Brasserie de Bellevaux Black

The next beer from our Ardennes winter retreat was the black beer from the Brasserie de Bellevaux in Malmedy. It’s hard to believe such a small town has two breweries (I reviewed Bière de Malmedy Brune from the Malmedy Brewery a few days ago), but this is Belgium after all, where there are more breweries than bubbles in a glass of Deus.

OK, it’s technically just outside the village of Bellevaux, which is slightly south of Malmedy, but you get my point. (see correction: there is only one brewery in Malmedy)

Brasserie de Bellevaux Black is dark. Really, really dark. So, um, well named, then. It’s got a nice thick head, too. The taste is very complex: rosemary, smoky wood and clove. It’s very bitter.

Bob says it’s, “smoky like a Bamberg smoked beer”. I’ve never had a Bamberg smoked beer, so I’ll take his word for it there. But they must be yummy if they taste like this.

On further reflection, I find a strong honey aroma and flavour here. Nona agrees but is more specific: “it reminds me of a chestnut honey”. Again, I’ve never had chestnut honey, so I take her word for it.

But maybe I’m too gullible. Maybe Bob and Nona are just making up these flavours to trick me into opening another bottle. The rascals! Perhaps I should be more careful about the people I get into an igloo with...

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