Wostyntje Mustard Ale

Review Date 10/29/2004 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Spiced   Brewery: De Regenboog   Country: Belgium   State: N/A   $ Per OZ: N/A   ABV: 7%

As a beer enthusiast, I revel in finding a new and untried beer. Whenever I can find a really new, interesting, or down right weird beer, that’s a good day for me. And as such, I’ve drunk beers over the years with ingredients that some might find downright strange. I’m sure most beer enthusiasts have done the same.

There have been beers made with seaweed and beers made with honey. Beers made with pumpkin, banana, blueberry, cherry, peach, raspberry, strawberry, apple, grape, orange, and watermelon. Beers made with caramel, beers made with chocolate, and beers made with vanilla. Beers spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and oregano. The list goes on and on.

The other day, though, when I came across a bottle of Wostyntje was the first time I came across a beer made with mustard. I suppose it’s only fair, after all. There are more than a few mustards on the market that are made with beer, some of them quite good. But I was not convinced that mustard was the ideal spice for beer. Nonetheless, I decided to try a bottle of Wostyntje.

The beer is brewed by the De Regenboog (Rainbow) Brewery in Belgium. Here’s what the importer, Beverage United, has to say about the beer:

Kent Goldigs hops is added at the beginning of the boil while Challenger hops, dark candy sugar and the crushed mustard seeds are added after about 50min. into the boil. The addition of light candy sugar and fresh top-fermenting yeast to the bottle starts the secondary fermentation in the bottle. After three more weeks Wostyntje is ready to become part of your dinner.
 

Wostyntje has a unique bitterish finish, which stems from the use of "Torhout's" mustard seeds.

All well and good, but what do I think of it? Let’s find out.

Wostyntje pours to a golden russet color with a thick rocky head and a spicy mustard nose. The palate is a bit tart with a light malt character and a bit of Belgian yeastiness. The spicy, tart mustard notes add a unique tanginess to the brew. Imagine drinking a glass of horseradish or Chinese hot mustard and you’ll get the idea. Well, the mustard isn't quite that potent here, but it does dominate.

The mustard dominates the finish too. There aren’t a lot of hops here, or at least I can’t taste them for the mustard notes. Do I seem to be using the word mustard a lot here?

Wostyntje is interesting to try once, though I doubt I’d go out of my way to drink it again. I’m still not sure this beer works. Try a bottle with hot dogs. Or on them.