263rd #beersaturday, I have two beers, completely different, the only thing they have in common is that they are both Belgian.

First, the one with less alcohol.

🍻 😎 🍻 😎 🍻

De Ranke XX Bitter

Brewed by Brouwerij De Ranke, Dottignies, Belgium.
Bottle, 0.33 l, alcohol 6% ABV, 65 IBU. It's Belgian Ale style, almost lager hoppy character, and a subtle fruity-spicy Belgian yeast.

What do the Master Brewers say?

XX-bitter is our most bitter, high-fermenting beer. Despite its low alcohol content, it produces a very rich, long-lasting, full flavor.
Taste: Very bitter but still balanced. Long-lasting, distinct hop taste.

Interesting. Let's compare it with IPAs.

The beer is cloudy orange in color, the head is large, creamy, and very persistent. I smell hops.

The first sip goes down the throat smoothly, with a strong bitterness immediately dominating the palate. It's very bitter indeed, perhaps I detect hay and a little malt in the background.
Brutally bitter! The bitterness lingers in the aftertaste for quite a long time.

A refreshing and drinkable beer, but not for everyone!
Only for very experienced beer drinkers! A pronounced bitterness is prevalent, as a joke, it overpowers every IPA.

I've had bitter beers like this before, but none of them were as balanced. I like it and would quite like to have it in the fridge.

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Ellezelloise Quintine Ambrée

Brewed by Ellezelloise (Brasserie des Légendes), Ellezelles, Belgium. Bottle, 0.33l, alcohol 8.5 ABV. It's strong Belgian Ale style, is a delicious blend of malt richness, dark fruit flavors and not as bitter or hoppy as a tripel.

What do the Master Brewers say?

Quintine Ambrée is traditionally brewed and fermented and combines the bitterness of hops – like all beers in the Quintine range, it is deliciously bitter–
with flavors of pepper and caramelized malt. Its amber color comes from the use of malt and the caramel that forms during the long malt-roasting process.
Btw: Quintine was a witch from Ellezelles in the Pays des Collines region. She was burned at the stake in 1610 with four other witches. This story, along with that of the Witches’ Sabbath, is part of the folklore of the small, pretty town of Ellezelles in Belgium.

Oh, and they burned witches and drank beer with them. Nothing good ...

The beer is amber in color, with a little head. It smells of caramel. The sip goes down the throat smoothly and the different flavors linger in the mouth.

Malty sweetness, burnt caramel for nuance, grapefruit giving bitterness, some other fruit, plum? The bitterness lingers in the aftertaste for some time.

This beer is special too. Very complex flavours that I'm not really used to, but nothing bad. Being cold (I cooled it down to 4 degrees Celsius, as it says) it was refreshing in the heat.

What can I say in conclusion?
Both beers are special, not to say extreme, one emphasizing bitterness, the other with the complexity of flavors.
So, something for everyone. 🍻

🍻 😎 🍻 😎 🍻

And what am I listening to as I write this? Because I'm going to a concert, the Festival Trnje, I'm listening to a Slovenian jazz band that will be playing there.

Lolita - Loki