De Halve Maan Brewery

While in Bruges, Becky and I took a tour of the De Halve Maan Brewery, and at the end of the tour had the pleasure to try out 3 of their 4 beers. On the left is the Belgian Blond Bruges Zot, their Dubbel is in the middle, and on the right is Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel. If ever in Bruges, I absolutely recommend the tour. The basic tour is only about 10 euro and gives you a Bruges Zot in the bar, but the XL tour, costing 20, gives you the opportunity to try the 3 beers I mentioned in a private tasting room, and the tour is a bit more in depth than the standard one.

Bruges Zot had a strong banana nose coming off it with a hint of maltiness as well. The taste was similar but much more on the pilsner malt side and a bit less on the banana side. It does have a slightly bitter finish, more so than most other Belgian beers, but this is by no means unpleasant. It had a much larger body than I expected and overall was medium bodied.

The Bruges Zot Dubbel had an aroma of bananas foster or even a somewhat rotten banana. The banana was mixed with strong caramely aromas, giving it that distinct dessert smell. This one had a slightly boozy flavor, but most of the taste was dark fruits and caramelized malts. This beer was pretty big and very enjoyable.

While the first two were maybe a little bigger than I expected, the quad blew them both away. While I knew quads were strong, I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this one. The aroma is liquorice, dark fruit, and booze, to the point where it smells like an alcoholic fruit cake. It had an extremely intense flavor, very similar to the aromas, but unfortunately the strength of this beer got the best of me, and it was almost hard to drink because of its intensity.

We arrived in Bruges after leaving Antwerp, and it soon became the most incredible place I have ever visited. The combination of the cobbled streets, canals, and gabled houses makes you feel like you are living in a fairytale. Additionally, the sheer number of chocolate shops on every street for very affordable prices is a very delicious component of everyday life here. Like most of Belgium, Bruges is centered around their main square, easily identifiable from the massive Belfry. Becky and I waited in line quite a while to get to the top, but it was well worth the wait as the views of this amazing town can not be topped. Additionally, being there at 12 noon we heard the bells ring out right next to our heads. Although it was loud, it was an experience I will never forget. After the bell tower and some frites we took a canal tour. Like in Amsterdam, this city is not complete unless you see it from the water. Everything about Bruges is incredible, and I know that I will be back some day.