The third quadrupel created by Brouwbar, after Q56 in early 2021 and Q69 in late 2021, both of which were impressive – especially the latter. Medium thick, pale yellowish off-white, slowly thinning and opening head on a hazy ruddy brown beer with reddish-bronze glow. Aroma of melting caramel candy, raisin bread, candi sugar, ruby port, hazelnuts, green pear, ‘graanjenever’, dried prune, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg. Sweet onset with a clear candi sugar presence, hints of medlar, fig and ripe pear, medium carb with full, ‘fluffy’ mouthfeel – more ‘velvety’ and less slick than the previous two Brouwbar quads. Rounded caramelly core, some brown-breadiness and light hazelnuttiness, hints of toffee and ‘kramiek’ dough, with soft herbal hop bitter notes and warming, rum-like, prominent alcohol in the tail. I found this one to be softer and ‘breadier’ than Q56 and Q69 – which in this case means that it actually comes closer to the well-known trappist and abbey beer representatives of the style (think blue Chimay or La Trappe Quadrupel, for example). This effect must have been intentional – showcasing Benjamin’s skills as a brewer – but somehow it also makes this version more familiar and less surprising; I personally still prefer the Q69 over this one because of its bolder, more sleek and pungent character, but sheer intellectual honesty compels me to admit that this Q93 actually comes closer to the established Belgo-Dutch quad tradition everybody knows and loves, so have a point for that.

New ‘tripel’ by Brouwbar, though Benjamin apparently prefers to avoid that term, and the follow-up to B17 from 2018, SB32 from 2019 and SB57 from 2021. Egg-white, dense and stable, membrane-lacing, creamy head on a misty pale beige-ish hued warm golden blonde robe. Aroma of unripe peach, banana peel, young ‘graanjenever’, apple peel, moist white pepper, fresh white bread dough, rusk, ripe pear, hints of wormwood leaf, minerals and clove. Cleanly fruity onset like the aforementioned previous versions, but seemingly with a tad more outspoken banana ester (isoamylacetate); unripe peach and green pear notes too, fizzy carbonation, full and very rounded, slick mouthfeel. Cereally and white-bready core, very clean and sleek, acquiring grassy and floral hoppiness in the end providing some balancing bitterness but in a relatively gentle way; this bitterness is, however, accentuated by a noticeable, very ‘jenever’- or gin-like booziness. Clean, sleek ‘tripel’ or indeed ‘edelbier’ like the previous ones, but with the ABV taken a bit higher this time also comes a more prominent alcohol aroma and -taste. I think this sharpish edge might become shaved off a little with some further ageing so perhaps this one should be bottled as well…

The newest ISA by Brouwbar, a genre they have now executed in nine different versions in their five years of existence. Snow white, stable, thick and frothy, membrane-lacing head over a hazy apricot blonde robe. Aroma of mandarin, lemon zest, green kiwi, starfruit, hints of cereals, lime sherbet, minerals. Clean, sleek onset, lemon zest and orange peel notes, some unripe banana, fizzily carbonated with smooth, slick mouthfeel; cereally and grainy core under grassy, zesty hoppiness, bittering in a citrus pith-like way but nowhere harshly so, and therefore ending quite mild, if still lively and ‘spritzy’. Very well balanced, very accessible, very sleek and very refreshing – but not necessarily more so than previous Brouwbar ISAs.

14/I/23 - on tap @ Brouwbar (Gent), BB: n/a (2023-56)

Clear to orange beer, small creamy off-white head, stable, a bit adhesive. Aroma: a bit malty, ripe banana, a bit sweet, quite the yeasty character. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: very yeasty up front, ripe banana, bitter, pretty sweet, malty, spicy touch. Aftertaste: sugary, banana, sweet, gentle bitterness, metallic touch.

17/XII/22 - on tap @ Brouwbar (Gent), BB: n/a (2022-1748)

Clear orange blond beer, small creamy white head, unstable, non adhesive. Aroma: fruity, sweet impression, a bit oxidized, some almonds, caramel malts, some ripe banana, tropical fruits, floral notes, pretty dank hops. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: bitter start, hoppy, a little oxidized, malty, some citrus, very bitter, dry, a bit grassy, some caramel malts. Aftertaste: malty touch, grains, bitter, dry, hoppy, resinous, juicy, nice!

17/XII/22 - on tap @ Brouwbar (Gent), BB: n/a (2022-1747)

Cloudy pale yellow beer, small creamy yellowish head, little stable, bit adhesive. Aroma: spicy, pretty peppery, a little smoky, yeast, sweet impression, some melon rind, ripe tropical fruits, little dank, bit chemical. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: bitter start, a bit chemical, rubbery, rather unpleasant, don’t like it. Aftertaste: a bit malty, yeasty, melon rinds, plastic, not good.

Belgian blonde (so basically B68) fermented with kveik, the newest one at Brouwbar, which has churned out no less than three new beers in a few weeks time. Egg-white, shred-lacing, frothy, moussy, very firm head, hazy yellow blonde robe with vague ochre-ish tinge. Aroma of ripe pear, lime zest, starfruit, dried lemongrass, brioche bread, unripe pineapple, banana peel and green mango. Crisp, fruity onset, ripe pear and sweet apple with hints of banana and pineapple thrown in, fizzy carbonation but not too sharp; smooth white-bready maltiness, cereally but soft and rounded, adorned with tropical highlights here and there, reminiscent of starfruit, mangosteen and orange. The hops provide a citric edge in the finish, producing soft bitterness, but the fruitiness and smooth pale malt sweetness remain dominant. I have yet to encountered other classically styled Belgian ales (blonde, dubbel, tripel or quadrupel) making use of kveik yeast, but I can recommend it to any brewer, at least if it is executed as is the case here: kveik does not always do a whole lot, but in this case it clearly adds a kind of sweet-yellow, lightly tropical fruitiness to a basic blonde, in a way almost parallel to what hops in certain form can do to an IPA. The end effect is almost reminiscent of NEIPA, but yeasty fruitiness clearly supersedes hop character here so in the end, it is what the brewery presents it like: a Belgian blonde fermented with kveik. Very intelligent and quite surprising beer, albeit in a subtle manner.

New variation on WI84, differently hopped; I have yet to talk to the brewer about this one so I cannot provide further details at this moment. Egg-white, frothy, stable, dense and thick head, hazy apricot blonde robe. Aroma of dried orange peel, unripe pear, dry cereals, apple peel, green banana, minerals, white pepper and a sweaty, almost very vaguely ‘dank’ accent. Dryish, clean onset, green pear and unripe banana again, fizzily carbonated with smooth, white-bready and grainy maltiness, leading to a grassy, lightly but unmistakably grapefruity hop bitter finish with floral side aspects, stretching out over a relatively long distance without becoming very harsh. Dry, crisp, clean IPA, like WI84; I would not have minded a more biscuity malt profile and more hop bitterness, but this more ‘accessible’ form of the old West Coast IPA pops up everywhere lately and this one neatly fits in that trend.

Another saison variant by Brouwbar, from tap at the brewpub. Frothy, egg-white, moussy, shred-lacing, stable head, hazy yellow-golden blonde robe with apricot tinge. Aroma of banana peel, soggy white bread, damp straw, apple peel, minerals, green pear. Crisp, streamlined onset, green pear and unripe banana notes, sharply and very minerally carbonated (but this is saison so I don’t mind too much), with slick cracker- and cereal-like malt body, in the end spiced up with grassy, peppery hops which provide altogether gentle but adequate bitterness, ending dry and quenching as any old school saison should. Simple, but crisp, decent and sleek – typical Brouwbar ale, though perhaps better fit for spring or summer…