The Belgians take their beer very seriously. To many Americans, beer is seen as nothing more than an intoxicant. In Belgium, nothing could be further from the truth. In Belgium, beer is a gastronomical experience, a part of life, a piece of their culture. Nowhere in Belgium is this truer than in the quaint Belgian town of Poperinge, located in the south central portion of the country. While the residents of Poperinge enjoy drinking beer as much as the next Belgian, they have taken their enthusiasm for beer one step further by establishing Poperinge as Belgium’s most famous hop-growing area.

In addition to providing many of Belgium’s finest breweries with hops, Poperinge is the site of a famous hop festival that occurs once every three years in the third week of September. Though 2001 is not a festival year, the Poperingans will be holding a session on hops and beer on September the 16th. Don’t be surprised if the wily hop duvel (devil) makes an appearance. He’s a local character created by farmers and was the inspiration for Pennsylvania’s Victory Brewing Company’s very hoppy India Pale Ale of the same name.

Hommel is local terminology for hop or hop cone. Poperings Hommel Ale is brewed in nearby Watou by the NV Van Eecke brewery using hops from Poperinge.

Poperings Hommel Ale is light golden in color with a sparkling carbonation. A huge head of foam forms upon the pour and is maintained right on through to the last sip of this glorious brew. A generous Brussels lace is left down the glass as you sip and empty it. The very yeasty nose is characteristically Belgian with plenty of funky character. The palate is creamy and rich; it simply glides across the tongue depositing a touch of fruit along the way and a lot of yeasty horse blanket character. The flavors build into the finish where an aggressive hop bite melds deliciously with warming alcohol notes. This is a somewhat potent brew at 7.5% alcohol by volume.

I didn’t match this with food, but rather enjoyed it as an aperitif prior to my meal. The beer is slightly pricey at $3 for a 330 ml bottle, which translates to 11.2 ounces. It’s worth every penny, and then some.
 



Home