Vedett Extra White Review

"It’s Summertime and the Living is Easy”

Country: Belgium 

Brand: Vedett Extra White

Bottler: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, Puurs
Package: Bottle (33 cl) 

Type: Belgian Wheatbeer (Witbier)

Age: NAS

ABV: 4.8 %

Antioxidant: Not Indicated
Stabiliser: Not Indicated

Colour: Pale Straw. In the glass, the Vedett is Cloudy as it is unfiltered.

Foam: Thin White Foam that dissolves rather quickly. A very thin layer of foam lasts until you have finished the glass. Only Thin Laces remain afterwards.

Nose: Medium-Sweet and slightly Herbal. The main Aroma is Citrus Fruit with Orange, Tangerine and Lemon. Clear Barley and Wheat notes are accompanied by light Yeast and light Hops. I also find Tutti-Frutti Bubble Gum, Plums, Cloves and a distant hint of Fresh Coriander. No Off-Notes whatsoever.

Palate: Light, Dry and slightly Bitter with Wheat Crackers, light Hops, Malt, light Yeast, Dried Herbs, Tangerine, Lemon, White Pepper, Cloves, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. It's a bit more Watery than I would have expected. The Coriander note is more clear on the Palate. The Carbonation is Medium. It's very drinkable and highly refreshing.  

Finish: Very Short, Dry and slightly Bitter with Citrus Peel, Tutti-Frutti Bubble Gum and a hint of Banana Ice Cream.

Rating: *******  (Seven out of Ten)

The Devil's Brewery!

General Remarks: Vedett Extra White is produced by the family owned Duvel Moortgat Brewery that was founded in 1871. The strong golden pale ale Duvel (Devil) is the best known beer of this Distillery. Over the years the Brewery had its ups and downs but since the 1980's Duvel grew stronger all the time. It went public in 1999 and since acquired various other Breweries in Belgium and the USA. The Vedett Brand was originally launched in 1945 (Pilsener) but made its come back in 2003 as a luxury Lager. Vedett has successfully introduced a quite original marketing scheme that gives consumers the possibility of having their pictures placed on the labels of the bottles. Vedett Extra White was introduced to the market in 2008. It is made using Water, Malted Barley, Wheat and Hops. It is spiced with Coriander and Dried Orange Peel. It is re-fermented in the keg or bottle for several weeks to maximise flavour.

Drinking Experience: Good.   

Conclusion: Vedett Extra White is an excellent Thirst-Quencher on a hot day after a long walk walk in the city. Few people would not like it as such. It's a well made Wheat Beer with no off-notes on the Nose and on the Palate. The Orange and, to a lesser extent, the Coriander give a little extra flavour. It's very drinkable and highly refreshing. But it's also very Light, Thin and even slightly Watery. The Finish is extremely short. So if you're looking for a strong beer that will leave a lasting impression you're at the wrong address here. Instead this is a perfect Summer Beer to enjoy outside with your (girl) friends. Should combine well with Sushi and Sashimi.

Jan van den Ende                                                                        May 6, 2015

Eisenbahn Kölsch Review

"Easily Rolling Down My Throat”

Country: Brazil 

Brand: Eisenbahn Kölsch

Brewer: Cervejaria Südbrack, Blumenau (SC)

Package: Bottle (355 ml) 
Type: Ale (Kölsch) 

Age: NAS

ABV: 4.8 %

Antioxidant: None
Stabiliser: None

Colour: Golden 

Foam: Thin White Foam that quickly dissipates. Only few laces remain once you have emptied the Glass.

Nose: Light, Mildly Sweet, Simple and Fresh with a little Fruit (Green Apples), Pizza Dough, Grain Biscuits, Fresh Herbs, Caramel and a little Lemon. No Off-Notes. 

Palate: Mildly Sweet with a Very Light Body. Too Light actually and a bit Watery as well. I find Wheat Biscuits, Malt, a tiny bit of Hops, Green Apples and a little Lemon. Low Carbonation. This is nothing special but highly drinkable!  

Finish: Very Light and Mildly Sweet. I find a little bit of Malt and Hops and some Floral tones.

Rating: ******1/2  (Six and a Half out of Ten)

General Remarks: The Südbrack Brewery and its Brand Eisenbahn were founded in 2002 by the Mendes family in the South of Brazil. They loved Special Beers and found there were very few of them around. A Master Brewer from Germany was hired and production started. Over the years, the company expanded its product range and built a reputation, both in Brazil and around the world. It has won many prices with its special Beers. In 2008, Eisenbahn was bought by the Brazilian Schincariol Group. The Brand name Eisenbahn was chosen as the factory in Blumenau lies next to an old railway. Today, Eisenbahn's core range includes Dunkel, Kölsch, Pale Ale, Pilsen, Weizenbier, Weizenbock, Rauchbier, Lust and Strong Golden Ale. Eisenbah Kölsch was launched in 2005 and is an Ale type of Beer that originally hales from the city of Cologne in German. Its Production rigorously follows the German legislation for beer (Reinheitsgebot) and is made only of Water, Malted Barley, Malted Wheat and Hops.

Drinking Experience: Light but highly Drinkable.

Conclusion: When I lived in Europe before moving to Brazil I tasted various beers of the Kölsch type in Germany. Without exception they had more Body and tasted less Watery than this Eisenbahn. In fact the Eisenbahn Kölsch is a simple beer without significant Aromas and Flavours. Schincariol and Eisenbahn could do better in my opinion. So while I admit that it's highly drinkable and refreshing, I will look for other options before revisiting this Ale. 

Jan van den Ende                                                                     May 2, 2015

Old Speckled Hen Review

Country: England 

Brand: Old Speckled Hen

Bottler: Morland Brewing, Westgate Street, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.
Package: Tin Can 

Type: Pale Ale

Age: NAS

ABV: 5 %

Antioxidant: Not Indicated
Stabiliser: Not Indicated

Colour: Beautiful Dark Amber. 

Foam: Off-White but Creamy Foam. After about five minutes it still leaves about a finger of Foam in the Glass. A perfect Lacing remains in place while you are enjoying your glass of Old Speckled Hen. 

Nose: Whole Grain Bread, Bread Dough, Molasses, slightly Sour Berries, Grass, light Hop, slightly Burnt Caramel and light Mineral - and Metallic notes.

Palate: Medium Bitter, Creamy and Smooth with a low Carbonation. The Whole Grain Bread, Molasses and Caramel from the Nose are still around. I also find Malt, light Hops, Toffee, Bitter Almonds, Dried Herbs, Straw and Lemon.  It's a little more Watery than I had expected.   

Finish: Medium-Long, Straight Forward and Bitter-Sweet with Whole Grains, Malt, Yeast, light Hops, Brown Sugar, Molasses and Dried Herbs.

Rating: ******1/2  (Six and a half out of Ten)

General Remarks: Old Speckled Hen was first brewed in 1979 in Abingdon in Oxfordshire to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the local MG car factory. Old Speckled Hen was an MG car used as a runaround for the MG Factory workers. In 2000 the Morland Brewery was sold to the Green King Brewery that shot down the Abingdon facility. Since, the ale is produced in the Bury St. Edmunds complex. Old Speckled Hen has been exported to over 40 countries. The core range includes a/o Old Crafty Hen, a 6,5% Ale and Golden Hen, a 4,1% Beer.

Drinking Experience: Good 

Conclusion: This is certainly a different experience after having tasted a quartet of Lager Beers. Old Speckled Hen looks beautiful when you poor it in the glass. Just by looking at it I was expecting it to be Full, Fruity and Creamy. But that's not quite the case. In fact it's slightly Watery and Herbal on the Palate. The Bitterness is not sufficiently balanced by other Flavours. The Finish is slightly Medicinal. Therefore I can't give the Old Speckled Hen a higher score even when I usually like this type of Ale. It's just a tad too Bitter and Herbal as far as I'm concerned. I won't buy this again.   

Jan van den Ende                                                                      April 29, 2015

Xingu Premium Gold Review

“Good Balance Between Sweet, Sour and Bitter”

Country: Brazil 

Brand: Xingu Premium Gold

Bottler:Heineken Brasil SA, Jacarei (SP)

Type: Adjunct Lager

Age: NAS

ABV: 5.4 %

Antioxidant: INS 316 + INS 224
Stabiliser: INS 405

Colour: Golden 

Foam: Thin White Foam that practically disappears after 5 minutes or so. Very little Foam remains in the Glass once you finished it.

Nose: Light and Medium-Sweet with Malt, Grain, light Grassy Hops, Sour Green Apples and a touch of Lemon. Simple but without any troublesome off-notes. 

Palate: Light and Clean with Average Carbonation. Medium Sweet and slightly Sour with Malt, Grain, Grass, Green Apples and light Metallic notes. A little Bitter as well.

Finish: Short but Refreshing. Sweet Malt and Grain are accompanied by Green Apples and a light Herbal Bitterness. Reasonably Well-Balanced.

Rating: *******  (Seven out of Ten)

General Remarks: The Lager Beer I'm reviewing today is named after the river Xingu, a tributary of the Amazon River. Xingu Beer is a pioneer in the Brazilian Craft Beer segment. In 1988, the now famous Black Beer was launched, made after an ancient recipe dating back to 1557. Later, Black was followed by Gold. In 2014 the Xingu range was relaunched by Heineken Brasil who brews Xingu nowadays. The new core range includes Premium Gold, Unique Red and Original Black. Today, Xingu Beer is exported to the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, the UK and China.

Drinking Experience: Good

Conclusion: Quite Simple but Well-Balanced Lager Beer without that annoying Corn Sweetness and without any significant off-notes. Nice balance between Sweet, Sour and Bitter. It's not interesting enough to drink on a regular basis but I won't say no if somebody offers me a Xingu Premium Gold!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      April 26, 2015

Faxe Premium Review

“Danish Disappointment”

Country: Denmark

Brand: Faxe Premium (113th Anniversary Limited Edition)

Bottler: Royal Unibrew A/S, Faxe

Type: European Lager

Age: NAS

ABV: 5 %

Antioxidant: Not Indicated
Stabiliser: Not Indicated

Colour: Pale Gold/Straw

Foam: Thin White Foam that dissolves rather quickly. Only very little Foam remains in the glass once you finished it.

This Must Be a Beer for Real Men!

Nose: Light and Quite Sweet. I find White Supermarket Bread, Grain, a light Grassy Hop note and Butter. I can't help but smelling a distant Corn Aroma. This should not be possible of course as Faxe Premium is made only of Water, Malted Barley and Hops. At least that's what the package tells us. Therefore it must be "Just My Imagination" as the Temptations and Rolling Stones sung quite some time ago.  

Palate: Light, Sweet, Watery and slightly Edgy. Medium Carbonation. I find Grain, Butter Biscuits, the same Bread as on the Nose, light Metal and some Caramel. I get images of Candied Cotton and Dried-Out Grass. 

Finish: Short and Sweet with some light Metal notes. I also find some Bitter Grain/Hops, Vegetables and Artificial Sweetener. It tastes a bit Musty.

Rating: *****  (Five out of Ten)

General Remarks: The Faxe Brewery was founded in 1901 by Nikoline and Conrad Nielsen. It stayed in the Nielsen family until 1989 when it merged with Jyske Bryggerier to form what is now known as Royal Unibrew A/S. Today, it's Denmark's second largest Brewery group. The Faxe Brand Name was only known locally until the 1970's when it became an important name in the Danish market. Exports to other markets followed quickly. Today, Royal Unibrew has a strong presence in the Baltic countries and Poland. It also brews and markets Heineken in Denmark. The 113th Anniversary Limited Edition of Faxe Premium comes in a 1 liter can with a fine drawing showing Viking Warriors celebrating a victory. Nice for collectors!

Drinking Experience: I found it drinkable but not extremely pleasant. Too many notes I don't want to find in a good beer such as Metals, Artificial Sweetener and Vegetables. And a storm warning: Don't let the Beer get warm! Because all the negative aspects are enhanced that way. Drink it ice cold so your Taste Buds are Comfortably Numbed.

Conclusion: Faxe Premium is certainly not an expensive Lager and as such it might attract consumers. The size of the can and the nice presentation give it an extra edge as well. Taste wise however I have some problems with this Lager. I can't find any significant Aromas and Flavours but that's okay at this price level. It should at least be Fresh and Refreshing however and it fails on both counts. It smells and tastes Musty and a bit Sour and Rancid. And it has an artificial Sweetness I could easily live without. In short, it's not a Beer I would buy again.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      April 22, 2015