The Brouwerij Van den Bossche is a fourth-generation family brewery located in the East Flanders town of Sint-Lievens-Esse. And while this brewery has been operating since 1897, they are best known for their ‘Pater Lieven’ beer labels, but it isn’t easy to find any of their beers in your average Belgian beer bar.
It is a typical story for Belgium, with multi-generational breweries quietly making their beers and servicing a localised area without spreading their wings too far. And it is a shame for many tourists as they never get to try these more obscure beers, like this one that has a brilliant story that goes like this….
In the early 1900’s the whole family and almost all the staff went to visit the Buffalo Bill circus in town, leaving the boiling brewing kettle to the watchful eye of their youngest employee. As you might guess, the young fellow lost concentration and allowed the beer to roast and caramelise on the bottom of the brewing kettle. Unexpectedly, everyone liked the spoiled beer, and this beer became a staple of the brewery until this day!
Dark brown in colour, there is an aroma of caramel malt, roasted malts and a slight coffee hint. The taste is initially of sweet malt that gives in to the roasted and slightly bitter character, dry with herbal hops and a lingering hint of coffee on the finish.
Hop bitterness, with dry spicing and just a hint of wild earthy funk
A lovely rich and decadent Christmas beer from Brouwerij Van Den Bossche
