Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Mon Dieu!! Val Dieu!



oooooogh.  Private Practice is just so heavy.  It's almost as bad as watching the news.  

Anyway.  Every so often, there's a beer in the sample area at work that I haven't tasted.  I found a bottle of VAL-DIEU Brown on Monday.  It is a Belgian Brown, Abbey-style ale brewed according to the recipe of the Abbey Du Val-Dieu.  Let's review the difference between Trappist beer and Abbey beer, shall we?  There are only seven Trappist beers.  Trappist beers are strong, usually fruity beers made under the auspices of monks.  There are six monasteries in Belgium and one in the Netherlands where they are produced.  Chimay, Westmalle, Rochefort and Orval are examples.  We'll chat about all of them eventually.  Abbey beers are, basically, beers made in the style of Trappist beers, but not actually made by monks.  So, Val-Dieu beers are Abbey beers.  Overall, the Brown ale is pretty drinkable.  Ovaltine - sweet chocolate powder - nose, creamy mouthfeel, light hop presence.  
I also tried a sort of strange beer called FRULI, which is a Belgian Wit Beer brewed with strawberries.  It's not a lambic, it tastes like strawberry soda with a little alcohol finish.  Not bad.  I should have checked the ABV content -- you could very easily drink two or three or four and have a nasty headache the next day.  

Speaking of headache . . . yeah, if Private Practice doesn't get a little happier, I may have to take it off the list.  I'll do it, too.  I already had to let Desperate Housewives go. 

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