The ever-versatile Kees created a new beer in January that he’s called ‘It’s A Blond!’ And as usual, it was a beer that is anything but true to a style guideline.
A look through the list of ingredients shows the use of Pils and Munchener malts. Amarillo hops are the lupuline choice. There is also coriander and mango added. And this is all fermented with the famously spicy and complex yeast from the Trappist Monks at Westmalle.
Its almost as if these ingredients were thrown together, and the result was something of a surprise. A bit like not know the sex of your baby – oh wow, this one’s a blond!
I took me quite a few sips to start wrapping my head around what this beer was. There is the sweetness of the mango, with the fruitiness adding to the caramel malt body resulting in a heavier, stickier mouthfeel than expected. The hops are there, though they come in quite late, but linger in the aftertaste.
It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, though is certainly an interesting beer.
The historical beer style of Antwerp recently revived
A fruity malt backbone, a spicy hop bite and a hint of vanilla
A Belgian blond with the addition of coriander and orange peel
From a rustic farmhouse brewery, a hoppier version of the classic belgian blond ale.
The 'house beer' of Brugse - a delicious Belgian Blond ale from De Halve Maan brewery
A light and lively Belgian blond beer from the rustic Brasserie Caracole
This Belgian Blond is named after one of the ascents of the Tour De Flandres
De Molen's new core range Belgian Blond with Sorachi Ace hops
A typical Belgian Blonde style ale, slightly on the sweeter side of things
Brewed to a 1000-year old recipe, this is a great example of an almost-forgotten style.
Good malt body, gentle hop bitterness and classic Belgiam yeast aromas make this a great introduction to Belgian beer.
A strong blond ale, leaning toward a Belgian IPA with a good dose of European noble hops
A hoppy blonde ale which is the official beer of the Antwerp University
by Brasserie de la Cambre (Brouwerij Het Anker)
A traditional Belgian blond beer made by the Het Anker brewery
by L'Arogante (De ProefBrouwerij)
A hoppy blond ale, combining three US hops with a solid malt base
The newest beer in the Leffe range - a classy, tastier version of the iconic blond ale
by Mokke Bier
A Belgian Blond with coriander, orange zest and a hint of honey with a touch of saison funk
A balanced Belgian blond ale, with a beautiful hop bite that lasts.
by Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste (Bockor)
Light malts, citrus fruitiness and three varieties of hops
An easy-drinking citrus and hoppy blond ale, brewed for the 'Ommegang of Brussels' procession.
The newest addition to the Bosteels range is this Kwak Blonde
A delicious grassy blond beer from 2013's Best New Brewer Belgium
A traditional Belgian Blond Abbey Ale, from a family-run brewery with over a century of tradition.
Dedicated to the hero of Antwerp, a dry-hopped spicy blond ale
Fruity aroma and hoppy, spicy flavour make this an extremely drinkable beer.
A golden Belgian style pale ale, dry-hopped during secondary fermentation for a rich malt body and lovely hop bitterness
by Wilderen Brewery & Distillery
A golden blond ale from the Wilderen Brewery & Distillery
A pleasant Belgian blond from the Witkap family of beers
A malty blond ale with a pleasant peppery bite from only the second brewery in Brussels
A Russian Imperial Stout brewed to an original English recipe from 1750
A slightly happier version of a classic barley wine, using Cascade and Citra hops
A rich caramel malt body with a good dose of hop bitterness and a dry finish
An Imperial Saison aged 6 months in Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels
A delicious dessert beer, this is like caramel fudge in a glass
This beer replaces the Double Rye IPA, loaded with Mosaic, Simcoe and Loral hops with a crisp malt body
The second variant of Kees' Double IPA, double dry hopped with Simcoe & Amarillo
A spicy Rye Imperial IPA, with generous additions of Citra, Simcoe and Cascade
An old 19th Century beer style, dragged into the current craft beer world by a creative and talented brewer
A triple dry-hopped Imperial IPA, the 2020 single hop edition features Chinook hops
An IPA from Kees, finished with a French saison yeast for an interesting mix of beer styles
Kees' version of a NEIPA - or at least a hazy IPA - full of Citra, Mosaic and Loral hops
A new version of Kees' hazy IPA featuring Citra, Mosaic and Loral hops for a soft, juicy IPA
A lightly smoked summer dopplebock - apparently it's how the 'Indian's celebrated the autumn!'
A milkshake IPA, made using lactose and with the addition of fresh mango and vanilla
A chocolate orange stout in collaboration with De Dochter Van De Korenaar
A hop-driven pale ale dry-hopped with loads of beautiful Citra hops
Pineapple, coriander and szechuan peppers plus a little lactose make for an intriguing milkshake IPA
A really juicy, and very intriguing, single hop IPA using experimental hop HBC472
A chocolate oatmeal stout with loads of fresh strawberries added
A rich Russian Imperial Stout with cinnamon and brown sugar, based on the traditional Dutch pastry dessert
This Bourbon barrel aged imperial stout is a three-way collaboration with Alvinne (BEL) and Velka Morava (RUS) brewed at Brouwerij Kees
